The Spanish holiday island of Menorca is threatening to ban tourists from a popular holiday village after authorities issued a night-time alcohol ban.
A Menorca holiday village, Binibeca Vell, often referred to as the ‘Spanish Mykonos’, has threatened to ban all tourists. This is reported by the Daily Mail.
The local government of the Balearic Islands previously introduced a ban on the sale of alcohol from 9:30 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. to crack down on so-called “cheap tourism.”
This ban applies in particular to late-night sales of alcohol in commercial establishments in Llucmajor, Palma and Calvia in Mallorca and in Sant Antoni in Ibiza.
The town of Binibeca Vell, which is particularly popular with British tourists, is expecting around a million visitors this year and local residents have publicly complained about bad behavior among visitors.
As the Daily Mail reports, last year tourists were asked to only visit the village, which is particularly known for its unique whitewashed walls, between 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. Some residents claimed tourists were “entering houses,” “sitting on chairs,” and “climbing our walls.”
Óscar Monge, who represents the group of 195 owners of the holiday village, told the Guardian: “Binibeca Vell is not an adventure playground, but a private housing estate where people live.” If the authorities continue to neglect the residents, there could be one in August Vote to be held on whether the village should be closed to tourists.
The government provided around 15,000 euros last year to deal with waste disposal, but this agreement was not renewed. Begoña Mercadal, head of Menorca’s tourism office, told El Diario newspaper that residents would be allowed to close their village to tourists if they wished.
New tougher sanctions have been introduced and improper behavior could result in stiff penalties. The mayor of Palma, the capital of Mallorca, Jaime Martínez, said that one of the main tasks of his term was to “correct uncivilized behavior”. This applies equally to holidaymakers and locals.
It is not the first time that locals have defended themselves against tourists. A community on Mallorca is already on the verge of collapse in May.
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