ALL-IN DEALS TO MAGALUF ARE ALL OUT
Free hotel drinks banned to curb the louts
A BAN on all-inclusive holidays will be imposed in Magaluf in a bid to clean up the resort.
Council chiefs in the Majorcan party town fear boozy tourists running riot have given the resort a bad name.
Travel agents have reported a 49% drop in searches for trips to the former hotspot.
And police have struggled to stem the rise in muggings by African women who pose as prostitutes to pray on drunks.
At a meeting this week, Calvià council said it believed culling “drunkenness tourism” was the answer to winning back the holidaymakers.
That means any free alcohol – including drinks in hotels that come with all-inclusive packages – will be banned.
A council spokesman said: “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.
“One of the actions 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.”
A bar owner, who asked not to be named, told the Daily Star Sunday: “It’s true that Magaluf attracts opportunist criminals because it is known for its excessive drinkers and vulnerable people.
“There’s obviously going to be a debate over this.
“To us, excessive drinking doesn’t mean people can’t get drunk and have a good time. But taking steps to stop the all-youcan-drink offers in bars and at the all-inclusive hotels makes sense.”
ABTA, the body Britain’s travel agents, wrote of the importance of all-inclusive holidays to holidaymakers.
It said: “The all-inclusive packages perform particularly well as holidaymakers look to manage their budgets in light of the continuing uncertainty around Brexit and a volatile GBP.
“Almost a quarter of people (23%) are thinking of taking an all-inclusive holiday in 2018, with young families particularly for attracted to this type of holiday, 34% of whom expect to take one in 2018.”
Magaluf ’s fortunes have been in steady decline since antics were exposed in 2014 when a girl was filmed performing 24 sex acts for a free drink. In April, photos from the Easter weekend showed the once-busy Punta Ballena strip with just a handful of drinkers sitting outside the neonlit pubs. Calvià council added: “An information campaign for hotel and leisure establishments has taken place, reminding them of the responsibilities they have when serving alcoholic beverages to their customers.”