Now party isle Ibiza calls for end to ‘mass tourism’

IT’S known as the party island among the more hedonistic of the hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers who head there every year.

But the party could soon be over in Ibiza after locals, fed up with rowdy resorts, became the latest to join anti-tourism protests spreading through Spain’s resorts.

Activist group Prou Eivissa (Enough Ibiza) said it was ‘in no way against British tourism’ but it was fighting against the ‘type of tourism attracted to our island’.

The Balearic isle, along with its sister island Formentera to the south, is a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Yet despite officials working to promote it as a family-friendly destination, it is primarily known for its nightlife and as a result the island has often struggled with its image. In January 2020, the Parliament of the Balearic Islands introduced a total ban on the sale of alcohol between 9.30pm and 8am in an attempt to crack down on ‘low quality’ tourism in Llucmajor, Palma and Calvia in Mallorca and San Antonio in Ibiza.

It also banned party boats from being within one nautical mile of any of these destinations, and from picking up and disembarking passengers in the areas.

British tourists have also been warned they could face hefty fines following the introduction of tougher new sanctions for bad behaviour.

But Prou Eivissa is calling for further restrictions and has asked for residents to take to the streets on May 24.

It comes after similar demonstrations were seen in other popular destinations such as Tenerife where locals went on hunger strike to voice their anger.

In Menorca, graffiti has sprung up on walls telling tourists to ‘go home’, while in Marbella last year, tyres on cars with British number plates were slashed.

Prou Eivissa spokesman Xaquelina Ana Perry said: ‘We are in no way against British tourism, on the contrary.

‘ We welcome anybody who wants to enjoy our local culture, gastronomy, local traditions, beautiful beaches and coves.

‘We are only against the massification of the type of tourism attracted to our island.’

She added: The island is saturated, especially with illegal renting and our 572 square kilometres cannot take any more.’

In a statement, Prou Eivissa said it was campaigning for officials to introduce a law that limits vehicle entries, as well as a set of measures that ensure ‘ the maintenance of the tourist moratorium, incentives for hoteliers to reduce capacity... protect residents and crack down on illegal renting’.