A Dubai-based influencer has been fined €1,800 (£1,500) after trespassing on an off-limits Italian pink-tinged beach.
The influencer arrived at the Spiaggia Rosa, in Sardinia, by dinghy and was caught by authorities after posting videos about visiting the beach. The beach, which is famous for its pink sand, is located on the tiny Sardinian island of Budelli.
The woman, originally from Brazil but living in Dubai, ignored prohibition signs, according to the Italian press, and uploaded a video to the @Rogeriaguiadubai Instagram account, which has over 35,000 followers. The account was made private on Saturday June 15.
Officers from the coastguard for La Maddalena archipelago, which includes Budelli, probed the footage and traced the woman to Dubai. Officers have since notified her of the €1,800 (£1,500) fine, of which €300 (£253.57) is for flouting the ban and €1,500 (£1,267.85) is for arriving onboard a boat that did not have access authorisation for Budelli.
The beach is not open to visitors in attempt to preserve the pink-tinged sand (Getty Images/iStockphoto)The video showed the influencer judging the beach of the La Maddalena Archipelago National Park to be "wonderful", before a clip showed footprints in the sand.
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Spiaggia Rosa's pink sand is formed by a crushed fossils, crystals, coral and dead marine animals, which combine to form a tint in the sand. The beach previously used to be more pink, however, due to rising levels of tourism in Budelli where visitors began to steal the pink sand to sell it or keep it as a souvenir, the pink hue began to lighten.
As a result, the Italian government made it illegal for any tourists to set foot on the beach in 1994, in attempt to preserve it. During the summer, visitors are allowed to take day trips to the island but are not allowed on the beach. Tourists can see the beach from authorised boat tours, however they are not allowed to touch the sand or step foot on it.
On its website, the UK Foreign Office warns Brits: "No travel can be guaranteed safe. If you choose to travel, research your destinations and get appropriate travel insurance. Insurance should cover your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency."
It adds: "The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) provides advice about risks of travel to help British nationals make informed decisions. Find out more about FCDO travel advice."
In recent years many influencers have got into trouble after visiting locations and attractions they shouldn't. In April 2024, Honolulu authorities announced that they were going to remove the historic Haiku Stairs after several incidents of hikers and influencers trespassing, had occurred. In Majorca, protesters also recently attempted to ‘reclaim’ a beach turned into a holiday hotspot by influencer Instagrammers.
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