Will clamping down on street drinking curb bad behaviour among tourists? — Pexels
Spain's Balearic Islands are a popular vacation destination. Every year, some 16 million visitors choose to lay down their towels on one of the magnificent beaches of Menorca, Ibiza or Mallorca.
And this influx of tourists sometimes has consequences for the peace and quiet of locals due to visitors’ bad behaviour. This is especially due to excessive partying, and alcohol consumption, which can lead to behaviour that goes beyond the bounds of reasonableness.
In 2020, stores were banned from selling alcohol between certain hours in some areas of Palma, Magaluf and Llucmajor on Mallorca, as well as in Sant Antoni de Portmany on Ibiza. The government has now decided to go one step further, banning alcohol consumption on public streets in areas already subject to a sales ban.
According to an official announcement from the authorities, offenders can incur a fine starting at €500 (RM2,541) and rising to €1,500 (RM7,623). Restaurants, bar terraces and premises licensed to serve alcohol are not affected.
The Balearic Islands aren’t stopping there, however. Measures are also being taken to target boats that host parties, and on which alcohol is inevitably served. From now on, they will no longer be allowed to come within one nautical mile of the coast (1,850km).
The new regulatory measures have already come into force. Future vacationers will therefore be subject to them during the summer season.
However, the approach is not just punitive. No less than €16mil (RM81.31mil) has been allocated to improving tourist areas. In addition, “... a commission on ‘the Promotion of Civility in Tourist Zones’ would be expanded to include representatives of the countries whose tourists are most associated with problems – Britain and Germany,” reports the BBC, citing Luis Pomar, a press officer at the Balearic Islands tourism council. – AFP Relaxnews
