Laguna Beach locals and city officials have claimed that their community has become overrun by disrespectful tourists who are leaving behind heaps of trash.
This report comes as many people have flocked to California beaches this summer during record-breaking temperatures. However, some local communities have become fed up with how these visitors are behaving.
A Massive Amount of Tourists Flock to the Beach
Visitors from inland California, as well as from other parts of the United States, have flocked to coastal communities like Laguna Beach this summer.
Brutal heat in the inland parts of California has caused a massive amount of tourists to head to Laguna Beach, leaving locals stunned by the amount of people they’re seeing on a day-to-day basis.
Laguna Beach Becomes Overcrowded
Locals and community leaders have explained that tens of thousands of tourists have come to the California beach so far — and it doesn’t appear that this amount will lessen anytime soon.
This has left Laguna Beach incredibly crowded. It has also caused some unfortunate situations.
Tourists Are Trashing Beaches
Greg Viviani, a Laguna Beach local who runs the Instagram SoLagLocal, has recently revealed how detrimental some of these tourists have been to the community.
“I’ve never seen the influx of trash, people, crowds, rescues, sirens in my entire life,” Viviani explained.
Locals Try to Keep Laguna Beach Clean
Viviani even posted a video on Instagram showing all of the trash he collected in just one morning at Laguna Beach. His bag was full of left-behind beach toys and garbage.
He said, “This has to stop. This is killing our town, killing our way of life … this is ridiculous.”
Lifeguards Are Also Having a Busy Season
This huge influx of tourists isn’t just affecting locals and how clean their beaches are. It has also caused for lifeguards in Laguna Beach to have a particularly busy season.
Laguna Beach’s Marine Safety Department revealed that its lifeguards had to rescue 1,800 more people over the July 4th holiday weekend this year than in 2023. This is a 400% increase.
Safety Issues Have Risen
These rescues aren’t the only increase seen by officials. Experts have also noted that the number of ordinance endorsements has also skyrocketed this summer.
As more tourists flock to Laguna Beach, these safety issues may only continue to rise, something that officials are well aware of.
Laguna Beach Sees an Increase of Unsafe Situations
Laguna Beach’s Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond opened up about this increase in safety statistics.
“Statistics in every category are exponentially [up],” Bond said. “You can attribute that to more people, obviously. Social media and other factors are driving the public to our beaches.”
City Officials Agree With Locals
Locals have expressed their frustration with how some of these badly behaved tourists are acting, but they aren’t alone. City officials have also jumped into the mix to share their own opinions.
Even Laguna Beach’s Mayor Sue Kempf has revealed that she has heard the complaints from residents — and she knows how they feel.
The Most Tourists Laguna Beach Has Seen in Decades
According to Kempf, this is the most visitors she’s ever seen. Many locals who have lived in the area for decades have said the same thing.
“Since I’ve lived here, I’ve never seen so many visitors, and the people who have lived here 30, 40, 50 years have said the same thing,” Kempf explained.
Laguna Beach’s Mayor Asks Tourists to Respect Their Surroundings
Because there have been so many complaints of trash on the beach in recent weeks, Kempf has asked visitors to respect their surroundings.
“We ask that you respect the beach as if it’s your own. And if you bring things down to the beach, you take everything home with you, including trash,” Kempf said.
Staying Positive
Though many locals and city officials have voiced their frustration about this mass amount of tourists visiting — and trashing — their beaches, many have also worked to find a positive within this mess.
For example, Kempf has explained that she and other officials are working to find ways the city can generate revenue from this surge in visitors this summer.
