2023-08-15 10:55:45
Málaga, Logroño, León, Salamanca, Seville or Granada are some of the cities whose city councils and part of the hotel industry, after receiving numerous complaints from the residents, are modifying their municipal ordinances and measures to try to control bachelor parties.
From noise control to more striking measures such as prohibiting going down the street with accessories in the shape of genitals on the headwith dolls of a sexual nature or in underwear.
Neighbors, town halls and businessmen do not seem to reach an agreement that pleases everyone, some hoteliers are deciding to use their Admission rightsand more and more are preventing the access of these groups to their restaurants.
Some of the businessmen who organize bachelor parties consider that it is “normal” that these celebrations are regulated, but, on the other hand, others believe that they should not be “demonized” or restricted due to the economic benefits they bring to cities and because, in addition , the center of the municipalities should not be limited to children, families and “cultural tourists”.
Prevent the rampage
The president of the hoteliers of León, Óscar García, explains to EFE that bachelor parties worry his sector, especially those who have establishments in the historic center.
In fact, he says that in León there are already several places that have placed signs on their doors and windows making it clear that they prohibit access to these groups.
According to García, hoteliers have taken this measure to “guarantee good environment insider” and “limit access” to this type of “drunken tourism”.
Also in Logroño, one of the fashionable places in northern Spain to celebrate bachelor parties, some bars on the traditional tapas street -the Laurel area- have limited entry to these groups due to to “the inconvenience” that they cause to their regular clientele.
In Granada, a city that was consolidated almost two decades ago as one of the favorite destinations to say goodbye to bachelorhood, in 2009 the City Council approved an ordinance that included fines for disruptive behavior like going with a megaphone down the street.
But these sanctions were not enough for the hoteliers, who asked for stricter control of the norm and numerous places in the center hung signs announcing that they did not cater for bachelor parties.
Now the City Council has begun a public consultation for citizens to present the suggestions with which they amend the ordinance and prevent the relationship between the hospitality industry and this type of tourist from ending in divorce.
Council measures
As a result of the proliferation of groups that go in underwear or with erotic content on the street, the Malaga City Council approved in February to modify the coexistence ordinance to prohibit walking around in underwear with accessories in the head in the form of genitals or with dolls of a sexual nature.
In Logroño, since 2018 people who celebrate bachelor parties are not allowed to walk down the street with outfits that do not cover the buttocks and the genitals.
In Salamanca it is also prohibited to use public goods or urban furniture for purposes or objects other than those to whom they are intended.
In one of the most touristic municipalities of Almería, Mojácar, since 2016 bachelor parties cannot be held “obscene and indecent” in which “attempts against sexuality” are made with inflatable dolls or other similar elements on public roads. In addition, if the ordinance is breached, the fines can reach up to 1,000 euros.
And Seville has been one of the last cities to announce that they are going to change their municipal ordinance to regulate these celebrations because, as expressed by the popular mayor, José Luis Sanz, It is a tourism that “does not interest the city”.
The new municipal team of Tarifa, in Cádiz, has also announced measures to tackle the inconvenience caused by
AND WHAT DO THE ORGANIZERS THINK?
Iván García, commercial director of “Tudespedida.com”, a travel and events agency that organizes bachelor parties in 21 Spanish cities, He explains to EFE that, from his point of view, certain behaviors that may disturb neighbors should be regulated, especially in central areas.
“Normally, companies like ours are aware of this and that is why we create our programs in our own venues, where we concentrate them and we have some control and responsibility over the participants,” he says.
He stresses that, as they organize many farewells in their private premises, they have not had to modify their activity packages despite the restrictions.
On the contrary, Laura Campos, executive director of Despedidas Costa del Sol, a company that organizes bachelor parties in Malaga and the province, considers that it should not be “demonize” or block this type of event because they contribute positively to the economy.
“It seems that in the center of the cities there can only be families, the elderly, Airbnb and cultural tourism,” Campos told EFE, who defends that the elderly “should be grateful” because “they are moving a lot of money and thanks to that they pay taxes and have pensions”.
However, he acknowledges that he does not agree that the members of the farewells go with costumes or bikinis and swimsuits through the historic center of the city and, in fact, explains that the contract signed by the participants stipulates that they must follow certain dress codes.
The businesswoman assures that the limits that cities such as Malaga are imposing are taking their toll on her: “I am having problems with some restaurants that now tell me that they no longer want this type of group. I feel very bad because they make a lot of money with it and the participants behave well”, concludes Campos.
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