THE DESTRUCTION OF SPAIN’S COSTAS
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The
OLIVE PRESS
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Fed up hoteliers get police training for staff in a bid to tackle sozzled Brits and Germans By George Mathias & Jorge Hinojosa
HOTELIERS are taking the law into their own hands as they struggle to deal with unruly alcohol-fuelled holidaymakers. They are pleading for action against drunkenness, saying recent measures designed to tackle the issue have failed. They claim chronic police underfunding has led to the bizarre situation where hotel staff are receiving police training to deal with lawbreaking tourists. Meanwhile the National Police station continues to close at night and the streets aren’t being properly patrolled. And the situation is worse than before the pandemic, claims hotel association FEHM. Illegal street selling, large ‘botellon’ drinking parties, and the sale of alcohol in unlicenced areas - including in hotel shuttle buses - were all listed as
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MALLORCA
Vol. 5 Issue 135
UNDER THREAT: Sa Foradada, near Deya
Your expat
voice in Spain
www.theolivepress.es July 15th - July 28th 2022
DIY COPS HELP US: Pleads for more police officers reasons why some parts of Mallorca have descended into chaos. Meanwhile, under a new security plan launched to plug the gap left by the lack of police, hotel owners are also hiring more security guards to protect staff. They are also forcing guests to sign a code of conduct before checking in to hotels. “Every year we have the same problem and the local authorities are not doing anything to deal with this problem,” said Patricia Campomar (above left), a spokeswoman for the association. “So we have decided to launch our security plan.” Two key areas that need tackling are Magaluf and Playa de Palma, where bookings have recently surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Balearic Tourism Minister Lago Negueruela (above right) pledged to eradicate ‘drunken’ tourism from the islands last year. He said that although it has so far proved difficult to tackle so-called ‘tourism of excesses’, a more concert-
TROLLIED: Tourist behaviour out of hand say locals ed effort would be made to ‘improve the quality of certain hotspots’, particularly in areas populated by Brits and Germans. Excessive drinking by holidaymakers has long been a problem in the Balearic Islands, so much so that in January 2020, a new law was introduced to stamp out anti-social behaviour in Playa de Palma, s’Arenal and Magaluf, as well as Sant Antonio in Ibiza. In this zero tolerance approach, the decree strictly prohibited any promotions of booze, the sale of alcohol in commercial stores after 9.30pm and
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the act of ‘balconing’. Guests on ‘all inclusive’ holidays were also stung by the law, now only being allowed three free alcoholic beverages at lunch, another three at dinner, with all ‘happy hour’ offers being banned. Police were also given increased powers to act against loud music made by nightlife venues with serious violations resulting in an establishment being shut down for a period of time. Bars selling booze after-hours can be slapped with crushing fines of tens of thousands of euros. Ironically, given the hoteliers com-
plaints, hotel owners can be fined for failing to swiftly kick out disruptive guests. The sanctions drive marked a departure from the harm prevention measures that had previously been favoured by the Mallorcan government, such as makeshift first aid units on popular bar strips. Residents of tourist hotspots like Magaluf and Playa de Palma have previously criticised politicians for gimmick responses to problem holidaymakers, such as getting British bobbies on the beat to patrol during the summer. After a number of embarrassing videos being leaked of drunken tourists, Negueruela issued a stark message to tourists intending to consume excess alcohol on holiday, warning that they were not welcome in the Balearic Islands.
Quality
He added that although these changes may have put off many from coming to the Baleares, it was more important to focus on the quality of the tourist rather than the number. But the hotel association gave the best example of problems not being tackled, when it highlighted an airport transfer business that delivers alcohol to holidaymakers as they arrive at the airport. “When they arrive at a hotel reception, they already have cans of beer with them,” said the spokeswoman.