The tacky ‘vandalism’ travel trend that’s ruining Brit-favourite holiday hotspots

THERE are plenty of ways to remember holidays that are timeless, from buying a postcard, to taking pictures in front of famous landmarks and beaches.

However, there’s one that has taken the world by storm and it’s left locals and holidaymakers alike very unhappy.

The love lock trend is ruining the aesthetic of the Lanzarote shoreline Playa Flamingo in Lanzarote is a popular spot for love locks

The trend I’m talking about is love locks, which are essentially specially made padlocks that were once a way for couples to symbolise their love.

They’d get a bespoke padlock engraved with their initials and take it on holiday with them.

Then they would attach it at a meaningful location, like a beach front or historical site and throw away the key.

However, fewer holidaymakers are going through the trouble of making their own love lock because you can now buy a plastic one for a few at a beachfront souvenir shop.

What once was a romantic gesture, has since turned into a big problem.

David Gainford, aka Mr TravelON , has lived in Lanzarote for 20 years and says the trend of love locks is “vandalism” and “plastic at its height”.

The beach of in Playa Blanca has been especially impacted, and David has called upon tourists to stop putting padlocks on the beach.

He added: “You can buy bright red and pink plastic love locks for around £4.50 at what I call ‘tat’ shops along the promenade.

“They all exactly sell the same thing and there are thousands, these love locks don’t have a key – instead they’re sold with a marker pen.”

Rather than taking the time to engrave initials on the love lock, visitors are simply writing their names and attaching the lock anywhere they wish.

David Gainford has called upon tourists to stop buying love locks He says that buying the plastic ones is essentially ‘vandalism’

As a result, the chains by the front of have been flooded with love locks causing the posts holding them up to collapse to the ground.

David said: “Even though the posts have fallen down, it hasn’t stopped anyone – now they just put them in other places.

“People will put them anywhere they can, once one lock goes up, another goes up – it’s a snowball effect.

“Playa Flamingo is a big problem, at the moment they’ve barriered the love lock section off and people aren’t allowed to walk there – but people are now attaching locks to the safety barriers as well.”

David says that itself is incredibly clean and beautiful, but the love locks are becoming an eyesore.

He added: “It ruins the view and the aesthetic of the island, the promenade is gorgeous and spotlessly clean.

“They’ve gone to all that trouble, but then you’ve got these metal chain ropes along the volcanic rock and in the middle of them are these plastic love hearts that have been scribbled on in marker pen.

“In a matter of weeks the pen fades and the love lock turns yellow.”

David has made a video showing the impact of the love locks and in the comments, lots of holidaymakers agree that it need to stop.

One viewer commented: “Those love locks look a disgrace”.

Another added: “They do this in other places around the world, I have never understood it, personally I think it’s tacky and cheap and makes the place untidy as you say just like graffiti.”

As a solution, David has suggested the local council brings in a structure especially designed to hold love locks, for example like the love lock tree you find in .

David has also suggested that tourist shops need to stop selling the plastic padlocks altogether.

Despite the love locks, Playa Flamingo is widely considered one of the best beaches in .

It’s lined with volcanic black rock but has soft golden sandy beaches and calm waters perfect for families wanting a swim, or snorkellers who head further out.

Any travellers heading to Lanzarote, discover the .

For more travel trends, check out the one that .

The love lock trend has hit one of the best beaches in Lanzarote