The Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez Llabrés, has announced the ban on new tourist rental places throughout the city “in all its forms.” According to the mayor, the City Council already has ready a modification of the General Plan that will make this limitation effective. Currently, 639 tourist homes have authorisation in Palma, and no new licences will be granted. Furthermore, if any of these are deregistered, no new places may be opened to replace them.
This measure is part of the municipal strategy to strengthen the quality of the destination, combat illegal supply, and move towards a comprehensive revaluation of Palma as a tourism benchmark, Martínez Llabrés stressed.
The mayor also announced the ban on opening new hostels and the conversion of existing ones, since many operate as “low-category hotels.” Likewise, “party boats” will be banned along the entire Passeig Marítim from next year. “The Port of Palma is a key infrastructure for the city and, therefore, its integration must be complete — and this integration must include the ban on ‘party boats’,” he emphasised.
Less seasonality and higher tourist spending
Meanwhile, Martínez Llabrés highlighted that Palma has managed to reduce tourism seasonality by 2.01% over the past two years and by 4.57% compared to 2018, the record year before the pandemic. In addition, the average spending per visitor has increased by 15%, which demonstrates, according to the mayor, a positive change in the quality of both the offer and the visitor.
The mayor also pointed out an improvement in the city’s hotel category, with a decline in 1- to 3-star accommodation and a rise in higher-level establishments.
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