The hotels of the famous island of Mallorca in the Mediterranean Sea, without waiting for the order of the authorities, launched a new plan to combat rowdy tourists. The police will train hotel staff on the rules of behavior with inappropriate vacationers, and tourists who want to check into the hotel will be required to sign a “code of conduct.”
New plans in some areas of the resort island require hotel guests to sign a code of conduct before they can check-in. Hotel employees decided to take a written commitment from tourists to comply with the norms of behavior after several incidents.
Hotel owners in the popular area of Playa de Palma said they were taking action “due to inaction by local authorities”. Police officers will train staff on how to deal with rowdy guests under a new plan covering the popular areas of Arenal and Can Pastilla. Hoteliers also save money to pay for additional security services to combat drunken tourists. They also hope to streamline reporting so police can respond quickly to any incidents.
“We are in peak season with occupancy levels similar to 2019, but we seem to have the same problems as every year – problems that local authorities don’t seem to be able to deal with, which is why we launched our security plan,” the hotel owners explained in a statement.
This year, the Playa de Palma area of Mallorca has already seen a series of incidents involving tourists. The resort has received one complaint after another about illegal street parties and two-for-one drink promotions. Hotel owners said that some tourists are offered beer during the transfer to the airport and are already drunk when they arrive for check-in.
The resort area is particularly popular with British and German tourists and is known for its party atmosphere. Some business owners have banded together for another reason and implemented a dress code, banning T-shirt-wearing tourists from entering their establishments (details here).
David Cervera of the Lukemajor Residents’ Association told local media: “When they (tourists) get together and drink, there’s no stopping them. They end up setting fire to beach umbrellas and breaking trash cans. And there are fights.”
Majorca has already introduced strict alcohol laws in some areas, including the resort of Magaluf. Yes, bars are forbidden to offer alcohol, and tourists can now travel on the water only with non-alcoholic drinks – a “dry cruise”. And tourists staying at Thomas Cook all-inclusive hotels are now allowed to have no more than six drinks to prevent rowdy behavior.
The stunning island is also fighting overtourism, trying to limit the number of tourists who visit it each summer. The regional government would like to introduce restrictions on passenger traffic at airports to create a more sustainable tourism sector. “We believe that we have measures to limit tourism, and that is why we are acting within our capabilities. The airport needs to be better organized and even the airlines are asking for it because of the chaos during peak periods,” said Tourism Minister Iago Negereula. The popular island already has controls on cruise passengers, with restrictions on the number of larger liners allowed to dock.