Based on new policies, Brits who violate rigorous regulations put in place to crack down on anti-social tourists may be banned in Magaluf and Ibiza.
The islands’ tourism chief, Jaume Bauza, appeared to announce overnight that British tourists could face large fines for being intoxicated while on vacation.
At the start of 2020, a drunken tourism decree was agreed upon for some locations such as Magaluf in Majorca and the West End of San Antonio in neighbouring Ibiza.
It included fines of up to £50k 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 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.
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.
This would mean action against offenders could potentially be taken in any of the four islands that make up the Balearics.
In an announcement yesterday, Mr Bauza also admitted 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 from returning for a certain period is being considered.
Those 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.’
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 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.
Any attempts by the Balearic Islands’ government to blacklist anti-social tourists are set to come up against EU free movement legislation, where the holidaymakers are from EU member states.