{"id":15275,"date":"2025-05-29T04:52:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-29T04:52:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/?p=15275"},"modified":"2025-05-29T12:53:28","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T12:53:28","slug":"no-bikini-poster-not-displayed-in-arugam-bay-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/srilanka.factcrescendo.com\/english\/no-bikini-poster-not-displayed-in-arugam-bay-en\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cNo Bikini\u201d Poster in Arugam Bay ? Find out the facts behind the viral image!"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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The beautiful coastline in Sri Lanka is a major reason why the country has become so popular among tourists. Foreigners spend their time indulging in water sports in the coastal areas, including Pasikuda, Unawatuna, Mirissa, Marble Beach, Arugam Bay and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just as the tourist season towards the East coast of the island, including Arugam Bay, was commencing, a social media post created a huge stir around the country. These posts implied that a \u201cbikini ban\u201d had been implemented by the residents in the Arugam Bay area. Let’s dig deeper into these viral claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Media Posts :<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A widely shared poster on social media claims that a \u201cNo Bikini\u201d sign has been posted in the Arugam Bay beach area.\u00a0The full text written in the poster reads as follows.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDear Visitors,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Welcome to Arugambay! We are delighted to have you here and truly value your visit. To honour our local culture, we kindly request that you avoid wearing bikinis in public spaces. Your respect for our traditions means a lot to our community.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thank you for understanding, and we hope you enjoy your time in beautiful Arugambay!<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Warm regards,<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

People of the Local Community.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arugambay, Pottuvil.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Many social media users had criticised this poster, suggesting that this type of \u201cbikini ban\u201d was being implemented in the Arugam Bay area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facebook<\/a> | Archived Link<\/a> Facebook<\/a> | Archived Link<\/a>  FB<\/a>  FB<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are a few other posts which were shared on Facebook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Some have questioned whether this bikini ban actually took place, and blame the current government for such a ban. Additionally, satirical posts were shared on social media regarding this matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Facebook<\/a> | Facebook<\/a> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has the Muslim community made such a decision to inform tourists about the restrictions on the Arugambay beach? Are tourists prohibited from wearing \u2018bikinis\u2019? We took steps to check the accuracy of this claim.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fact Check :<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We took steps to inquire with relevant stakeholders to verify the authenticity of the claims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We inquired about this from the Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha, of which Arugam Bay is a part. The Chief Management Officer stated that the Pottuvil Pradeshiya Sabha has not issued any such notice. Furthermore, they confirmed that no such notices have been posted in that area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pottuvil Police Station<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We contacted a senior officer at the Arugambay Police Tourist Outpost, which is a part of the Pottuvil Police Station, via telephone. He stated that an order hadn\u2019t been received to post such a poster or to take action to inform foreigners, and that no such poster was even visible on the Arugambay beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also mentioned that although foreign female tourists wear beachwear such as bikinis, they do not often travel on the road in those clothes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Arugambay Tourist Hotels<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We inquired about this from several hotels in the Arugambay area, and they stated that they had not seen any posters displaying the above-mentioned notice around Arugambay or on the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, since all religions and ethnicities live in this area, a project called “NO Bikini On Street” was carried out in 2017\/2018 to inform tourists. This theme was displayed on many three-wheelers, as well as in some areas of the Arugam Bay region, and it was a decision made by the \u201cArugam Bay Development Forum\u201d, run by local residents, to protect the tourism industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They mentioned that currently, those posters are not visible, and many foreigners do not walk on the roads in bikinis. Foreigners who travel wearing bikinis are only requested not to do so, and they often wear bikinis on the beach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We checked to see if any notices or posters said \u201cNO Bikini On Street\u201d and found an advertisement that was published<\/a> in 2017.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Commenting further on foreign tourists, Arugam Bay Tourist Hotels notes that this is the season when foreign tourists start to flock to the Arugam Bay area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some foreigners are tempted to ride motorcycles without helmets, and efforts are being made to educate them about this and protect the tourism industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tourist hotels also confirm that no posters of this kind have been placed near tourist hotels, either informing them not to wear bikinis, nor have any actions been taken regarding that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, as shown in the above social media posts, even though people are advised to avoid wearing bikinis in public places, tourist hotels state that it is not practical since the beach is also a public place. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Below are some comments from several people involved in the tourism industry. <\/p>\n\n\n\n