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A Spanish city has banned any new tourist rentals in a crackdown on illegal rentals in the popular holiday hotspot.
Mayor of the City of Mallorca, palmaJaime Martínez Labres announced on Tuesday 14 October that all types of tourist rentals will be banned in order to combat illegal accommodation and boost quality. Tourism In the city.
This does not mean that holidaymakers will not be able to stay at all, as 639 tourist rental properties in Palma have been authorized and will be able to continue hosting guests.
Martínez Labres said that if one of these tourist rental properties closes, no new properties can be registered in their place.
The ban on tourist rentals will be implemented as soon as possible, but no specific date has been announced yet.
The mayor said there was already a significant decline in homes in the tourist rental market, with a 17.4 percent decline in Palma last August, while the 25 main Spanish cities saw an average decline of 3.7 percent.
“Our commitment to quality has led us to this reduction,” said Mr. Martínez LaBresse.
Along with the ban, new tourism management measures were also announced hostel and converting existing alternatives “to an alternative that is not detrimental to the city”.
He also announced a ban on party boats in the entire Passeig Maritim, which will come into effect next year.
The number of tourists in Palma has decreased by 2.01 percent over the past two years, and by 4.57 percent compared to 2018 before the pandemic.
Martínez Labres reported that despite the decline in numbers, tourist spending had increased by about 15 percent, which “reflects a change in the quality trend”.
He said the quality of hotels in Palma had already improved, with a significant reduction of one- to three-star establishments in favor of higher-rated ones.
“We are seeing a change in quality – in the offer and visitor profile – and a reduction in seasonality, which is reflected in our commitment to quality, the changing tourist profile, the line of work being done and all aspects of the Palma 365 Foundation,” he said, referring to the organization working to improve tourism in the city.
Residents of Palma continue to speak out against allowing tourists, as many have resorted to staying caravan after paying price Landlords are preferring to rent to tourists.
This trend has led to demonstrations in the city over the years anti-overtourism protesters It is said that the housing crisis is getting worse.
Read more: Locals in Majorca prefer to live in caravans as excessive tourism drives up rents