Mallorca and Ibiza have introduced restrictions on alcohol consumption in tourist areas

Authorities in Ibiza and Mallorca have tightened restrictions on drinking alcohol in public places. The new rules, which came into force on May 11, prohibit drinking alcohol on the streets of major tourist areas. The exceptions are terraces and areas of establishments that have the appropriate license. Violators can be fined between 500 and 1,500 euros. The number of sanctions imposed against foreign tourists will be counted and reported to the relevant embassies.

From now on, guests in the Balearic Islands’ most popular holiday resorts cannot buy spirits in shops between 9.30 pm and 8 am. In particular, the night sale of alcohol is now prohibited in Llucmayor, Palma, Calvia (Magaluf) in Mallorca and San Antonio in Ibiza.

The new rules also prohibit party boats that sell alcohol from being within one nautical mile (about 1.85 kilometers) of tourist areas affected by the restrictions. In addition, they will be prohibited from dropping off passengers in these areas.

The new rules are amendments to a 2020 decree aimed at combating overtourism. It was passed following widespread local media reports of anti-social behavior in popular tourist areas, largely due to alcohol abuse. This not only caused inconvenience to local residents, but also scared wealthy family tourists away from the resorts. While the new restrictions are aimed at further curbing such violations, the islands’ government has softened the original wording. The term «overtourism» has been replaced by «responsible tourism».

Balearic Islands Tourist Board spokesman Luis Pomar hopes that in three to four years the restrictions will not be needed «if we teach people how to behave». At the same time, some local residents express dissatisfaction with the new rules, believing that they harm business.

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Photo from stock.adobe.com, author: Sondem