In response to ongoing protests against mass tourism on Mallorca, the mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez, has introduced a series of strict regulations aimed at addressing the negative impacts of high visitor numbers. The measures, presented on Wednesday, include limits on the number of tourists, rental cars, cruise ships, and vacation rentals on the Spanish island.
Martínez’s proposal comes amid growing local discontent, with recent demonstrations in Palma featuring slogans like “Enough is enough!” and “Mallorca is not for sale!” Protesters have attributed the increasing number of tourists and vacation rentals to housing shortages, environmental degradation, traffic congestion, pollution, and rising crime rates.
Key elements of the mayor’s plan involve:
- Restrictions and potential bans on party boats.
- Stricter regulations for cruise ships, potentially prohibiting large vessels.
- Doubling fees for cruise ship passengers, including docking fees and an “entry” fee for Palma.
- Limiting the number of tourists allowed in guided groups within the city.
- Restricting rental car access to the city center.
- Imposing an absolute ban on alcohol consumption on public streets, except for outdoor terraces of restaurants and bars.
- Increasing the presence of local and national police.
Although Martínez can immediately implement certain measures, such as banning new guest beds in private vacation rentals and imposing higher fines on establishments causing excessive pollution, most proposals require approval from other institutions. These include the island council, the Balearic government, and even the Spanish central government in Madrid.
The conservative mayor plans to present his proposals at a meeting with Balearic government officials and representatives from various interest groups on Thursday.
The protests in Palma on Saturday were partly fueled by a tragic incident at Playa de Palma, where a restaurant collapse resulted in the deaths of four people, including two young women from Germany. Investigations revealed that the restaurant owners lacked a license for the balcony terrace that collapsed, contributing to the fatalities. Martínez confirmed these findings on Tuesday, further highlighting the need for stricter regulations to ensure safety and manage the impact of tourism on the island.
