Majorca cuts number of tourists allowed to visit amid 'collapse'

Majorca is slashing the number of tourist beds by 18,000 in a bid to tackle overtourism as local officials warn that the influx of visitors is jeopardising the harmony between holidaymakers and residents. The move is part of a wider crackdown by the Balearic Islands government on excessive partying including tighter controls on street drinking and party boats aimed at curbing alcohol-fuelled holidays.

This week Marga Prohens, the conservative president of the Balearic Islands, declared: "The time has come to set limits and ask ourselves where we are going and what we want to be." Echoing this sentiment Lluis Apesteguia from the More for Mallorca coalition remarked: "Nineteen million tourists in a territory of 1.3m inhabitants is unacceptable. It is not good for the territory, nor for the residents, nor for the tourists themselves. In Mallorca we are no longer overcrowded – we are suffering a tourist collapse."

According to the Mallorca Daily Bulletin, the island's total tourist accommodation capacity will see a reduction of 4.2% from its current 430,000 beds, reports WalesOnline. Llorenc Galmes, President of the Council de Mallorca, emphasised the urgency of the situation at a press conference saying it was "time to set limits" due to the strain the tourism boom has placed on local life.

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The island's tourism councillor has conceded this season will be "complicated and difficult" but he views it as the first step to "begin to minimise the effects" of overcrowding. "We cannot increase the number of beds any further," he said.

He acknowledged that problems that have been ignored for eight years won't be solved overnight, adding that "to be honest" the situation will be "complicated". The president also made it clear that "there will be more measures".

A growing social debate is taking place about the island's tourist "saturation". Recently, concerns have escalated over traffic congestion in villages, which until now was only a problem during July and August.

Anti-mass tourism movements have organised rallies on May 24 in Ibiza and May 25 in Majorca. Authorities are concerned about protests similar to those that saw thousands of citizens take to the streets in the Canary Islands last month with some even threatening hunger strikes.

Ibiza has announced plans to limit the number of vehicles entering the island to alleviate congestion during peak season. The number of vehicles entering Ibiza has skyrocketed from 51,000 in 2001 to 206,960 in 2022 with 40% of all arrivals happening in July and August.

Last week the Balearic Islands government intensified a law established in 2020 aimed at reining in excessive alcohol consumption. The clampdown targets notorious areas such as Playa de Palma and Magaluf on Majorca along with San Antonio in Ibiza. Individuals found drinking outside designated zones could face fines ranging from €500 to €1,500 and will be prohibited from purchasing alcohol in stores from 9.30pm until 8am.

The updated legislation also imposes stricter regulations on party boats, which are now forbidden from approaching within one nautical mile (1.852 km) of the specified regions. Additionally the practice of picking up or dropping off passengers remains prohibited. As of Saturday, when the law took effect, any penalties issued to foreigners will be tallied and reported to the embassies of their respective countries. Furthermore a committee tasked with "the promotion of civility in tourist zones" is set to expand, incorporating delegates from nations most frequently linked with disturbances, notably the UK and Germany.

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