Spanish holiday hotspot to crack down on 'offensive' English shop window displays

Benidorm is waging a war on businesses in the popular holiday hotspot, often dubbed "the most British town in Spain." The local council has begun clamping down on shop window and street displays that feature items, particularly T-shirts, with obscene messages in English and Spanish.

These slogans, which feature homophobic, sexist, racist, profane or sexually explicit messages, have been around for many years, but the authority is now determined to clean up the city's image and ensure local laws are respected. Benidorm's commerce councillor, Javier Jorda, said: "Some of these displays can be classified as illegal as they infringe advertising rules and the protection of children." A Municipal Ordinance strictly bans the display of items that may offend people's moral sensitivity. "Most of these goods fall into that category," Mr Jorda claimed.

"It is about preventing minors or vulnerable groups from being exposed to offensive messages in the middle of public roads."

On Tuesday, around 20 shops were visited and any item with offensive writing in the window displays was requested to be removed.

Fines of between €1,500 and €3,001 are viewed as a last resort. Retailers are not prohibited from having the goods in their shops.

Mr Jorda highlighted that legal action would only be taken by the council as a final recourse, according to The Olive Press: "We don't want to reach that point, but have to ensure that rules are respected to project a good impression of the city."

"Our hope is that the campaign will be enough for businesses to stop exposing this type of item to the public," he added.

This new campaign comes as local traders in Benidorm have asked for a new limit on licences for tourist shops, saying there are too many selling souvenirs, food and drinks, with wishes to become "less like Benidorm, more like Bilbao" in a bid to become more upmarket.

The local business owners have complained they cannot compete with these small stores that offer their products even at night and until the early hours of the morning.

In 2024, Benidorm hosted more than 2.3 million visitors - an increase of 5.4% compared to the previous year. British holidaymakers are the largest market for Benidorm, with over 832,000 visiting in 2023, drawn in by its high number of English-speaking bars and restaurants.