As summer approaches, temperatures are starting to rise in Europe, and citizens are looking towards their next vacations after months stuck at home under lockdown restrictions.

Just last week, the European Union unveiled a plan to “offer people the chance to get some well-needed rest, relaxation and fresh air,” which included recommendations to open internal borders, revive rail, road, air and sea connections and reinvigorate its hospitality sector to boost tourism.

But authorities are already struggling to deal with an influx of tourists and locals to one of summer’s most coveted locations: The beach.
On Wednesday, just days after France’s lockdown restrictions eased to open hundreds of beaches, Brittany’s northwest prefecture of Morbihan closed five beaches following “unacceptable behavior” and failure to comply with social distancing measures.

Meanwhile, authorities in the Dutch coastal province of Zeeland on Wednesday temporarily closed roads into the town for every weekend until June 1 because of predicted good weather and an expectation that emergency measures could be violated.

In Barcelona, Spain, officials have warned citizens to stick to timeslots when visiting the beach, and in the UK, ahead of a public holiday on Monday, councils for seaside towns and cities have issued pleas for crowds to stay away.