Mallorca
Alcohol is prohibited on the street at Ballermann
There are new rules of etiquette at Ballermann in Mallorca. photo
© Clara Margais/dpa
The so-called drinking tourism has long been a thorn in the side of many on Mallorca. The authorities are now taking tougher action.
According to the authorities, the tightening of the rules will come into force on the two Mediterranean islands that belong to Spain in the next few days when it is published in the official journal. However, there is no exact date for this. Holidaymakers and locals who are caught with an open beer can on the beach or on public property, for example, face a fine of between 500 and 1,500 euros.
The Mallorcan hotel association FEHM defended the authorities’ tougher crackdown: “We welcome that improvements have been made to achieve the desired goal: the eradication of uncivilized tourism in the four areas that suffer from its effects,” it said.
The “Decree for Responsible Tourism” affects parts of the municipalities of Palma and Llucmajor on Mallorca with the German holiday stronghold Playa de Palma east of the island’s capital and the British party zone Magaluf west of Palma. It also applies to Sant Antoni de Portmany on Ibiza. Each of these four zones should receive four million euros annually for the implementation of the decree. The money comes from tourist tax revenue.
Terraces of bars and restaurants as well as other places expressly permitted for the consumption of alcohol are exempt from the ban. Alcohol can still be served on the numerous party boats. However, from now on they must maintain a nautical mile distance from the four affected zones and beaches. In addition, they are no longer allowed to pick up or drop off guests in these zones.
To combat excessive drinking, the regional government in Palma last put together a legislative package in 2020, which was then somewhat lost due to the corona pandemic. Parts of the law are now being changed by means of a decree. Previously, only drinking parties, i.e. drinking alcohol in a group, were prohibited on the street. The maximum number of people was not defined. Now it is no longer allowed to drink alcohol on the street or on the beach, even if you are traveling alone.
The new decree will initially apply until the end of 2027. After that, people are confident that they will be able to get the excesses under control even without strict rules, the statement said. It is still unclear how strictly the police will implement the new regulation.