Tourists face £400 fine for eating on Italian beach

Italy has reportedly introduced new strict rules for their beaches, leaving tourists and locals outraged this summer.

Beaches in Italy have banned people from bringing their own picnics, reported The Sun. Several beaches across Italy are privately owned by hotels and restaurants, and they charge tourists to hire parasols and sun loungers. In a bid to earn money from holidaymakers at their own beach bars, some of the private beach owners have begun to stop families from eating food brought from home.

Three families were 'intimidated'

Three families were "intimidated" as soon as they opened their homemade food by staff members at a private beach, according to La Repubblica, an Italian newspaper. They wrote: "Three families were unable to consume the provisions at a well-known beach in Torre Lapillo."

"The three families, who had reached the Ionian marina with their children, said: 'When we opened the bags with the food we were approached and threatened'," the Italian newspaper wrote further.

While these private beaches have come up with this latest food ban keeping in mind the number of tourists the region attracts every summer, it has not gone well with the local residents either.

The food ban rule varies from beach to beach

Dario Dusso, who is a local resident and lawyer, is said to be "furious" with the "food ban."

"They simply cannot do it. They don't have the authority. And if it's too late for this season because the times of the bureaucracy would not allow us to intervene in good time, from next year we will warn anyone who dares to forbid bathers to access the state property with their own food, "Dusso told News Italy 24.

The rules around food and drinks that tourists can bring to Italian beaches can vary from each beach.

Michele Colella, who is the manager of Lido Calarena, a private beach in Cozze, opened up on their rule, saying they do not allow large refrigerator boxes for group gatherings. "But if you bring a snack, a drink, or a mini fridge box, we turn a blind eye," added Colella.

More beach rules in Italy this summer

One of the most visited Italian destination every summer is Sardinia, which has come up with several strict rules to deal with over-tourism.

In order to keep up with the standards of Sardinia's pristine beaches, the authorities have banned eating on the beach in Sant'Antioco, according to Metro. The rule applies to both tourists and residents and anyone caught breaching it could be issued with fines of more than £400. Even consuming a sandwich or ice cream is prohibited on the Sardinia beach.

Some regions in Sardinia have capped the number of tourists in a day. Only 1,600 people can visit Cala Sisine per day, while Santa Maria Navarrese only permits 1,300.

Pelosa Beach in Sardinia has banned towels to lay in and asked visitors to instead bring mats that gather less sand. The authorities have also introduced a fee of £3 (€3.50) for anyone wanting to visit the beach.

After the new rules were applied, tourists wanting to visit the beaches of Cala Coticcio and Cala Brigantina in the archipelago of La Maddalena will now have to pay £2.56 (€3) per person for access each day.

The archipelago itself is a national park. No one can visit it without a guide, which will cost £21 (€25) for five hours.

Earlier it was reported that Italy has implemented strict swimming rules this summer. People may not be allowed into a pool in the country if they don't have the correct gear. In swimming pools across Italy, it is mandatory to wear a swimming cap in the water. The rule is in place for hygiene reasons.

Among other rules, holidaymakers need to wear regular clothes, not swimwear, if they aren't on the beach in some areas of Italy. People have also been fined for playing football or other games that involve running or throwing objects along the shores of Lake Garda.