The Governing Council of the Balearic Islandsin Spain, approved a “responsible tourism” decree that renames although maintains the same spirit from the previous about “excess tourism“, or “drunk tourism.” It includes the prohibition of drinking alcohol on the street in regulated areas, with very strong economic sanctions.
According to the authorities, anyone who violates the regulations for the consumption of alcoholic beverages in unauthorized areas could receive a fine ranging from 500 to 1,500 euros, that is, between about 540 and 1,600 dollars.
It will be valid until December 31, 2027, with a view to ensuring that the situation is ordered and “In three years this decree will no longer be necessary“, according to authorities.
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The rule also prohibits boats with parties or mass events and sale of alcohol on board come within one nautical mile (1,852 km) of the affected areas. Ships will also not be able to pick up or disembark passengers within these zones.
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Although the new measures aim to further curb behavior that disrupts local people, the government softened the language around its original 2020 decree against “excess tourism.” Now the term is “responsable tourism“. They did so by considering that the original wording attacked the main industry of the islands, where tourism represents more than 45% of the community’s GDP.
The Balearic archipelago is made up of Mallorca and Menorca, among other islands and islets. It was for a long time nightlife centers for young travelers and international celebrities.
The original 22-article decree, from 2020, was introduced following media reports about “uncivil behavior in certain tourist areas” of Mallorca and Ibiza, attributed to alcohol consumption. They considered that the image of the destinations had been damaged, in addition to complicating the lives of the residents.
“Year after year, news has appeared related to uncivil behavior by young tourists that has caused deep concern in the rest of the citizens, in the hotel sector and in the administrations involved,” stated the decree, which indicated that there had been serious injuries and also deaths.
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The original decree established measures for tourist accommodation, the sale and advertising of alcoholic beverages, sanctions and other measures. The recently modified Responsible Tourism Decree allocates 16 million euros (about 17.2 million dollars) of a sustainable tourism tax to help affected areas finance projects to promote responsible tourism.
In April, residents of the Canary Islands, another Spanish archipelago, mobilized to protest against “excessive tourism,” blaming visitors for causing environmental damage as a result of the increase in the number of tourists from 11.5 million annually to 16 million in the last decade.
LT