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France cracks down on tourist attire with hefty fines
🇵🇱 Poland /Culture & Society

France cracks down on tourist attire with hefty fines

From Rzeczpospolita · () Polish

Translated from Polish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Sources not specified Context piece
  • French coastal towns are tightening regulations on tourist attire outside of beaches, imposing fines of up to 150 euros for violations.
  • The new rules aim to maintain public order, hygiene, and comfort for residents and visitors, with enforcement varying across popular resorts.
  • While some businesses and residents support the measures to preserve social harmony, critics argue they infringe on tourist freedom, especially during heatwaves.

French seaside towns are cracking down on tourist dress codes, implementing fines for attire deemed inappropriate outside of beach areas. Visitors strolling through town centers without shirts or in swimwear could face penalties, with some resorts levying fines up to 150 euros.

The regulations are now in effect in numerous popular tourist destinations, stretching from Deauville on the English Channel to Narbonne on the Mediterranean coast. Local authorities state the objective is to uphold public order, hygiene, and the comfort of both residents and other visitors.

The goal is to maintain public order, hygiene, and the comfort of residents and other guests.

— Local authoritiesExplaining the rationale behind the new dress code regulations in French coastal towns.

In Narbonne, the ban, active from June to September, prohibits movement through the historic center without adequate covering. Walking barefoot outside designated beach zones is also forbidden. Officials emphasize these rules primarily target urban spaces, shopping streets, and dining establishments.

The rules apply primarily to urban spaces, shopping streets, restaurants, cafes, and places frequented by residents.

— Local authoritiesClarifying the scope of the new dress code enforcement in Narbonne.

Some resorts have significantly increased penalties. Deauville, for instance, replaced a nominal 17-euro fine with a potential 150-euro penalty. The number of municipalities enforcing similar rules has reportedly doubled in two years, from about ten to twenty.

Narbonne, which attracts around nine million tourists annually, issued several fines in its first season under the new rules. City officials stress the goal is not to persecute tourists but to remind them of basic social etiquette. The stricter rules have garnered support from some tourism and hospitality entrepreneurs, who note that patrons in swimwear or shirtless on terraces can be off-putting to other customers. Restaurant and cafe owners believe the regulations foster a more comfortable atmosphere in public gathering spots, especially during peak season.

The goal is not to prosecute tourists, but to remind them of basic rules of social coexistence.

— City officialsDescribing the intent behind issuing fines for dress code violations in Narbonne.

However, the new rules face opposition. Critics argue that local authorities are overreaching by restricting tourist freedom, particularly in light of rising summer temperatures in France, which have recently exceeded 40 degrees Celsius in some regions. Opponents contend that 150-euro fines are disproportionate.

Guests appearing on terraces without shirts or only in swimwear are not well received by other customers.

— Restaurant and cafe ownersSupporting the new regulations to improve the atmosphere in public spaces.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Rzeczpospolita in Polish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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