They come to the island “without any interest in sightseeing”
Reproaches hoteliers because “there is promotion and a brand” towards this type of visitors
“We have overcome the excesses of Magaluf, in Platja de Palma we are much worse”, he stated in this newspaper Pedro Marinthe president of the Association of hoteliers of Playa de Palm. The destination of Mallorca is being overwhelmed by drunken tourism. It is the same that last year resorted to a detective agency to report the breach of the excess tourism decree law and other ordinances of Llucmajor and Palma.
Only in nine days of observation in July, the private investigator collected evidence and photographs that account for 812 incidents: exhibition and sale of alcoholic beverages being prohibited, prostitution, sex on public roads, establishments with massages with a “happy ending”, naked tourists on the street, large bottles, street vendors, gangsters, masseurs on the beach, groups of tourists with loudspeakers in the street singing and shouting, tourists urinating anywhere, fights, boat party offers…
How is the tourist of excesses who continues to come to Mallorca to “make a mess?” “The majority are young men, between the ages of 18 and 30,” explains Pedro Marín. “Before, the problem occurred between May and June.”
“At first they were very young. Mallorca was their first trip before going to university“, recounts a great connoisseur of nightlife in Playa de Palma. “Now their age has increased. They go in groups of friends with the soccer jersey or other sports of the teams from their places of origin. They are over 20 years old and have no interest in tourism.”
Trip “ode to alcohol”
He distinguishes between two types of drunken tourist who invade the island. “There are those who arrive in the afternoon and drink until they drop.” His trip to Mallorca, “an ode to alcohol”, favored by the offer of flights to the island with low-cost companies – it is often cheaper to fly to Hamburg than to Barcelona – “is reduced to four or five hours of partying, they sleep on the beach and then take a taxi to the airport to return to their place of residence.
the other bunch of drunken tourists they are more ‘sophisticated’. “They arrive from Thursday to Sunday.” They stay in good hotels because Playa de Palma and Magaluf have undergone a reconversion in which the category of establishments has been raised. Low-quality pensions and hostels are disappearing. “His departures from the hotel are reduced to going to the beach and the biergarten and they don’t rent cars”, continues describing the connoisseur of the night. also girl groups, they are fewer, who usually come for a bachelorette party.
These excess tourists “are concentrated in the last two weeks of July and the first two weeks of August.” Although the prices of the drinks “have risen a lot, Mallorca still seems cheap to them.” directly sThey ask for “a liter of Cubata per person, which has the incentive of giving you a T-shirt of the premises, which increases their feeling of belonging”.
Calvià and the decree of excesses
Marín confirms that these tourists “stay three or four nights” in rooms for 250 euros per day. Both in Playa de Palma and in Magaluf, this rule applies in hotels to establish a minimum number of overnight stays. “To avoid those young people who came to drink,” says Mauricio Carballedapresident of the Hoteliers of Palmanova-Magaluf—, now the stays are longer and more family tourism comes, and that cBe aware that I do not demonize young people; we are in favor of them coming, Magaluf has to be fun”.
Carballeda breathes with relief because he believes that this summer in Magaluf “an improvement has been noticed compared to other years”, although there is still “uncontrolled drink, drugs and prostitution”, all “very concentrated in Punta Ballena, and illegal offer of apartments”. It highlights the “commitment” of the Calvià city council, because it was fundamental that under the mandate of the former socialist mayor Alfonso Rodríguez, the powers to apply the decree law of excesses were assumed. From this consistory it is detailed that in 2022 15 sanctions were imposed, this year there are already 9. What is working best, it stands out, are the precautionary measures because they imply the closure of the establishments until the fine is paid. It is being verified that the regulation has a dissuasive effect: the sale of alcohol is sanctioned with 60,000 euros, the balcony, with 36,000 euros, a party boat, with 160,000 euros.
“Drunken tourism is not public order, nor police. We do not bring these clients,” they say from the security forces
While Marín believes that the decree of excesses “has neither head nor tail — it seems that the hotelier incites drunkenness, demonizes him” —, from the security forces it is considered that the Police are doing “a very good job, what happens is that there are many priorities that hoteliers do not see.” “In the Colònia de Sant Jordi there are many beds and there are no problems, and why not in specific areas? Because there is promotion and a brand for that type of customer,” he argues. “Drunkenness tourism is not for public order, nor for the police nor for the Administration. We do not bring those clients.” One more reproach: “They are going to lift the moratorium, aren’t there enough police officers and they want more tourist places?