Popular Tourist Hotspot Bans Bikinis

Tourists heading to a popular tourist town will have to avoid walking around in two-piece swimming costumes after the mayor introduced a ban on bikinis.

Buying a new bikini is a common part of holiday prep for lots of people, and countless images shared online prove they're a popular choice of clothing for those looking to get a good snap on the beach or by the pool.

Pixabay

However, visitors to Sorrento on Italy’s southwestern Amalfi Coast could now face a fine if they show too much skin when wandering the town as mayor Massimo Coppola has expressed concerns over impacts on the local community.

The ban relates to both bikinis and bare torsos, which the mayor has claimed are upsetting for locals and damage the image of the town.

Coppola hopes the ban will put a stop to 'widespread indecorous behaviour' which has been 'seen by the majority of people as contrary to decorum and to the decency that characterises civilised cohabitation', The Times reports.

“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,” Coppola continued.

Those seen to be violating the ban could now face fines of up to €500 (£425) - a chunk of money that could have otherwise gone to a holiday in more bikini-friendly location.

Alamy

Max Tamanti, a local journalist in the town, described the sight of tourists showing too much skin as a 'macabre procession', claiming they were creating similar scenes in the towns in Amalfi to those seen in Dante’s Inferno.

The ban will likely cause frustrations among some visitors to the town, which is a favourite for social media influencers and younger travellers due to its picture-perfect landscape with pastel-coloured buildings and clifftop restaurants.

The town has a marina offering numerous waterfront eateries as well as a number of beaches which can become packed with tourists looking to top up their tans during the summer months.

Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula which itself has views of Naples, Vesuvius and the Isle of Capri.

It is not the first seaside resort to impose a ban relating to the behaviour of tourists, with the mayor in the Calabrian town of Praia a Mare having previously banned walking barefoot, while authorities in the Ligurian resort of Rapallo have installed street signs to remind visitors of a ban on showing too much skin.