This week the mayor of Calvia, Alfonso Rodríguez, reported that ten establishments in Magalluf face fines of between 60,000 and 600,000 euros for very serious breaches of the tourism of excesses decree.
In total, he said, the town hall had opened thirty sanctions procedures; some serious infractions had led to the closure of premises.
These were for breaches of regulations such as offering a happy hour. The sanctions, he stressed, send a message that the tourism of excesses decree is being applied “in order to ensure improvements”.
And, there are fears that bars and clubs in Ibiza and Mallorca could face closure in crackdown on “boozy tourism”.
The Balearic Government intends to close or buy properties that are considered “low-category establishments” and some people, including the British media, are worried that this could apply to bars and clubs.
On the one hand the Balearic authorities are very pleased with the message of zero tolerance of bad behaviour, but on the other, it has not been well received by tens of thousands of would be tourists and it has been getting some very bad press.
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Not a mention from the politicos here about the excessive drinking, fighting and vandalism perpetrated not by Brits or Germans but by Spanish youths doing the infamous botellón! It’s a far wider problem for locals and businesses than pissed up tourists in Magalluf or Arenal.
My previous post was somewhat tongue in cheek so how about this. Bring back the Marina Project. Private yachting has never been more popular and will continue to grow. A marina servicing yachts up to say 30 mts built on the backland would be super safe and secure all year round ( unlike Port Adriano - full wash down every day in winter to keep the salt spray off ). That would bring quality high spending tourism to the resort in summer and a host of support businesses all year round . Space for charter yachts, speedboat hire and anything else water based. Dig a nice big channel from the beach (sorry Ritchie there are plenty of better beaches on the island) and dig. Plenty of work for everyone and a long term tourist attraction for many - sorry hooligans not for you.
Jules OIt's not getting easier to find a similar place within two hours of cheap flight, to "carry the business elsewhere".
The binge drinking tourists in Magaluf and Arenal make only up for 3% of tourism turnover, but 80% of bad news about, and a resulting poor image of, the Barearic Islands. It's a business not worth it.
@ Jules O : Try walking the streets of Palma when there are seven cruise ships in port, then you'll see excess tourism. As for Magaluf has anyone considered that if these young people were smoking the herb superb instead of ingesting huge quantities of alcohol there would be a lot more good feeling and a lot less violence on the streets. More music, more kissing and canoodling, more happy faces - is it such a bad thing ?
#Jules 0, what a load of verbal diarrhia. 🙈
Young northern Europeans, be they British, German, Dutch or Scandinavian, go on holiday and drink a lot. I don't call it "excess" I call it being young. 99% are well behaved and cause little or no trouble. There is no such thing as "tourism of excess", it's a phrase dreamt up by the Balearic government. It's called "youth tourism". And these same "youth tourists" forge their first love for an overseas holiday destination on exactly this type of holiday. These same young tourists will grow older, have families and be the future "upmarket tourists". Today's Magaluf "lad's holiday" groups are tomorrow's five star hotel and villa rental tourists. Careful what you wish for. If they feel unwanted, young tourists will take their business elsewhere, and may never come back when they are older and richer. They will spend their money where they are wanted.
I welcome the change made to Magaluf. It has been a den of iniquity for decades . Making Mallorca to have a very bad reputation. Perhaps the whole area could be remodelled. With large department stores and huge shopping malls. To bring in Tourists to enjoy a shopping spree.
What a surprise. When will Mallorca finally realise that nearly 10's of thousands of British tourists need their cheap boozy holidays? That's approaching 0.01% of tourism. How can Mallorca survive? No worries, that viral party video suggests that Rishy will force Mallorca to reinstate shagaluf immunity from such draconian nonsense. Or else.
So the message is getting out that people who just want to drink, cause trouble and be a general pain in the arse aren't welcome. Good!