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A Spanish city has enforced a ban on any new tourist rentals in a crackdown on illegal lets in the popular holiday hotspot.
The mayor of the Mallorcan city, Palma, Jaime Martínez Llabrés, announced on Tuesday 14 October, that all types of tourist rentals will be prohibited to try to combat illegal accommodation and promote quality tourism in the city.
This does not mean that holidaymakers will not be able to stay in holiday lets at all, as 639 tourist rental properties have been authorised in Palma and will be able to continue hosting guests.
Martínez Llabrés noted that if one of these tourist rental properties shuts down, however, no new properties can be registered in their place.
The ban on tourist rentals will be introduced as soon as possible, but no specific date has yet been announced.
The mayor said that there has already been a significant reduction in homes on the tourist rental market, with a 17.4 per cent drop in Palma last August, compared to an average 3.7 per cent drop in the 25 main Spanish cities.
"Our commitment to quality has led us to this reduction," Mr Martínez Llabrés said.
Other tourism management measures were also announced alongside the ban, including opening new hostels and converting existing ones "into an option that is not harmful to the city”.
They also announced a ban on party boats along the entire Passeig Marítim, which will come into effect next year.
The number of tourists in Palma has decreased by 2.01 per cent in the last two years, and by 4.57 per cent compared to 2018, before the pandemic.
Martínez Llabrés pointed out that despite the dip in numbers, there had been an increase in tourist spending of around 15 per cent, which "demonstrates a change in the trend in quality”.
He said that there has already been an improvement in hotel quality in Palma, with a significant reduction of one to three-star establishments in favour of those with higher ratings.
"We are noticing a change in quality — in the offering and visitor profile — and a reduction in seasonality, a result of our commitment to quality, the changing tourist profile, the line of work being carried out, and all the aspects the Palma 365 Foundation is working on," he said, referring to the organisation working to improve tourism in the city.
Residents in Palma have continued to speak out against tourist lets, as a number have resorted to living in caravans after being priced out of the housing market by landlords preferring to rent to tourists.
This trend has led to demonstrations over the past few years in the city, as anti-overtourism protestors say the housing crisis has continued to worsen.
Read more: Locals in Mallorca resort to living in caravans as overtourism pushes up rent
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