Badly-behaved British tourists face being banned from the Balearic Islands under controversial new proposals being studied by regional government chiefs.
The islands’ Head of Tourism Jaume Bauza appeared to confirm overnight holidaymakers who break strict rules brought in to crack down on anti-social visitors could be blacklisted.
A drunken tourism decree was agreed at the start of 2020 for certain areas like Magaluf in Majorca and the West End of San Antonio in neighbouring Ibiza.
It included fines of up to £50,000 for holidaymakers caught leaping off their hotel balconies and limits on the amount of alcohol served with meals at all-inclusive hotels.
The Balearics Islands’ new right-wing regional government has already signalled its intention to change the name of the decree against excess tourism to that of the ‘responsible tourism’ decree to avoid negative connotations.
A drunken tourism decree was agreed at the start of 2020 for certain areas like Magaluf (pictured) in Majorca and the West End of San Antonio in neighbouring Ibiza
Holidaymakers who flout the rules can already be expelled from their hotels, such as those who jump between balconies in a dangerous practice known locally as ‘balconing’
It is also planning to eliminate the current situation where only some streets in certain resorts including Magaluf and San Antonio are affected by the rules, meaning action against offenders could potentially be taken in any of the four islands that make up the Balearics.
But in a key announcement yesterday, Mr Bauza also appeared to admit that as part of a package of tougher measures being prepared against anti-social visitors, a proposal to put some of them on a plane back home and ban them for returning for a certain period is being considered.
Holidaymakers who flout the rules can already be expelled from their hotels, such as those who jump between balconies in a dangerous practice known locally as ‘balconing.’
Speaking after a meeting yesterday of the Commission for the Promotion of Civism in Tourist Zones with representatives of the four councils affected by the current excess tourism decree, the islands’ Head of Tourism confirmed the idea of a blacklist was being considered.
Asked by local press whether the tougher action the government was planning against anti-social tourists included the possibility of expulsion from the islands and a ban on returning for a period of time, Mr Bauza said it would depend on the ‘crime or infraction committed.’
Explaining that it would be ‘regulated in the decree’ he was quoted by respected island newspaper Diario de Ibiza as saying: ‘I’ve expressed the master lines and nothing’s being ruled out or confirmed at this stage.
‘Then it will need to have a legal framework.
‘The main thing is to target companies as well, but above all those people who behave in a way that is not tolerable, here or anywhere.’
The party resorts of Magaluf (pictured above) and part of Playa de Palma east of the island capital which is also one of the areas covered by the excess tourism decree, have been rocked this summer by several alleged sex attacks involving foreign tourists including gang rapes
The party resorts of Magaluf and part of Playa de Palma east of the island capital which is also one of the areas covered by the excess tourism decree, have been rocked this summer by several alleged sex attacks involving foreign tourists including gang rapes.
A British 18-year-old was allegedly gang-raped at a hotel in Magaluf in the early hours of August 14.
Five French nationals and a Swiss man were arrested and remanded in jail pending an ongoing judicial investigation and a further two suspects subsequently held in France on European Arrest Warrants.
The incidents put the spotlight on resorts like the Brit-popular Magaluf which has been trying to improve its international image in recent years.
Prostitutes and some pickpockets have had restraining orders slapped on them by the courts banning them from setting foot in Magaluf so the adoption of measures declaring certain individuals as ‘personas non grata’ is not new to the area.
Any attempts by the Balearic Islands’ government to blacklist anti-social tourists is set to come up against EU free movement legislation, where the holidaymakers are from EU member states.
Although the right wing Popular Party won the May elections in the Balearic Islands, Spain’s left-wing acting PM Pedro Sanchez currently stands the best chance of forming a coalition national government which would exclude the right.
In August it emerged four of the five tourists handed five-figure fines over the summer for climbing between balconies at hotels in Magaluf were British.
The pioneering excess tourism crackdown ended pub crawls, happy hours and 2×1 cheap drink offers in areas like Magaluf and San Antonio’s West End
Calvia Council which is responsible for the party resort said on August 21 five foreign holidaymakers had been fined for ‘balconing’.
The five were handed fines of €36,000 (£30,720) each and kicked out of their hotels.
The fines were levied under the regional government decree designed to stamp out drunken tourism approved just over three years ago.
Earlier the same month a firm offering British holidaymakers illegal booze cruises in Magaluf was hit with a near-£140,000 fine levied under the same decree.
Council chiefs responsible for the Majorcan party resort said company bosses were caught ‘red-handed’ as they escorted around 130 tourists who had paid nearly £40 each onto a boat where loud music was going to be played and alcohol was on offer.
The pioneering excess tourism crackdown ended pub crawls, happy hours and 2-for-1 cheap drink offers in areas like Magaluf and San Antonio’s West End.
It also suspended the concession of new ‘party boat’ licences, with boats that were already licensed banned from embarking or disembarking tourists in the areas covered.
Calvia’s new mayor Juan Antonio Amengual said earlier this month after it emerged the ‘singling-out’ of certain areas which critics of the regional government decree have complained about would be stopped: ‘What you find at the moment is that one side of the street you have the tough rules and on the other side you don’t.
‘We want it all to be the same.’
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