MAGA BOOZE JOY

All-inclusive drinks axe given the boot

HOTEL bosses in Magaluf and Ibiza sighed with relief last night as it was revealed strict rules curbing all-inclusive boozing will not become law.

Tourism chiefs have spent two years on legislation to restrict free-flowing drink in hotels to meal times only on the holiday isles to stop “uncivil behaviour”.

But the Balearic Islands’ government is running out of time to push it through as its parliament will be dissolved in April, shelving several items of legislation.

And these include the feared rules for all-inclusive hotels which, if brought in, would have meant people paying extra outside of the dining room.

Tourism chiefs have blamed all-inclusive hotels for a culture of anti-social and drunken behaviour.

But The Hotel Federation of Ibiza and Formentera argued tourists intent on getting drunk would head elsewhere and that curbing the flow of alcohol in allinclusive hotels was not the right solution.

They also raised doubts if it was even lawful to bring in the measure.

A federation spokesman said: “You cannot restrict the freedom of some companies to favour others. It is an unacceptable measure.”

The Association of British Travel Agents has also slammed the controversial controls.

When the proposal was first put forward a spokesman said: “We have written to the tourism minister and asked for any evidence that allinclusive holidays are a significant cause of the problems that these plans are intended to address.

“This is not the experience that we have of all-inclusive holidays.”

There are about 270 allinclusive establishments in the Balearics.