Spanish residents were left outraged to see a group of bikini-clad tourists strolling the streets of Palma, the capital of Mallorca, after they apparently arrived on a party boat, the latest near-nude display to irritate locals.
The images shared by the Paseo Marítimo neighborhood association, superimposed with the legend “THIS IS PARTY BOATS” in a mix of Spanish and English, showed five women walking down a street in Palma, with a group of curious onlookers who seemed to be watching near.
“We’re starting the Party Boat season,” the group lamented on social media, tagging local authorities. ‘Without any shame, as if they were on the beach… The police are not around nor expected of them.’
The video sparked the ire of other concerned locals, who furiously wrote comments to express their views.
“Truly DISGUSTING and DEGRADING,” one wrote. ‘They have to stop it as soon as possible… We cannot and do not want to allow it… We must REPORT IT AND THE AUTHORITIES SEE IT AND STOP IT DEFINITELY.’
While the date the video was filmed was unclear, its release came just days after a tourist was photographed in tight green swim shorts, prompting calls for the nearly naked tourists to even be arrested for their conduct abroad.
The neighborhood association shared a video of tourists walking through the streets in swimsuits.
The island continues to issue guidelines on dress codes for visitors drawn to the sun.
The images provoked strong reactions from neighbors concerned about the tourists’ clothing.
The group walked through a crowd of locals who seemed to be looking in their direction.
Amid continental concern about how to manage “overtourism,” and in the context of Spain’s specific protests against the influx of tourists, one user commented on the video that “When they arrive they are like a cube.”
“And the police, as always, are neither seen nor expected,” they continued.
“There is no police presence anywhere at any time.”
Earlier this week, residents shared similar frustrations toward a photo of a tourist walking through the island’s capital wearing nothing but a green swimsuit.
The man, who has not been identified, was seen walking around Palma with little on him except a red beach towel.
He was seen walking down the busy street, with dozens of people around him, in the Jaume III neighborhood of Palma.
One outraged social media user denounced the man as “another idiot who should be kicked off the island.”
“If the government and the police were serious, little by little they could improve Mallorca by banning all these types of idiots.”
In fact, Spanish authorities have asked tourists to dress up when visiting Palma.
While the island attracts many visitors for its beautiful sandy beaches, tourist offices urge dress codes to be enforced off the beach.
“The way visitors dress is important,” abcMallorca published in a visitor guide.
‘Discretion with clothing is… advisable in city centers. Only young people wear shorts, and most workers wear pants or skirts.
‘Nine out of ten visitors to Spain go no further than the coast, meaning most people come here expecting to dress scantily.
“That does not mean, however, that it is okay to wear a swimsuit or for men to go bare-chested in cities. Personal appearance is considered an indicator of character.
In 2022, Mallorca’s coastal restaurants issued a more official dress code for dining in local establishments in an effort to curb anti-social tourism.
This included not showing up shirtless, in ridiculous costumes or in soccer jerseys, according to Juan Miguel Ferrer of Palma Beach, reported by The Guardian At the time.
“What we are trying to communicate, in some way, is the idea that to enter here you have to go take a shower or change your clothes,” he added.
“You’re not coming here in beach clothes or straight after drinking on the street.”
The man, who has not yet been identified, was seen walking around Palma with little on him except a red beach towel.
He was seen walking down the busy street, with dozens of people around him, in the Jaume III neighborhood of Palma.
The rules only applied to certain restaurants, although they were soon followed by new measures in resorts in Barcelona, Vigo, San Juan and Playa de Palma on guided tours, urinating in the sea, dancing in bars and wearing football shirts .
On Tuesday it was reported that Mallorca would clamp down on rowdy tourists by introducing a 9.30pm alcohol curfew, while Palma promised to introduce tougher measures to reduce tourist numbers.
María Frontera, president of the Federation of Hoteliers of Mallorca, called for a “strategic plan” to confront overcrowding, underlining the “critical” state of the situation.
He cited the need for a “balance of coexistence” between residents and visitors, as residents are increasingly concerned about the types of tourists attracted to the types of stays in the Spanish sun on offer.
Some 11.47 million Tourists visited Mallorca in 2022. In the summer of last year, initial forecasts predicted that the 2023 figures would increase: in July alone they increased by 5.9 percent year-on-year.
Many island destinations find themselves in a bind, still recovering from pandemic travel restrictions and with economies built around accommodating tourists but also managing the needs and sensitivities of the local population.