Majorca and Ibiza clamp down on ‘excessive tourism’ with new booze ban
The Balearic Islands government has passed a new decree today that will see a total ban on the sale of alcohol between 9:30pm and 8:00am in areas of “excessive tourism” in Majorca and Ibiza, which will be enforced until at least 31st December 2027, when they believe by this date it won’t be needed any more.
The government's new decree completely bans late night sales of alcohol in Llucmajor, Palma and Calvia (Magaluf) in Mallorca, and Sant Antonio in Ibiza, in a bid to crack down on so-called low-quality tourism as reported by the Mallorca Daily Bulletin.
It has also banned party boats from sailing within one nautical mile of any of these destinations, and they are banned from picking up or disembarking passengers in this area.
The bans come after the government warned that rowdy tourists could face hefty fines following the introduction of tougher new sanctions for bad behaviour for flouting civic rules in its busiest holiday hotspots.
The mayor of Palma de Mallorca, Jaime Martínez, said one of his main objectives is to “correct uncivil attitudes” and this applies as much to locals as it does to holidaymakers.
He said that the new Civic Ordinance could see offenders be fined up to 3,000 euros for breach of the new rules, which include a ban on drink parties in public places, graffiti, scooters, nudism and semi-nudism, depending on the severity of the infraction.
The government claims that this new Ordinance toughens the sanctions on activities that deteriorate or dirty the islands public spaces. According to the mayor, the current ordinance is too 'lax' and has needed an increase in penalties.
It comes after he told leisure industry bosses at the ITB Berlin tourism fair earlier this month, that he and his administration are working to stop “rampant irresponsible tourism” on the island.
According to the ordinance, if the consumption of alcohol on public roads disrupts coexistence, involves crowds or deteriorates the tranquillity of the environment, among other situations, the infraction will be considered serious. This carries a fine of between €750 and €1,500 unless it's considered very serious, when the fine can range from €1,500 to €3,000.
The amount for graffiti or slogans will be increased from €100 to €750 euros to fines of €1,500 to €3,000 and in the case of minors who commit graffiti vandalism, the mayor explained that parents will be held responsible and will have to ensure payment of penalties and meet the cost of removal by the town hall.
In relation to banners, posters and fliers publicising businesses and events, their placement in municipal buildings or facilities, in public spaces and street furniture is prohibited, with sanctions ranging from €750 to €1,500. Likewise, placement on monuments, listed buildings or on traffic signs that make their visibility difficult will result in a serious infringement, amounting to €1,500 to €3,000.
