Holidaymakers hoping for a relaxed break are ‘not welcome’ in Magaluf, with tough new laws to tackle binge drinking – reports Rebecca Barry A group of topless British men drinking beer at the wolf whistle, start chanting and then throw a t-shirt at me. Welcome to Magaluf. While the infamous Majorca resort has long attracted these kind of ‘brisk Brits’, they are no longer welcome here and the Spanish authorities are making that very clear. We are on patrol with armed police officers tasked with enforcing tough new laws to deal with excessive drinking. The legislation targets several resorts in the Balearic Islands: Magaluf and Playa de Palma in Majorca and San Antonio in Ibiza. Hotels along the resort town of Magaluf on the Spanish island of Majorca. Credit: ITV News In these areas, happy hours, 2-for-1 drink deals, parties and pub crawls are now prohibited. While shops can no longer sell alcohol between 9.30 p.m. and 8 a.m. A local policeman tells me that British tourists come here and want to “go crazy”, but he thinks they should be more respectful. And as night falls we see it for ourselves. At 02:00 on Magaluf’s infamous strip, the atmosphere is charged, groups crowd the streets, going from bar to bar. I see teenagers so drunk they can’t stand up. Thrown bottles on the beach. Party-loving Brits are urged to look elsewhere for a tasty holiday. Credit: ITV News Officers from both the local police and the heavily armed Guardia Civil patrol regularly, on constant alert. We follow them as they receive a call to help a girl who has collapsed outside a nightclub. Finally, an ambulance is called and she is taken away on a stretcher. It is this dangerous debauchery that the authorities want to stop. Balearic Islands Tourism Minister Iago Negueruela says they ‘must act’ on British tourists’ drunken behavior The laws were passed just before the pandemic in 2020, so this is the first tourist season they are being tested. Several facilities have already been shut down for violating the rules. The law also states that bars and clubs must not objectify or overly sexualize women in an attempt to attract customers. The regional government says it is determined to curb excessive drinking and degrading treatment of women. A British woman, on holiday with her friends, told me she feels much safer here now, compared to her last visit in 2018. The resort has become a top destination for those looking for a boozy break. Credit: ITV News But a group of 18-year-old men from Reading tell me they are disappointed that there is now a legal limit of six drinks a day in all-inclusive hotels. “This is a party location,” one boy tells me. “The Spanish government must accept this. These places will go out of business if you try to change the image of Magaluf.” But the tourism minister for the Balearic Islands, Iago Negueruela, tells us they “had to act”. “We are a showcase for international tourism. British tourism in Magaluf was not the image we wanted our islands to give to the rest of the world. Our islands are not for that kind of tourism, we had to stamp out that behaviour.” In the mountains above Magaluf, the deputy mayor, Natividad Francés, tells me it’s not just for the sake of residents, but for the safety of young tourists. When I ask her if British tourists planning a boozy holiday are still welcome here, she says flatly “no!” Natividad Francés says British tourists looking for a tasteful holiday should look elsewhere as they are not welcome in Magaluf In recent years, some major hotel chains have invested millions of pounds in luxury hotels in Magaluf, which have now been rebranded as Calvia. So it is very much in their interest to attract a different type of tourist. Maria Cerda from the Mallorca Hotels Federation tells us it’s about ‘quality’ over quantity when it comes to British tourists. “We want to welcome Brits who focus on the real Mallorca,” he says. However, some businesses that have relied on Magulaf’s party tourism for decades strongly disagree. Ander Carerra’s family have owned their shop on the Magaluf strip for 30 years, but they are no longer allowed to sell alcohol after 9.30pm. The strict new rules seek to curb excessive alcohol consumption. Credit: ITV New Ander tells me he is worried about the future of his business because their earnings have been cut in half. “We have to do something” he tells me “otherwise we will die”. Meanwhile others believe the authorities should go even further. Kevin Martin has been DJ’ing here since the 90’s. “The British are the worst at drinking. It’s the best year ever for fighting illegal behaviour, but there’s still a long way to go.” ‘Coming to Spain is the whole point’ – young British holidaymakers say rules will stop people from coming to party island There is still a steady stream of people hoping that Magaluf will always live up to its name. In the words of one teenage boy: “I think coming to Spain is the whole point. “Why come to Spain if you’re not going to get drunk. If they’re going to change that image, so many people aren’t going to come here and spend money on booze.” Magaluf’s tourism brand has been established for decades, so any attempt to change it will inevitably take time. But a decisive purge is underway, regardless of whether everyone is “ready” or not.
