Drunken Brits could be banned from Spain’s Balearic Islands
Local government chiefs mull fresh bid to crack down on anti-social behaviour by tourists
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Your support makes all the difference.Drunken revellers could be banned from party islands in Spain under new plans being considered by local officials to crack down on anti-social behaviour by tourists, according to reports.
Tourists who break strict rules could be blacklisted from notorious party hotspots in the Balearic Islands, such as Magaluf in Majorca and the West End of San Antonio in Ibiza.
Jaume Bauza, the islands’ head of tourism, suggested holidaymakers who break strict rules could be ordered to go home.
Speaking to local media on Monday after a meeting yesterday of the Commission for the Promotion of Civism in Tourist Zones, Mr Bauza said it would depend on the specific “crime or infraction committed” whether or not badly behaved tourists would be sent packing.
“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,” he told Diario de Ibiza.
“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.”
New laws were introduced in some parts of the Balearics in 2020 in a separate bid to clamp down badly behaved tourists on booze-fuelled holidays.
The decree banned happy hours, free bars and two-for-one drinks parties and made it illegal to advertise pub crawls.
The regional government also banned new licences for party boats while existing boats are banned from operating in designated areas.
Meanwhile, shops selling alcohol that stay open all night were ordered to close between 9.30pm and 8am or risk fines of up to €600,000 (£511,000) or the threat of being closed down for three years.
Tourists caught climbing on hotel balconies can be kicked out and also face hefty fines.
The restrictions applied to the worst affected areas of Magaluf and El Arenal de Palma in Mallorca and Sant Antoni de Portmany in Ibiza.
Spain’s Balearic Islands are among some of Spain’s most tourism-dependent regions, with the industry accounting for a large share of the country’s GDP.
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