Legislation

Balearic bar ban

The Balearic Islands have passed a bill which limits the sale and promotion of alcohol in certain tourist-heavy areas.

The regional government said that the law would “force a real change in the tourism model of those destinations”.

The legislation bans happy hours, pub crawls and two-for-one drink offers, prohibits the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am and forbids advertising party boats in designated areas. It will apply to San Antonio on Ibiza and El Arenal and Magaluf on Mallorca.

Tour operators have expressed concerns about the impact on the all-inclusive market. TUI said: “As the leading package holiday operator to destinations including the Balearics, we’re involved in discussions on the proposals to introduce restrictions on all-inclusive holidays in the region.

“We’re open to engaging with the authorities to tackle any issues surrounding alcohol consumption and inappropriate behaviour. We don't, however, accept that all inclusive resorts are part of the problem and the data we have seen doesn’t support that suggestion.”