No Sex On The Beach: Netherlands Town To Nude Sunbathers

A campaign has taken off in the Netherlands to discourage people from having sex in the beach, The Guardian reported.

The municipality of Veere posted warning signs on the beach on Thursday, telling the visitors that engaging in sexual activities on beach is prohibited. It has warned that there is "increased monitoring" to prevent "sexual meeting place activities in the dunes, nature reserve and beach".

The municipality, water board and local nature organisation received complaints of tourists having sex on the dunes following which the campaign 'Project Oranjezon' has been launched.

In a statement, Veere's mayor Frederiek Schouwenaar, told the Observer, "The dunes are hugely important to the local community and must be protected from undesirable behaviour that damages the natural environment and can disturb other holidaymakers. This is an important step to ensure public order and safety."

It is an important step to ensure public order and safety, he stated. The authorities will not warn, but there will be "verbal" enforcement and eight new information boards will convey the message, the report added.

The SGP, a conservative, Calvinist party which won the recent local elections, has extended its support to this campaign. "We greatly appreciate the fact that our mayor is taking enforcement action: these excesses need to be combatted," Perry de Visser, a spokesperson for the party, told the Observer. "There are regular complaints to the municipality and local organisations, and this is why we applaud strong council action."

Distancing sunbathing and sexual activity is important, believes Naturist organisations. Karlien Lodewijk, a spokesperson for the NFN Open en Bloot (open and bare) naked recreation association, said, "Sex outdoors is not naked recreation, and people who come to sunbathe find it just as much of a nuisance as other people do. Naked recreation ... gives a real feeling of freedom, and it's very healthy to see real, naked bodies that are not photoshopped.

On the other hand, there are people who oppose the conservative views about sex. "It has become a bit of a trend in the Netherlands and other countries that, because of a conservative movement, people who are less happy about sexuality and nudity have a louder voice. That's what we are seeing with this outdoor sex in the dunes (ban). Who does it bother? Someone who does it in order to be seen is breaking the Dutch law by confronting people with sexuality against their wishes," said Yuri Ohlrichs, a Sexologist at Rutgers, the Netherlands Centre on Sexuality.