Leaving your towel on the beach overnight to have your spot waiting for you in the morning? Not anymore.
Mayor of Brela Stipe Ursić declared war on beachgoers who casually book their spots on local beaches by leaving towels and mats all over the place, reports Index. Ursić published a photo album on Facebook, explaining how the local authorities plan to end the unofficial reservation business.
There's now a sign installed on every beach, informing visitors it's forbidden to leave personal belongings around unattended from 22:00 to 8:00. The announcement is printed in Croatian, English and German, just to make sure no one can claim they didn't understand the warning once their towels end up in the trash. The signs are hard to miss – there's a total of 45 plates, the text framed in bright red that pops out and catches your eye as you walk along the promenade.
Here's what the mayor had to say:
"Dear people of Brela, the problem of towels being used for 'beach booking' is something that exists in every municipality on the Adriatic, and it's been a topic in all local media recently. We decided to deal with that problem in our municipality. The communal services installed 45 signs along the promenade. On every beach there's a ban on leaving towels unattended from 10 in the evening to 8 in the morning. All personal belongings left unattended will be removed on a daily basis. You can see the results of the action on the photos below, with a time stamp visible. There's not a single towel left anywhere."
Some of Ursić's Facebook followers asked what happens with towels that are laid on beaches after 8 in the morning; the mayor replied he thinks it reasonable to allow the guests to leave their towels unattended during the day, as people have the right to take bathroom breaks or go for a coffee. He also claims concession holders won't be allowed to arrange lounge chairs around before each one gets rented out by a guest - they need to be stacked in one spot like on the photo above. The initiative got a predominantly positive feedback.
