The magazine Mallorca Global Mag, Winter Edition 2024-2025, opens its pages with an extensive report on tourist overcrowding in Mallorca. A close-up in which the problem of excessive tourism is addressed and the island is compared to other destinations like Málaga, Venice, Santorini, or Bali. For this reason, we had an exclusive conversation with the Mallorcan Rosario Sánchez Grau, Secretary of State for Tourism.
Rosario Sánchez. Photo: Ministry of Industry and Tourism.
– Do you think limits should be placed on tourism on the island?
– Any economic activity makes sense if it improves general welfare. The tourism model we will always defend from the Government of Spain is the one that brings advantages from the social, environmental, and economic perspectives. Our goal is to select a committed tourist and extend the season, and that is what we work on within our competencies. In the specific case of Mallorca, I believe it is more than clear that there is a general consensus that there should be limits, and a sense of overcrowding at certain moments that also goes against the tourist experience. But the ones with the competencies to regulate supply are the Govern and the Consell, and citizens are demanding bold measures.
– Where should we start to address the problem of overcrowding?
– The autonomous communities and municipalities are the competent authorities in tourism and urban planning management, and these administrations are responsible for making decisions adapted to the needs of each territory, because what may be a threat to one destination may be an opportunity for another. During the last two legislatures, the Govern of Francina Armengol made significant progress in steering towards a triply sustainable tourism model in Balears. The islands were pioneers with debates and measures that are now being applied in other territories.
– Are you aware of any measures from other destinations that you think could work in Mallorca?
– Mallorca, and Balears in general, are known for being brave destinations when it comes to making decisions. Today, not only in other destinations in Spain, but also abroad, the implementation of tourist taxes, regulation of tourist rentals, moratoriums on spaces, limiting the arrival of cruise ships, or regulating vehicle entry in Formentera or Eivissa – which, although it is being legislated now, is not a new proposal – are being discussed. From 2015 to 2023, the course was set, and the best proof that these measures were necessary is the 180-degree turn that the PP has made with its discourse on tourism policy in less than a year.
– What specific measures are being considered to reduce the impact of overcrowding in the short and long term?
– The Government of Spain has launched the largest investment in the history of this country in tourism policy, taking into account – I insist – that the competencies to govern the supply have been transferred to the autonomous communities. For the last three years, the Plan for Modernization and Competitiveness of the Tourism Sector has been underway, with an investment of 3.4 billion euros for destinations and companies to de-seasonalize, diversify, decentralize, and digitize tourism. The goal is to better distribute the burdens and benefits of tourism, which are numerous and very valuable for the entire tourism ecosystem. Tourism has undeniable economic value. We are global leaders, we want to be the most sustainable tourist destination in the world, and we want it to truly be an injection of prosperity that reaches all families.
– How can a balance be guaranteed between the economic interests of the tourism sector and the quality of life for residents?
– With a regulatory framework adapted to each reality and cooperation at all levels of administration and also public-private cooperation. We must move from a model focused on maximizing business profits to one that maximizes people’s well-being. At the last meeting of the Spanish Tourism Council, we unanimously approved a Declaration in Support of Tourism, and this is important because it commits all tourism agents, both public and private, to work towards a model that generates wealth and well-being for the whole society. We have reached a consensus that seemed impossible some time ago; now we must work together to take advantage of it.
💡 Access the full report “Mallorca: from excess tourism to excessive tourism”.
💡 Continue reading: Interview with the Minister of Tourism of the Govern, Jaume Bauzà.
Leave A Comment