When they return these souvenirs from the holidays, the British face a big fine | Travel News | Travel

The holiday maker, who will soon fly to Italy for the Easter Break, is warned that he is facing a fine of up to £4,200 when he returns sand, shells and pebbles to his home as souvenirs. For many Brits, bringing memento homes from holidays, such as magnets, t-shirts, mugs, and more, is part of a travel ritual, just like remembering your passport, checking in to a hotel, or visiting famous sights.

However, some reportedly kept an extra distance and brought back corals, shells and sand from their trips – often unaware of local laws cracking down on such conduct.

Currently, the Federal Development Agency for Foreign Affairs reminds British tourists heading to Italy to respect the rules governing the export of Marine Corps tools.

In a post from X, “In Italy, it is illegal to have sand, shells and pebbles from the beach. It is illegal to face a large fine.

I have posted a link to a travel advice page with the message “Always check local laws and customs before traveling.”

The law that hinted at the X-Post being linked to Sardinia passed a law in 2017 prohibiting tourists from bringing sand, sea shells and pebbles home from many beaches.

The island's famous hotspot is Altas Beach in western Sardinia, full of white and pink quartz sand, resembling rice grains. Perosa Beach in northwest Sardinia is famous for its white sands of ice. And then there is the southern heaven of Kara Mariol, known for its pink and white pebbles.

However, according to Article 4 of the Sardinian Regional Act (July 28, 2017) (July 28, 2017), tourists who remove, retain or sell small amounts of sand, pebbles, stones or shells from sand, pebbles, stones or seas will be fined between 300 and 5,000 euros (250 to 4,183 pounds) “without regular approval or concession issued by competent authorities.”

The law was introduced to protect the island's marine environment and protect its pristine beaches following decades of vast debate. Officials hoped the rules would bring decades of tourists home with pebbles and effectively ruin their beaches.

But the opposite happened. Since 2017, more tourists have been arrested and fined. Some notable cases include a British tourist in 2018 who was fined 1,032 euros (930 pounds) for taking sand as souvenirs from a beach near Olbia.

In 2019, the French couple faced six years in prison after being caught in 40kg of Sardinian sand on their way to Toulon, France. They told local police they didn't realize they committed a crime and wanted only “souvenirs.”

In 2023, another French tourist was fined 3,000 euros after being found with 41kg of pebbles and stones photographed from Lampine Beach in northern Sardinia.

This is the scale of the problem, and there are even Facebook groups dedicated to reporting such incidents. Sardinia stolen and plundered the posts of images and news articles highlighting various incidents (Sardegna Rubata E Depredata).

In a mission statement, the group alleges that Sardinian customs officials confiscate nearly five tonnes of material from the beach each year.

“Best friends on our island, please respect our natural heritage and help us protect and preserve it for our children and grandchildren.

Additionally, Sardinian environmental lawmaker Rosanna Laconi has denounced the lack of enforcement of the rules as a reason tourists still bring valuable sand home as souvenirs.

She told local paper L'Unione Sarda in 2024: