PALMA de Mallorca will ban new youth hostels and tourist rentals, as well as all party boats, in a sweeping move to tackle overtourism.
Palma’s clampdown on holiday rentals and tourist activities comes after growing concern about overtourism – for years the city has wrestled with surging visitor numbers and ‘illegal’ accommodations.
The rules will mean that no new tourist rentals or youth hostels are permitted in any part of Palma – the conversion of existing hostels will also be prohibited.
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Furthermore, party boats, which are extremely popular with young tourists, will be banned altogether as their alcohol-fueled chaos often leads to noise complaints from residents.
This series of bans – as announced by Mayor Jamie Martinez Lllabres – aims to help the city to achieve a more sustainable tourism model which lessens tensions amongst locals.
The crackdowns form part of the Popular Party government team strategy to promote ‘quality and sustainable’ tourism.
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They come amid signs that Palma’s tourism landscape is already evolving.
While the number of visitors has slightly declined – tourist seasonality has dropped 2.01% in the past two years, and 4.57% since 2018 – overall spending has increased by 15%, suggesting that visitors are spending more and staying in higher-quality accommodation.
The number of one to three star hotels has also declined whilst higher quality establishments have experienced consistent growth.
As trends in Palma’s visitors shift, the location aims to position itself as more than a sunny holiday spot – it wants to become a year-round city break destination.
Locals, however, are pushing an anti-tourism narrative as they urge tourists to stop visiting Mallorca.
Individuals are blaming tourism for the island’s gentrification, increased cost of living, and overwhelmed public services.
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The hope is that introducing bans on tourist rentals and hostels will balance tourism’s economic benefits with preserving locals’ quality of life.
The proposed bans will come into effect three months after the approval of an amendment to the General Plan which has been written by Palma City Council.
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