Magaluf is set to ban all-inclusive deals with free alcohol in a bid to clean up the Spanish holiday resort’s image.
Council chiefs in the town believe drunken tourists are giving the region a bad name – and travel agents gave reported a 49 per cent drop in searches to Magaluf.
At a meeting this week, Calvià council said it believes a crackdown on ‘drunkenness tourism’ is the answer to bringing back holidaymakers, the Daily Star reports.
As a result, the council – which covers 18 tourist zones – is banning free alcohol, including drinks that are part of all-inclusive packages in hotels.
Magaluf is set to ban all-inclusive deals with free alcohol in a bid to clean up the Spanish holiday resort’s image. File photo
‘The town hall of Calvià is taking measures, from the beginning of the legislature, to put a halt to drunkenness tourism whose culture is basically the excessive consumption of alcohol that comes from aggressive offers made by some bars and establishments,’ a council spokesman said.
He added that one of the measures that has been carried out ‘is to request that the all-inclusive offer is regulated in the sense that it ought to include quality parameters, and that the consumption of free alcohol is eliminated.’
Police in the party resort have struggled to stop a rise in muggings by women posing as prostitutes who prey on drunk tourists.
A local bar owner, who asked not to be named, said he agrees that Magaluf attracts ‘opportunist criminals’ because the party resort is known for excessive drinking.
‘To us, excessive drinking doesn’t mean people can’t get drunk and have a good time,’ he told the Daily Star.
Council chiefs in the town believe drunken tourists are giving the region a bad name. File photo
Calvià council said it believes a crackdown on ‘drunkenness tourism’ is the answer to bringing back holidaymakers. File photo
‘But taking steps to stop the all-you-can-drink offers in bars and at the all-inclusive hotels makes sense.’
However, the ABTA, the body for Britain’s travel agents, says all-inclusive holidays are incredibly important for holidaymakers looking to manage their budgets – especially in light of the continuing uncertainty around Brexit.
A spokesman said 23 per cent of people are thinking of taking an all-inclusive holiday this year – with young families especially attracted to this kind of deal.
Magaluf has long been a magnet for young Brits hoping to take advantage of the resort’s cheap alcohol and raucous nightlife.
But its reputation for seediness has grown in recent years – after a girl was filmed performing numerous sex acts for a free drinks.
Just last month, four British tourists were arrested accused of starting a major fire in a hotel after allegedly trying to wake a friend with a makeshift flame-thrower while drunk.