Authorities in Palma, the capital of Mallorca (Balearic Islands), have announced plans for a sweeping ban on new tourist rentals across the city — as well as prohibitions on party boats and the opening of any new youth hostels.
The proposal was recently unveiled by Palma’s Mayor, Jaime Martínez of the right-wing People’s Party (PP), alongside First Deputy Mayor for Tourism, Javier Bonet.
At present, Palma has 639 legally registered tourist rental units located in single-family homes — a figure that will now become the maximum limit. No new permits will be issued, and once an existing rental closes, it will not be replaced.
Tourist lets in apartment buildings are already forbidden, though illegal rentals remain widespread.
The measure, which has already received support from the left-wing Podemos group, is expected to take effect ‘as soon as possible’. It will apply to the entire municipal area of Palma.
Martínez also confirmed a joint commitment between the City Council and the Balearic Islands Port Authority (APB) to outlaw party boats operating along the Paseo Marítimo, Palma’s main seafront promenade. These vessels, which run mainly in summer, have long drawn complaints from residents over noise and crowd disturbances.
The mayor further reiterated a pre-existing ban on new youth hostels and said there was a need to ‘reconvert existing hostels that the left has approved over the past eight years’, describing them as ‘places disguised as youth hostels that operate as low-class hotels’.
All current hostels in Palma will therefore be inspected to ensure they are complying with their authorised activities.
Martínez added that tourism in the city is already evolving and that recent strategies are showing results.
He cited figures showing a drop in seasonal dependence – with tourist seasonality in Palma down 2.01% over the past two years and 4.57% compared with 2018, a record year before the pandemic.
This shift has been accompanied by a roughly 15% rise in tourist spending, which Martínez said ‘demonstrates a change in the quality’ of Palma’s tourism industry. ALSO READ: Spain sets new tourism record with 22.3 million foreign visitors in July-August.
According to data from an Exceltur report presented by the mayor, illegal tourist accommodation in the Balearic capital has also declined. The number of tourist rental properties available in August fell by 17.4% year-on-year.
Mallorca has been among the Spanish regions hit hardest by overtourism, sparking a wave of anti-tourism demonstrations over the past two years. ALSO READ: Thousands protest against over-tourism in Barcelona & Mallorca, many with water pistols.
Local residents have expressed growing anger over tourist rentals inflating housing prices and worsening the shortage of homes for locals. ALSO READ: Málaga keeps commitment to suspend new tourist flat licences for three years.
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❌ Prohibición del alquiler turístico en todas sus modalidades.
❌ El fin de las party boats en el Paseo Marítimo
❌ Prohibición de nuevos alberguesMedidas anunciadas hoy por Jaime Martínez Llabrés para avanzar en la apuesta por la calidad, la oferta legal y la sostenibilidad pic.twitter.com/xDtwq9z1Mp
— PP Palma (@popularespalma) October 14, 2025
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