A new campaign has been launched in Catalonia to cut down on unruly behaviour from tourists. Visitors to the region, and in particular Barcelona, will find new by-laws in place, which make it illegal to consume any alcoholic drink in a public place.
In addition, the authorities have clamped down on street vendors, skateboarders, jugglers, bongo-drummers, DVD sellers, beggars, graffiti artists, prostitutes, people who dress “indecorously” and people who urinate (or satisfy other “physiological needs”) in public. On-the-spot fines for these misdemeanours can reach up to 1,500 euros. According to a statement from the Catalonian tourist office, the laws are designed to stem the ‘booze and babes’ tourism of recent years, with an official commenting: “We can’t allow our region to turn into a human rubbish tip for everyone not wanted by other European countries.”
Meanwhile, over in the Spanish Balearic Islands of Majorca, Menorca and Ibiza, a different kind of pest is causing a problem – holidaymakers are coming under attack from mosquitoes and spiders due to an early heat wave. Spanish authorities have confirmed that both holidaymakers and locals have been plagued with an unusual amount of insects for the time of the year. In Palma, pest control patrols have been out in force to take urgent action with biological sprays, after receiving hundreds of calls from people under siege. Temperatures in May were the highest on record on the Islands and also caused power surges as people turned on their air-conditioning units.
