Benidorm cracks down on lewd t-shirts and items in shop windows

Benidorm, a well-known tourist city on Spain's Mediterranean coast, is taking action against shops that display lewd or offensive items in their windows. The city is famous for its beaches and lively atmosphere, attracting nearly three million visitors last year, with over 830,000 coming from the United Kingdom. In the central part of Benidorm, called the 'Guiri zone,' many shops sell souvenirs and t-shirts with jokes or sexual messages, often written in English to appeal to British tourists. Some of these t-shirts have phrases like 'Good boys go to heaven, bad boys go to Benidorm,' which are meant to be funny but can be seen as inappropriate by some people.

The local government in Benidorm is worried that these items might give the city a bad reputation and make people uncomfortable, especially children and vulnerable groups. Javier Jordá, who is in charge of commerce at the city hall, explained that the crackdown is about protecting people from offensive messages in public spaces. He said that some shops are not following Benidorm's laws, which say that shop windows should not show products that could hurt people's moral sensitivity. The law specifically mentions 'sexy articles' as an example of what should not be displayed. However, the rule only applies to what is shown in the windows or entrances, not to what is sold inside the shops.

To start, the city is reminding shop owners about the regulation and asking them to remove any items from their windows that might break the rules. If shop owners do not cooperate, they could face fines of up to €3,000. Mr Jordá hopes that it will not be necessary to give out fines and that shop owners will respect the rules to help keep Benidorm's image positive. Spain is a top destination for tourists, with 94 million foreign visitors last year, mostly from the UK, France, and Germany. While resorts like Benidorm are still very popular, there are growing concerns about over-tourism, which has led to protests in some places. The tourism industry in Spain is trying to find new ways to attract visitors without causing problems for local communities. Benidorm's new rules are part of this effort to make sure the city remains a welcoming and respectful place for everyone.