The popular city issuing huge fines for tourists breaking new dress code

Constitution Square in Malaga. Photo / 123rf

One popular European city is so fed up with tourists dressing inappropriately that it has put up signs demanding visitors “dress properly” or face a hefty fine.

The Spanish city of Malaga is swarming with tourists amid Europe’s sweltering summer, attracting many Brits to come and holiday on the south coast.

But local authorities aren’t happy with the rise in scantily clad attire from holiday-goers, fuelling anti-tourist sentiment.

In a bid to clean up tourists’ acts, the city has put up posters around Malaga asking people to adhere to clothing guidelines that provide coverage on the top during their movements around the city.

The posters are headlined with “dress completely” and accompanied with pictures of a man and a woman wearing t-shirts.

The posters also came with instructions, which read: “Both on the street and in public places always wear an upper garment for respect and hygiene.”

According to local law, anyone who is warned of the dress code restrictions but ignores police risks being fined up to €750 ($1366) in line with “minor offences”.

The posters come after tourists were seen walking around the city in bikinis, shirtless or just in swimming shorts.

In 2023, it was made illegal to walk around topless or just in underwear in Malaga. Despite the recent efforts to clean up tourists’ dress attire, locals fear the law isn’t being enforced enough.

Last month, travellers were sprayed with water guns and trapped inside restaurants in Barcelona during a protest against mass tourism.

Protesters marched through popular tourist areas on July 7 chanting “Tourists go home”, squirting people with water pistols as they sat at outside restaurant tables.

Barcelona’s Mayor, Jaume Collboni, reiterated several measures were under way to reduce mass tourism’s impact on the city.

Recent research from Google and Deloitte suggests Spain is on track to be the world’s most-visited destination, with 110 million visitors annually.