French Town Asks Holidaymakers To Put Clothes On Or Face A Fine

Forbes

2 days ago

Les Sables d'Olonne, France, is fed up with holidaymakers who aren't fully dressed. getty
A French resort town has caused a stir by taking to social media to complain about holidaymakers that are walking around topless or in swimsuits anywhere outside designated beach areas. It's a response to local concerns about public decency, but more importantly, the impact of tourism on community life, tied to the issue of overtourism.
The Mayor of the town, Les Sables d'Olonne, Yannick Moreau, published the town's poster on Instagram saying, "200 years of Sablaise elegance wasn't meant for us to end up in the streets in our underwear."
The small village of Les Sables d'Olonne welcomes mostly French visitors throughout the summer, who increasingly leave the beach to shop and walk about—in their swimsuits. And it's a situation that Mayor Yannick Moreau thinks is deteriorating. As reported in The New York Times, Moreau said, "If you go to a market to buy local food, fruits, vegetables, meat, you cannot be half-naked with hair falling onto the vegetables," adding, "It's a matter of decency."
The town doesn't think it's being unfair. On the Atlantic coast of France, Les Sables d'Olonne spans miles and miles of sandy beaches; plenty of room to stroll without many clothes. Moreau adds in his post, "If you want to show off your pecs and your best swimming shorts, there are 11 kilometers of beach at your disposal." Plus, if you want to, you can also go naked—since the town has a nudist beach too.
Locals risk a fine of up to $175 (€150) for not being fully dressed. In July, the resort town gave out 10 fines, all to French tourists. The New York Times reports that's the most the town has handed out since the rule was first introduced in 2020. And that's what prompted Moreau to post on social media. The tagline for the ad campaign says, "In Les Sables d'Olonne, respect doesn't go on holiday."
Les Sables d'Olonne is not the only town struggling with half-dressed tourists. Drive four hours south down the Atlantic coast past La Rochelle and Bordeaux, and the summer crowd favorite of Arcachon is handing out fines of $175 (€150) to anyone considered to be not fully dressed.
Last September, the Spanish city of Malaga set up billboards around the city to crack down on anti-social behaviour by British tourists, reminding them how to behave in public places. Primarily, it wanted them to wear more clothes and to sing less late at night.
Last week, Malaga's City Hall was again posting the same campaign on social media, reminding people to stay fully dressed, to keep the city clean, and not to be too conspicuous with noise. In Malaga, tourists can be fined up to $825 if they are found in public places without clothes or wearing only underwear.
City officials in other European tourist destinations, such as on the Amalfi Coast, Italy, and Dubrovnik, Croatia, have also advertised that walking around the city in bathing suits is undesirable behavior. Italy can issue fines of hundreds of euros.
Such anti-social behavior, such as not being fully dressed on the streets of Spanish or French towns, particularly in high tourist season, can only fuel the antagonism felt by locals towards the multitude of tourists who arrive in Europe every summer.
Record-breaking tourist numbers were expected this summer 2025, and locals have been protesting over perceived injustices caused by rampant overtourism—in 2024, more people visited Europe than the population of Europe itself, almost 750 million visitors. MORE FROM FORBES Forbes This French Region Is Offering €1 Houses By Alex Ledsom Forbes Here's How Retirement Visas For U.S. Expats Compare, Based On New Data By Alex Ledsom Forbes Overtourism: Why Does Spain Face More Tourism Backlash Than France? By Alex Ledsom