Editorial: A new sheriff in town

THE infamous “sex game video” could mean the end of Magalluf in its present form. The resort, dubbed by the Spanish media as the “town of no law” will be getting a new sheriff who will have a clear mandate to stamp out bad behaviour. Not only will British tourists be warned not to misbehave in a campaign to be launched in Britain this week the police will be under orders to deal with many of Magalluf´s ills. The “crisis in Magalluf” has reached Madrid and London and they are not impressed. The Spanish and British governments will be meeting this week to decide on a plan of action which could end Magalluf´s reputation as the world´s party resort. Why am I so convinced that the local authorities are going to tackle the problem once and for all? Well the answer is simple. Plenty of new investment is being made in Magalluf by some of Spain´s biggest companies. Just last week the President of the Balearic government, Jose Ramon Bauza, announced that Magalluf was going up-market. Three days later and the infamous “sex game video” is aired. The big hotel chains are obviously not impressed. They are trying to take Magalluf up-market rather than down-market. The alarm bells are ringing and urgent action is promised. Hoteliers are furious. So the days of what happens in Magalluf stays in Magalluf could soon be coming to an end. Magalluf will still be a party resort but the days of the Wild, Wild West are coming to an end.