Visitors to popular Spanish islands could face higher fees and new rules this summer as local governments attempt to tackle tourist-related problems.
Fresh legislations in the Balearics could come into place as holiday hotspots such as Mallorca, Menorca, and Ibiza look at solutions for “uncontrolled overcrowding” as roughly 20 million people are expected to travel to the islands.
On Friday, the governing People’s Party is set to propose a package of new measures of “tourist containment”. It is expected the measures will likely include a fresh tourism tax on overnight stays on the islands and more police powers to uncover illegal tourist rentals.
Among the legislative proposals being considered is a ban on foreign vehicles entering Mallorca. This move follows similar measures implemented in Ibiza and Formentera.
But lawmakers will need to strike a fine balance, as tourist spending on the islands reached £18 billion in 2024 – accounting for 43 per cent of the local economy.
However, in a bid to prevent overcrowding and limit the pressure that the holiday rental market has on rent prices for locals, ministers are considering whether to restrict the flow of tourists through airports. It has also been reported that officials are considering to place additional taxes on some locations or activities.
Tourism Minister Jaume Bauza said ahead of the proposals: “We have certainly reached our limit.”
Bauza backed the idea of containing or restricting the flow of visitors, saying: “For some time now, the Government has considered that the only way we have to grow is by doing so in quality and not in quantity, and we believe that it is possible to make a transition towards a more sustainable model that is committed to the environment.”
However, holiday bookings for the Balearics have skyrocketed. In just one week bookings jumped 20 per cent as people grow tired of the winter gloom.
Llorenç Pou, head of economic affairs for the Balearic opposition party, PSOE told El Mundo: “Tourism is positive and our economic future depends on it.
“But this wealth is not distributed as it should be and overcrowding generates social and environmental costs; there is an excess of tourists.”