New signs were erected in Hvar Town last weekend, detailing the heavy fines that will be imposed on tourists who do not behave themselves.
The town, which is located on Hvar Island off Croatia’s Dalmatian coast, has built a reputation as one of Europe’s most glamorous nightlife hotspots over the past few years. Unfortunately this reputation has led to a number of recent incidents involving visitors becoming drunk and disorderly in the town centre.
According to the town’s mayor, Rikardo Novak, ‘Young tourists are welcome, but they will have to learn how to behave here. They are vomiting in town, urinating on every corner, walking without T-shirts … crawling around, unconscious.’ Novak, an independent candidate who was elected mayor in June, has pledged to tackle the problem of unruly tourists making life a misery for locals, and restore the town’s reputation.
The new signs at the entrances to the town centre, which read, ‘SAVE YOUR MONEY AND ENJOY HVAR’, feature several pictograms indicating that drunk and disorderly behaviour will be punished by a fine of €700 and wearing swimwear in the town centre will entail fines of €500-600.
