Longtime residents and city leaders in Laguna Beach say this summer has been unlike any other.
Fleeing the scorching inland heat, visitors have flocked to this affluent coastal community by the tens of thousands, crowding beaches and, according to locals, leaving behind unprecedented amounts of trash.
“I’ve never seen the influx of trash, people, crowds, rescues, sirens in my entire life,” said Greg Viviani, a Laguna Beach native who runs the popular Instagram handle SoLagLocal.
In a video shared on July 1, Viviani emptied a trash bag full of beach toys and garbage that he collected in a single morning.
“This has to stop. This is killing our town, killing our way of life … this is ridiculous,” he says.
Laguna Beach Mayor Sue Kempf hears the complaints.
“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 told KTLA’s Chip Yost on Friday.
While the volume of trash is one way to measure the impact of soaring beach tourism, it isn’t the only one.
Laguna Beach woman berates beachgoers in viral TikTok video
According to Laguna Beach’s Marine Safety Department, lifeguards were involved in 1,800 more rescues over this July 4th holiday weekend than last year’s, marking a 400% increase. The number of ordinance enforcements was also significantly higher.
“Statistics in every category are exponentially [up],” said Marine Safety Chief Kai Bond. “You can attribute that to more people, obviously. Social media and other factors are driving the public to our beaches.”
Mayor Kempf says the city is exploring ways to generate more revenue from the surge in tourism. For now, she hopes beachgoers will be more respectful of the environment and the community.
“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,” she said.
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