Albufeira council chiefs have put out a document for public consultation which details the banned clothing and a range of fines which could hit badly-behaving tourists
British holidaymakers heading to the Algarve, in Portugal, for some summer sun have been give a stark warning that they could receive hefty fines of up to £1250 if they’re caught strolling the streets in just their bikinis or swim shorts.
The local authorities in Albufeira, a hotspot for party-goers, are cracking down on semi-nudity outside designated areas such as beaches and hotel pools. This summer, police will be issuing fines to tourists who dare to bare it all or engage in public sexual acts. Under the proposed new regulations, a maximum fine could be as high as £1,500.
For tourists who drink on the streets, there will also potentially be new fines starting at £250.
Albufeira’s draft Code of Behaviour, which got the nod late last year, is currently undergoing public scrutiny before it’s expected to come into force just in time for the influx of summer visitors. Local officials have expressed that the aim of the Code of Conduct initiative is to “create better conditions for the development of the municipality, preserving Albufeira as a multicultural, family-friendly, and safe destination that values its heritage and identity”.
Mayor Jose Carlos Rolo said in an official statement: “It is urgent to establish measures that effectively address the adoption of abusive behaviours, particularly by those who seek the municipality of Albufeira as a tourist destination.”
Lasts summer a group of British tourists were filmed drunkenly crawling on their knees, naked, on top of a bar, in the middle of the day. The footage, which later went viral, was branded by the Mayor as “deeply negative”. Eight Brits were later identified by police.
At the time of the incident, Albufeira was attempting to distance itself from its party image. Just two months earlier, the council had presented a diversification strategy with the motto ‘Albufeira is part of your life’. The mayor added that the sun and beach would always be at the centre of the resort’s tourist product, but added: “We want to focus also on diversifying the offer, in order to contribute to reducing seasonality but also to attract new tourist markets from other nationalities.”
In addition to a crackdown on public semi-nudity, Albufeira council chiefs are also cracking down on individuals wearing underwear or ‘trikinis’ – a three-piece swimsuit – in public.
The document the council has put out to public consultation says under a section titled ‘Prohibitions’: “To remain or circulate in a state of partial nudity, understood, for the purposes of this Code, as a person who partially exposes their body, using any type of clothing or accessory, namely, swimwear – bikini, trikini, swimsuit and similar, shorts and underwear.”
Beaches, beach access points including seafront car parks, and hotel swimming pools are listed as “exempted areas.”