As Mallorca’s war on tourism continues, Magaluf’s mayor said a 9.30pm alcohol curfew is necessary to make the island safer, while Palma vowed to introduce tougher measures to reduce numbers. of tourists.
A crackdown on overtourism has broken out on a number of Spanish islands which are facing serious overcrowding and huge spikes in the number of drunken tourists.
Popular holiday destination Magaluf introduced alcohol restrictions in some areas of the island, which have now been relaxed as part of the Balearic government’s new revised law on responsible tourism which aims to ban excessive alcohol consumption on the island, as well as in Playa de Palma and San Antonio. In ibiza.
The tripartite resorts have been divided into zones where restrictions are in place, and shops selling alcohol in these areas must also close by 9:30 p.m.
But under revised plans unveiled by the conservative People’s Party government, although the areas where alcohol restrictions are in place have been reduced, it is now illegal to drink on the street in those areas.
These new measures had the full support of the mayor of Calvià, Juan Antonio Amengual, who stated that they will make the island a safer place for everyone to enjoy.
The mayor of Magaluf has welcomed a series of measures that prohibit the sale of alcohol in shops after 9:30 p.m. and prevent drinking alcohol in the streets
A crackdown on overtourism has broken out on a number of Spanish islands which are facing serious overcrowding and huge spikes in the number of drunken tourists.
The initial law was introduced by the previous government, but some changes have been made.
The new Decree for Responsible Tourism and Improvement of the Quality of Tourist Spaces establishes that the consumption of alcoholic beverages on public roads is prohibited, with the exception of terraces or legally authorized areas.
Penalties for non-compliance with the ban on alcohol consumption in public will range between 500 and 1,500 euros (between £430 and £1,290).
There are already rules prohibiting the consumption of alcohol in public in certain popular tourist destinations in the Balearic Islands, but the latest measures represent a tightening of existing laws and the potential for increased fines.
The original alcohol measures, which were passed in 2020, included restrictions on the number of free drinks package holidays could offer, as well as new rules on public nudity and climbing on hotel balconies.
The new laws will go into effect at least until December 2027.
It is now also prohibited to pick up or disembark passengers from ships in the areas affected by the Decree, reports the Mallorca Daily Bulletin.
The need for stricter measures has also spread to neighboring Palma, as Marga Prohens, president of the Balearic government, said in a statement last week that “the Balearic Islands have reached their limit.”
He promised to demand measures against tourist overcrowding, including “regulating the number of rental cars, not expanding Palma airport and betting on a tourism model that reduces the number of visitors and the environmental footprint.”
Last week, the Spanish Socialist Workers Party (PSOE) of Palma highlighted the existence of some 800 illegal holiday rental homes in the municipality alone, according to Last minute.
Francisco Ducros, spokesperson for the City Council, stated: “Citizens no longer want the situation we are experiencing: without solutions in terms of housing, without proposals to improve the lives of residents or the neighborhoods of Palma.”
Shops in tourist areas such as Magaluf have been banned from selling alcohol between 9.30pm and 8am since 2020 as part of legislation the regional government said was the first of its kind.
A view of Palma beach packed with tourists and locals in Palma de Mallorca, the Balearic Islands, while the president of the Balearic government promised to demand measures against the overcrowding of tourists, including “regulating the number of rental cars, not expanding the airport of Palma and commit to a tourism model that reduces the number of visitors and the environmental footprint’
It comes after a series of crackdowns on several other Spanish islands as they battle overpopulation and huge tourism spikes.
Last week, a Menorca holiday town dubbed ‘Spanish Mykonos’ threatened to ban all tourists after previously telling them to only visit between 11am and 8pm so they could enjoy its breakfasts.
Ibiza also became the latest Spanish tourist destination to join the growing anti-tourism protests that have broken out across the country.
“We welcome anyone who wants to enjoy our local culture, gastronomy, local traditions, beautiful beaches and beaches,” said Xaquelina Ana Perry, spokesperson for an activist group called Prou Eivissa (Enough Ibiza).
‘We are only against the massification of the type of tourism that our island attracts. “The island is saturated, especially with illegal rentals, and our 572 square kilometers can’t take it anymore,” he added.
Similar protests have been seen in other popular destinations, such as Tenerife, where furious locals even went on hunger strike in an effort to express their anger.
The words “Go Home Tourist” were scrawled in English on a wall beneath a property development sign in Nou Levante, Mallorca, a neighborhood that has seen a massive influx of foreign buyers in recent years.
Graffiti is seen that says ‘My misery, your paradise’ in the Balearic Islands
The Spanish islands are threatened by sea pollution, traffic jams and a lack of cheap and affordable housing linked to rising property prices due to Airbnb-style holiday rentals.
In Menorca, graffiti has also appeared on walls telling tourists to “go home”, while in Marbella last year tires were slashed from cars with British plates.
On April 20, thousands of protesters took to the streets of the Canary Islands to protest against the problems caused by mass tourism and demand their politicians take action.
The protesters chanted the slogan: ‘Canarias tiene un limit’, which in English translates to ‘The Canary Islands have a limit’.
Two weeks ago the same words appeared painted in white on the asphalt of one of the access roads to Teide in Tenerife.
Another message painted on the road read: “Moratoria turistica” – “Tourist moratorium” in English.
The Mallorcan hotel director, Joan Pla, recently warned that the massive protests against tourism in the Canary Islands could be repeated in the Balearic Islands.
He stated that the problem is the number of houses built for local residents that are bought by foreigners as holiday properties.
And he complained that islands like Mallorca, where he lives, had to deal with the influx of too many people at certain times of the year.