A social media influencer from Dubai has been fined over £1,500 (€1,800) for trespassing on a forbidden Italian beach with pink-tinged sand, after the local authorities spotted her Instagram posts about the transgression. The incident came to light after the influencer shared photos and videos of her roaming on the banned beach off Sardinia , on the tiny island of Budelli. The Italian coastguard protects the Spiaggia Rosa beach, whose colour derives from its delicate ecosystem, and fines for trespassing on the beach were recently raised higher, now ranging from €500 (£428) up to €3,500 (£2,993).
Large sign boards inform visitors that the beach is off-limits but the Dubai-based influencer allegedly ignored them, reported the Italian press. The influencer, who goes by the social media name of @Rogeriaguiadubai, is of Brazilian origin and is reportedly living in Dubai. Her Instagram account has more than 35,800 followers.
The social media post from her account showed her footprints in the sand of the popular beach as the audio of Édith Piaf’s La Vie En Rose played. She is also seen arriving on the beach using a rubber dinghy. Despite breaking the rules she also added a location to her social media post, which read “Spiaggia Rosa – Budelli”.
According to local reports, the videos of the incident upset locals and a complaint was lodged with the coastguard of La Maddalena archipelago who were able to track the influencer down. The account was made private on Satu.