Tourists face fines for flip-flops in Cinque Terre

Tourist season is almost upon Cinque Terre in Italy, which means thousands are preparing to flock to the steep, winding, picturesque trails along the coastline.

Mountain rescue units, however, dread this period of time, when they have to deal with ill-equipped visitors who find themselves in trouble on the narrow footpaths.

Tourists with no apparent concern for their safety take to the trails wearing flip-flops, pumps and sandals and have to be rescued after mishaps and accidents because of their bad choice of footwear.

Tourists will be fined if they ignore warnings to use the correct footwear on Cinque Terre trails. Picture: Pixabay

To clampdown on day-trippers ignoring advice on what shoes to wear, national park authorities are introducing a public information campaign. Thereafter, visitors who ignore the rules will face fines of between €50 and €2,500 (R806 and R4,031) depending on how much they’ve inconvenienced authorities.

Cinque Terre, which literally means The Five Lands, links the former fishing villages of the coastline in the northwestern region of Liguria and welcomes 2.5-million visitors every year.