Tourists in swimwear at the hotel buffet, at reception, or even in the bar is nothing unusual, but in the city centre, at churches, museums and on public transport, tourists are also often seen in bikinis, swimming trunks and bathing shoes; you can regularly spot a male tourist happy to walk around without covering his upper body.

The Croatian city Zadar is now facing protests from residents and many tourists about visitors in swimwear, with city officials now issuing a promotional brochure for this summer asking tourists not to walk around the city centre in inappropriate clothing.

It reads: “Although it is not officially forbidden in Zadar, we ask you to respect the local tradition and culture in such a way that you do not wear swimwear when you are not on the beach, even if it is only for a short time. We thank you and wish you a pleasant holiday in Zadar!”

The text is printed in Croatian and four foreign languages; the brochure is distributed to visitors, and posters are hung around the city. Zadar is following the example of other cities like Dubrovnik, where they have fines for inappropriately dressed visitors in the city centre. No fines are planned in Zadar, at least not at the moment, however, the municipality could introduce such fines in the foreseeable future if the awareness campaign has no effect.

The brochure also points out that bicycles and scooters are not allowed in the city centre and, according to Croatian media reports, Mario Paleka, head of the Zadar tourism association, is convinced that tourists will respect the rules of conduct in force.