A popular Spanish island has introduced strict new rules ahead of the summer months. The bans have been introduced in Gran Canaria in a bid to keep visitor numbers and behaviour under control, with the threat of hefty fines up to £2,500.
The new regulations cover the Agaete coastline and apply to beaches, promenades and coastal areas. They include smoking or vaping on beaches, and playing loud music in public. Local leaders hope the rules will make life more enjoyable for locals and help protect the island's environment.
Tourists are also banned from cooking or barbecuing in public spaces such as beaches. Brits also face fines for blocking paths, collecting shells or rocks and engaging in sexual acts in public.
Those who break the newly introduced rules face fines of between £25 and £629. Meanwhile, more serious offences could land people with fines of between £630 and £1,258. The highest amount tourists could be charged is a huge €3,000, which equates to around £2,500.
Over 90 million tourists visited Spain last year. Although high levels of tourism can benefit the economy, it can also be detrimental to the lives of local people and the environment.
Gran Canaria has its own microclimate which the new rules hope to protect. It uniquely boasts the Maspalomas sand dunes in the south, cool peaks around the Tejeda crater in the centre, and tropical valleys such as Agaete in the north.
Earlier this month, thousands of people across 40 cities in Spain protested to demand a solution to overtourism. They took place in major cities, including Madrid, Barcelona, Malaga and Palma de Mallorca.
Many Spaniards feel the the number of tourists arriving each year is pushing up living costs and making housing unaffordable. It is also having an impact on the natural environment.
