You might have seen reports in the media in recent weeks about new legislation being introduced in the Balearic Islands in an attempt to curb the impact of alcohol-fuelled incidents in some of the top resorts.
A new bill passed by the regional government will come into force in Playa de Palma and Magaluf on Majorca, as well as Sant Antoni in Ibiza and have been brought into place because of ongoing concerns about the impact of alcohol, and are said to be the first such rules brought into place anywhere in Europe.
The change in the law will see the banning of happy hours and events like organised pub crawls, whilst party boats that would previously have operated in the waters off the coast will also no longer be able to operate.
Any store that sells alcohol will be unable to open between the hours of 21:30-08:00 whilst vending machines that serve alcohol are also to be banned.
As part of the changes that are being introduced, restrictions will be put in place on those who have booked holidays in hotels that are within the previously mentioned resorts.
That will mean anyone who now books a holiday to the three resorts will face restrictions on how many alcoholic drinks they can enjoy as part of their all inclusive package.
The restrictions will not be in place if you booked before 23 January although it has not been revealed how hotels will differentiate between people who booked at different times.
“ABTA strongly supports initiatives that improve the health and safety of holidaymakers, as well as the welfare of local communities," a statement issued by ABTA - of which HotHolidays.co.uk is a member - revealed. "Some of the measures introduced by the Balearic Islands authorities to limit anti-social behaviour have potential to cause confusion for UK holidaymakers, so we welcome the recent clarification from the authorities, including that the restrictions will only apply to certain limited areas in Mallorca and Ibiza rather than the whole of the Balearics as originally proposed.
"It is important to note that the limits on alcoholic drinks in all-inclusive hotels does not apply to any holidays booked before 23 January 2020, for travel during 2020. For all-inclusive holidays booked after that date, we recommend that customers check with the agent or operator selling the holiday, as the exemption will still apply if there was an existing contract between the hotel and the tour operator agreed before that date.
"ABTA will continue to engage with the Balearic Islands Government, ABTA Members and other parties, to encourage clear communication and exchange of information, in order to ensure holidaymakers travelling to hotels in the designated areas enjoy a positive customer experience.”
UPDATE (28 January 2022):
Although the rules have been in place for some time, the impact on foreign visitors has been minimal as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic - which has restricted the number of people visiting the islands.
However, as restrictions ease, so the impact on traveller is now starting to be felt, with passengers travelling with Easyjet being informed of restrictions being put in place in a number of hotels within the Balearics - limiting them to three alcoholic drinks at both lunch and dinner. As above, it should be noted that these restrictions are only in place in certain areas.
Should you be looking to travel to the Balearics and are unsure on what the changes mean for you, feel free to get in touch with our sales team who will be happy to help.