BRITS could soon be BANNED from some of the Spanish islands under a controversial new proposal being suggested by local 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.
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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.
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 ‘ballooning.”
Speaking after a meeting yesterday (MON) 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 local 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.”
Last year, Majorca and Ibiza introduced restrictions on how much tourists can drink on all-inclusive breaks.
Holidaymakers can only drink six boozy drinks a day – three at lunch and three with their evening meal.
Boozy pub crawls, the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am and advertising party boats in some areas have also all been banned.
Jason Walker, 42, who took an all-inclusive trip to Majorca last summer, said his trip was ruined and he was left “angry” and “upset” by the rules.
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