Summer poses danger for Europe as people prepare to visit beaches after weeks of lockdown

As summer approaches and temperatures rise in Europe, people can’t wait to hit the beaches to spend their vacations after months of lockdown. Their plans, however, remain affected due to the pandemic.

Last week, the European Union revealed a plan to allow people to get some well-needed rest, relaxation, and fresh air which included recommendations to open internal borders, revive rail, road, air, and sea connections and strengthen its hospitality sector to boost tourism. But authorities are already struggling to control the flow of tourists and locals to the beach.

On Wednesday, just days after lockdown restrictions were relaxed in France to open hundreds of beaches, Brittany's Morbihan closed five beaches following "unacceptable behaviour" and failure to comply with social distancing measures. Officials in Barcelona, Spain have advised citizens to follow the timeslots when visiting the beach and in the UK, councils for seaside towns and cities have issued pleas for crowds to stay away from beaches.

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Summer comes with more rules

As people are bound to visit beaches during summer, authorities are trying to come up with effective strategies to deal with the flow of tourists and overcrowding. The problem is expected to crop up again as the weather clears up.

Instead of imposing a straight ban on tourism, travel experts have asked authorities to encourage good behaviour on the beach. Local authorities in some European countries have already laid out guidelines on the reopening of busy beaches.

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As countries begin to ease lockdown in Europe, Spain's tourism minister Reyes Maroto said that the country was "defining different scenarios" for beachgoers. Officials in the Mediterranean town of Canet d'en Berenguer will only allow 5,000 daily sunbathers on its local beach, which is around half the usual number.

In Sanxenxo, Galicia, cleaning machines will be reportedly used frequently at the beaches, and public bathrooms and shower areas will be disinfected regularly. Authorities in France's Nouvelle Aquitaine region have so far committed to opening beaches only for "dynamic individual physical activities."

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