Italy fed up with tourists walking around town in their bikinis, influencer warns

Travelers have been issued a warning about a common practice that is less accepted overseas.

While it may seem second nature to schlep around in swimwear when visiting toasty coastal areas in Italy, a reminder has been issued for those planning on doing so.

Locals not only have a well-documented “unease” towards tourists parading around in barely anything, but the practice can also line visitors up for a hefty fine.

Revived attention was brought to the strict dress code recently by Melbourne woman Marti, who warned Aussies in a TikTok video.

“I don’t know what it is about Italians but they do not want tourists going around in their bikini around the little towns near the beaches,” Marti told viewers.

She added that local police “can easily fine you €500 ($545).”

“If you’re planning on going to the beach, bring an extra T-shirt with you so you can cover up, and the old Italian ladies and men will be happy,” she said.

“If you’re visiting a church or anything religiously historical … chances are some places will tell you to cover up before you go in.”

Mayor of Sorrento Massimo Coppola last year banned walking around in a swimming costume, which he described as a contributor towards “widespread indecorous behavior”.

Bare flesh damaged the image of the town, he argued, with the “offense” now carrying a fine of up to €500 ($545).

“The continuation of this situation, as well as causing discomfort and unease in the resident population and among visitors, could lead to a negative judgment on the quality of life in our town, with consequences for its image and for tourism,” Mr. Coppola said at the time.

Sorrento isn’t the only tourist hotspot enforcing bikini bans, with the mayor of southern Italian town Praia a Mare, extending the ban to include walking barefoot in town.

Skimpy dresses are also broadly condemned in Rapallo, in northern Italy, so much so that street signs display the rule as a reminder to visitors.

Those flaunting their bikini body in Barcelona, Spain, may also be penalized if they are caught insufficiently dressed in the town center.

Visitors could be fined up to $297, and closer to $600 if they’re found to be breaching the rules in Mallorca.

Bikinis are allowed in both Barcelona and Mallorca but only at beaches and pools.

Lipari, the largest of Sicily’s Aeolian islands, introduced a similar rule back in 2013 after residents kicked up a fuss about tourists wearing skimpy swimwear in the city center.

Tropea, one of Calabria’s most popular seaside resorts, followed suit in July 2019, when Mayor Giovanni Macrì forbade residents and visitors from wearing swimwear far from the local beaches, as well as strolling around town barefoot.

Finally, Venice has long been known for enforcing an array of rather peculiar pro-decorum measures.

Besides the Venetian anti-beachwear ban, visitors of the ‘Floating City’ are banned from eating or drinking while sitting on the ground, bathing in the lagoon’s waters, riding bikes, and even feeding the local birds, with the latter offense leading to fines of up to $545.