British tourists risk £430 fines for breaking new list of Italian beach etiquette rules – including eating an ice cream
- Catalog of 23 banned activities has shocked beachgoers in Sant’Antioco
- Also on the list are sports and the use of stones to stabilize a beach umbrella
British tourists risk heavy fines for breaking a new list of Italian beach etiquette rules, including eating an ice cream or a sandwich.
Residents and tourists in Sant’Antioco, a town on the island of the same name in southern Sardinia, were shocked by the list of 23 activities now banned on the beach.
The list includes playing sports, using rocks to stabilize an umbrella, and consuming all kinds of foods.
The regulations, drawn up by the Mayor of Sant’Antioco, Ignazio Locci, state that the maximum allowance for food is £430.
Residents and local media in the city – which is a popular destination for foreign holidaymakers and Italians alike – have criticized the restrictions.
Residents and tourists in Sant’Antioco, a town on the island of the same name in southern Sardinia, were shocked by the list of 23 activities now banned on the beach
An unnamed male resident of Sant’Antioco told local media: “Does this mean we can’t eat anything, even if we spend all day at the beach? Can’t my children and I buy ice cream and eat it under our umbrella?’
A mom from the city said, “Does this mean I can’t give my girl a snack when she goes to the city children’s holiday camp? That’s a bit weird.’
But the mayor is not impressed by their arguments.
Locci said: ‘If getting people to follow the rule can help, then yes, I’m absolutely against you eating anything on the beach.
“We still see lunches by the sea with banquets of huge watermelons, lasagna and sliced bread.”
He added: “I recognize that the ban seems excessive. But just appealing to common sense, our eyes have often been closed on too many fronts.’
The new beach ordinance criminalizes ‘picnicking’. However, the ruling also warns that those who only eat a snack or ice cream without leaving any waste will also be asked to pay.