Holidaymakers jetting off to a popular European travel destination could soon face a ban on wheeling a suitcase through one of its tourist hotspots under new proposals.
The Old Town of Dubrovnik, one of the leading summer holiday locations in Croatia, has reportedly seen complaints flood in from locals over the noise that wheeled suitcases make on the cobbled streets. Residents are said to have protested after regularly being woken up in the middle of the night by the sound of tourists heading to their hotels with their cases, leading to the town's mayor to put forward plans to impose restrictions.
According to Croatian publication, Jutarnji List, tourists will be told to carry their luggage through the streets this summer rather than wheeling it on the cobbles. And from November, the hotspot is planning to develop a system where tourists will leave their luggage before entering the old town, The Express reports.
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Holidaymakers will then need to pay a fee to have their cases delivered to their accommodation, in a move which according to the mayor is "just the beginning". It comes as part of a wave of measures introduced in Dubrovnik and wider Croatia recently in a bid to manage the huge numbers of tourists and their impact on locals and the country's historic areas.
Elsewhere in Croatia, the city of Split is following in Dubrovnik's footsteps and banning visitors from wandering around its historic centre topless or in a bikini. The new rules prohibit tourists and locals from walking around the old towns 'in a bathing suit, underwear or no clothes in a public space', BirminghamLive reports.
The restrictions are intended to 'bring order to the city', with fines of up to €150 (around £128) for those who disobey. Meanwhile, penalties of up to €4000 (£3,400) face nightlife revellers whose unruly actions are considered to be 'disturbances to public order', for example being visibly drunk in public.
The UK's Foreign Office has recently updated its Croatia travel advice to reflect the rule changes which also include bans on sleeping in public areas, climbing on top of monuments, urinating in public spaces, drinking alcohol near 'protected public spaces" like schools, and vomiting in public areas. The UK government warns: "You can also be fined up to €4000 for actions considered to be disturbances to public order.
"These include fighting, verbal abuse and drunken behaviour. Most towns have signage to advise about actions that are prohibited by local law. Take notice of your surroundings, including signage, and seek local advice. Drug related offences are punishable with fines and jail sentences."
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