A Spanish holiday hotspots loved by British tourists has introduced new rules. Last year, a huge 18 million tourists made their way through Alicante-Elche Airport, located on the southeastern stretch of the famed Costa Blanca region, with nearly five million visitors choosing to spend their holiday in the city.
Alicante is loved for many reasons, from its fine sand beaches to multiudes of shops. The city full of heritage is home to the Santa Barbara Castle, the old town of Santa Cruz, a thriving Central Market, and of course, a range of impressive golden sand beaches.
However, a series of noise complaints from the locals have led to authorities approving of a strict curfew before the busy summer season. The rule, which affects bars and restaurants, will see establishments close at 12:30am on weekdays, reports The Mirror.
The curfew will be slightly extended to 1am on Fridays, Saturdays, and the eve of national holidays. Nightclub rulings also differ, with the permission to open a little later until 3am on weekends. However, their doors must close at 1am during weekdays.
Outdoor diners will also be impacted by the strict rule, with Alicante halving its al-fresco seating. According to local press, customers will be asked to leave their table half an hour before closing time.
The rules particularly apply to two areas of Alicante City that have been designated as Acoustically Saturated Zones (ZAS). It includes parts of the Old Town as well as the area around Calle Castanos, which was once known for its “lively” nightlife.
Police will be enforcing the rules and helping noisy party-goers from the area. It is said that the ruling will also affect 24-hour shops that make money selling off booze to drunken Brits, as they will also need to comply with the curfew.
The recent move comes as residents across Spain have been campaigning for a crackdown on tourists. Last year, a series of protests took place as locals blamed Brits for worsening the issues around Spain’s housing crisis.
The campaigns have continued over to this year, with protests acrooss the Canary Islands that took place last month, and more demonstrations expected to happen across Spanish hotspots on June 15.
The Assembly of Neighbourhoods for Tourism Degrowth, the group behind the action, has been encouraging protestors to bring water pistols to target holidaymakers and get their message heard.