More Countries Are Implementing Tourist Dress Codes: Is It Respectful Or Restrictive?

A strange thing happens to many of us when we go on holiday. We act in a way we wouldn’t at home.

Away from the constrains and routine of our normal lives, we can be a freer version of ourselves. Very few experiences make us question who we are and where we belong as much as being somewhere else. Travel prompts us to try new things, meet new people and embrace adventure. It has the power to fundamentally change us, and to influence our behaviour either temporarily and permanently.

On a bad day, we use it to excuse inexcusable rudeness. Without the social inhibitions that we have in our day-to-day lives, we play up. We drink too much, we make too much noise and we forget to learn even a few cursory words in the given native language of our destination. We refuse to blend in. We wear the wrong clothes, dismissing the cultural traditions of the place we’re visiting. It’s this exactly that’s forced the Croatian island of Hvar to implement tourist dress codes that, if ignored, are punishable by fines of up to €600.

Before anyone gets offended by these new regulations or bemoans their right to self-expression, it’s worth going through the details. The new rules state that modest attire is encouraged when visiting religious sites, museums, and cultural landmarks, and that swimwear is prohibited outside designated beach zones. Those wearing bikinis and speedos, outside of designated beach areas or swimming pools, could face a fine of up to €600. Shirtless or scantily-clad tourists milling about in Hvar’s town centre will be an issued an €500 on-the-spot penalty. Croatia isn’t the only destination to implement a dress code; in Spain, tourists face fines up to £500 (this figure varies depending on the specific area) for wearing beachwear outside of pools and coastal settings. India, Mexico, France, Brazil and Thailand have all issued regulations about covering up outside of the beach and when visiting religious and cultural sites. These countries shouldn’t have had to enforce dress codes; it’s not puritanical to ask visitors to avoid wearing a bikini to the supermarket. What’s embarrassing is that this collective telling off was required in the first place. 

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The Croatian island of Hvar where tourists now face dress code fines, photograph courtesy of Alexandra Leru

I write this wincingly. Nearly six years ago, I was on holiday on a Croatian island basking on a remote beach when my best friend and I decided on buying a few beers to have as sundowners. She had the good sense to wear a pair of shorts. I did not. We walked along the dusty pathway without finding so much as a beach hut, and found ourselves edging back into the tiny port back to civilisation. My best friend urged us to turn back, but for some reason I petulantly refused. We ended up in a tiny corner shop with me standing at the till in a bikini and sandals, the store owner looking at me with rightful disdain while my best friend stood by the entrance pretending not to know who I was. With age comes, you hope, a small amount of humility and wisdom, and I like to think I have learnt from my poor travel etiquette, but the incident still makes me shudder.

Of course the issues surrounding tourist dress codes is part of a wider problem. British and American tourists are, historically, not very good at blending in. We make it about us. You can spot a Brit or American in a line-up of Europeans a mile off; we tend to be louder and don’t speak the language. We are often sunburnt within 48 hours and moan about the heat despite having chosen a country for its warmth. We moan about restaurants and shops being closed when opening times contrast with what we’re used to back home. We moan when we can’t find food that we like. We are not very good at assimilating. We want to pick and choose the culture of a destination without consequence. There is such arrogance to our rejection of other cultures and traditions that it’s unsurprising that Barcelona teenagers have taken to drenching tourists with water pistols. 

Overtourism has had a huge impact on the countries we love – Airbnb and holiday rentals are driving up property prices to a point that locals can no longer afford to buy, and party destinations such as Ibiza and Amsterdam have both campaigned for visitors to dial down the raucous behaviour. Venice has recently revived entrance fees for day trippers to mitigate the impact of tourism pressure. At a time when main character energy has hit its zenith, the idea of conforming has become unpopular. Sometimes, we aren’t the star of the show; when it comes to travel, that role goes to the destination. Its setting, history, traditions, culture and people are the headliners. As travellers, we are support acts there to appreciate, enjoy and learn from what we experience. 

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Crowds on The Bridge of Sighs in Venice, photographed by Marc Land

Going on holiday might feel like Disneyland for those visiting, a place that exists solely for us, but for many, it is home – and at home, you probably wouldn’t wear a swimsuit and flip-flops to dinner. My grandad, who lived in France for 15 years, had very few rules, but he always insisted on “no tits in the soup” –  directed at men and women. We were free to lounge around the pool in whatever we liked, but when it came to lunch, dinner or leaving the house, full clothing please. To him, it wasn’t about being moralistic, it was about manners.

As tourists, we are not there to invade. We are visiting as guests, so do as you would in normal life. Treat your hosts with respect and say thanks for having us as you leave – and maybe, hopefully, we’ll be welcomed back again. 

Lead image: Alémais