Brits warned they could be fined or JAILED for wearing a bikini in these holiday locations

Relaxing by the poolside is one thing, but wearing a bikini around town could land female holidaymakers with a fine or even jail time when overseas,   

TikToker @theycallme.marti explained how tourists can receive a €500 (£430) fine by wearing swimwear beyond the beach and in Italian towns.

The rule is true of many places in Italy and last year the southern Italian beachside town of Sorrento brought in a fine of over $800 for those wearing inappropriate bathing suits.  

The Melbourne-based woman, Marti said: ‘I don’t know what it is about Italians, but they do not want tourists going around in their bikinis around the little towns near beaches. 

To avoid eye-watering fines she suggested: ‘If you’re planning on going to the beach, just bring an extra T-shirt with you so you can cover up and the old Italian ladies and men will be happy.’

But Italy is just one of many countries where wearing skimpy clothes could land you a hefty fine – or even worse, jail time. 

Many tourists will be surprised to discover that two hugely popular destinations, Barcelona and Majorca, have strict rules against wearing bikinis in public. 

In 2011 lawmakers in Barcelona prohibited bikinis being worn beyond the beach in an attempt to clean up its image. 

Those who are caught wearing one in the town centre could be fined up to £260  

Similarly in Majorca, tourists who go topless further than the beach may be hit with £2500 fines, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. 

Palma’s mayor, Antoni Noguera, said at the time: ‘We will attack the tourism of excesses head-on. We will have the tools to avoid giving the wrong image of our city. It will help us improve Palma.’ 

Women wearing bikinis may not want to venture far from the beach or resort while on holiday as they could be slapped with an eye watering fine 

The same rule applies for shirtless men venturing into the centre of Barcelona or Majorca 

Croatia is another holiday destination gaining the attention of British holidaymakers, but many tourists may not be aware that officials on the island of Hvar can issue fines of £120 for walking around the town in beachwear. 

Another country where holiday-goers have run into trouble is the Philippines, in 2019 Lin Tzu Ting was arrested for wearing a skimpy string bikini while on a popular tourist beach. 

The 26-year-old was on holiday with her boyfriend when she wore the revealing garment on Boracay island.

Officers slapped the tourist with a £38.30 fine and at the time Natividad Bernardino, head of the Boracay Inter-Agency Management and Rehabilitation group explained: ‘Foreign tourists should observe proper decorum as a form of respect for Philippine culture and tradition.’ 

In Muslim countries many tourists have run into trouble for their choices of swimwear, in the Maldives in 2020 a woman was arrested for ‘indecent exposure’ and 

Dubai also has strict rules on swimwear, while wearing a bikini at the beach is acceptable, in 2010 a woman was arrested for wearing one in a shopping centre. 

Like Dubai, Turkey is a Muslim country and follows much stricter indecency laws than the majority of Western countries. 

And despite many Brits jetting to their sunny sea resorts, tourists who wear beachwear outside the beach may face arrest. 

Travel blogger Vicky Philpott, of VickyFlipFlopTravels, issued some advice to fellow travellers attempting to navigate these rules. 

She said: ‘Follow what others are doing and be aware of what the norm is around you, don’t just expect it to be the same as at home.

‘If in doubt, check out the local government website, or just ask the lifeguards at the beach.’