Officials in Barcelona, Spain have passed a law banning swimwear in public places other than the beach, reports Routard.
Under the new law, visitors found wandering city streets or cultural institutions in beach attire will be given one warning, and then could face up to a $420 fine. Swimsuits are restricted to pools, beaches and nearby streets and walkways.
Tourists wandering off the beach in bikinis and swim trunks present an increasing problem for the city, giving rise to concerns that such permissive, casual attire tarnishes Barcelona’s image.
Last year, in an attempt to curb the practice, the city put up signs reminding visitors that swimwear was for the beach only. The signs, posted in public spaces and stores around the city, depicted a couple in swimwear with a slash through it – the universal symbol for "no" – and another properly-attired couple without a slash.
The law doesn’t stop at just swimsuits either: nudists caught practicing their au natural lifestyle away from the city’s nude beach could face fines of up to about $670.