As Europe began welcoming tourists from around the world after two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, several incidents of nuisance were reported in parts of the continent. To curb the antisocial behaviour among drunk tourists in public spaces, a few restaurants on the Spanish island of Mallorca have introduced a dress code. According to The Guardian, most of the restaurants in the Playa de Palma have observed a surge in “shirtless, costumed or football-jersey-clad” tourists who will no longer be allowed.
The move comes after a recent flood of “drunk tourists” created nuisances rather than exploring the local cuisine or the island’s beauty. CEO, Juan Miguel Ferrer of Palma Beach, told The Guardian, “Since May 10, we’ve been suffering the arrival of large groups of tourists who are only looking to get drunk in the streets, or on the seafront or even on the beach.”
To tackle this problem, the group of hotels and restaurants has decided to not allow shirtless tourists and those wearing football jerseys. Explaining this selection of dress code as a strict no-entry, Ferrer told the news portal that to enter the eateries one should go shower or change outfits. “You’re not going to come here in beach clothes or come straight from drinking in the streets,” he added.
The restaurant owner says that he has observed how a few tourists arrive at the hotels around 10 am and by 2 pm, they are so drunk that they cannot even walk. Some of the companions of these dipsomaniac tourists even leave them on the sidewalk and go, reports The Guardian.
It should be noted that in 2020, Spain did introduce a law to curb the alcohol-fuelled holidays. According to the law, happy hours, free bars and two-for-one drinks parties were banned. The legislation also made it illegal to advertise pub crawls. The law also asked shops selling alcohol that stay open all night, to close between 9.30 pm and 8 am or risk fines of up to €600,000 or the threat of being closed down for three years.
