Three years of proposals from society against saturation without response
The Government has not applied any forceful measures to reduce the impact of touristification this legislature and announcements such as the increase in the ITS and the tax on rental cars have not moved forward
PalmaThe Government presented its package of measures to contain tourist saturation on March 7, 2025. Among the announced initiatives were the increase of the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) during the high season and the creation of a tax on rental vehicles. A few months earlier, in the general policy debate, President Marga Prohens had also announced an increase in the water levy for large consumers. None of these initiatives have materialized. The limitation of vehicle entry to Mallorca, one of the bets of the President of the Council, Llorenç Galmés, is still pending parliamentary processing.
The Pact for Sustainability was to be the great space for consensus between institutions and economic and social agents to define containment measures. But its mechanism has been distorted over time and most civil society entities abandoned it under accusations of lack of transparency and participation. In fact, the Government has reduced meetings to occasional gatherings of the Social Dialogue Table.
In this context, citizen mobilizations have once again filled the streets and demanded forceful actions in the face of saturation. During this legislature, unions, employers' associations, environmental entities, and social organizations have put dozens of proposals on the table regarding housing, mobility, tourist places, and territory. These are some of the main ones – many come from the Tourism congress organized by the Civil Society Forum in 2024.
Housing
Intervene in the market and prioritize its residential use
The difficulty in accessing housing is the main point of agreement between very diverse entities. The consensus is that tourist pressure has contributed to reducing the residential supply and driving up prices, to the point where having a job no longer guarantees being able to live in the Islands. GOB and Terraferida propose declaring Mallorca a tensioned zone to intervene in the market and prioritize the residential use of housing. They also suggest that administrations buy tourist places to eliminate them and recover housing for the resident population. Both these entities and the Hotel Business Federation of Mallorca (FEHM) agree on the need to intensify the fight against illegal tourist rentals, with more inspections and sanctions. For their part, CCOO advocates for allocating a portion of the income from the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) to expand the affordable housing stock. The platform Menys Turisme, Més Vida proposes that empty homes be mobilized so that people can live in them.
Offer
End tourist rentals and maintain the 2x1 system
The GOB and Terraferida go beyond the FEHM's demands and call for the progressive elimination of tourist rentals until their total prohibition. In line with containing supply, CCOO demands a moratorium on new places and the gradual dismantling of obsolete supply. For its part, the Gabriel Alomar Foundation is committed to lowering the legal ceiling of places set by island planning, an initiative shared with Menys Turisme, Més Vida, and recovering the 2x1 system, which conditions the creation of a new place on the elimination of two existing ones. Menys Turisme, Més Vida emphasizes that tourist promotion by institutions must end and calls for a large reduction in organizations such as the Balearic Islands Tourist Strategy Agency and the Mallorca Tourism Foundation.
Demand
Increase the VAT in summer and link it to the room price
Regarding initiatives on tourist demand, the increase of the Sustainable Tourism Tax (ITS) is a key element that generates consensus, except among sectors such as the hotel industry. CCOO proposes to raise it during the summer months – a measure announced by the Government, but not yet implemented – and calls for a portion of the revenue to be allocated to housing policies and labor improvements. For its part, the employers' association PIMEM (Mallorca's Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) requests to replace the current fixed rate with a percentage of the actual cost of accommodation, thus linking the tax to the room price. Unlike the union, the employers' association argues that the ITS must be strictly earmarked and focus, above all, on environmental projects. As for cruise tourism, Menys Turisme, Més Vida (Less Tourism, More Life) calls for an increase in their fees, the establishment of a non-negotiable limit on arrivals, and a total prohibition of megacruiser dockings.
Mobility
Put limits on rental cars and promote public transport
In this area is one of the proposals closest to materializing: the limitation of vehicle entry in Mallorca and Menorca, following the model already applied in Formentera and Ibiza. Regarding rental cars, PIMEM points out that the sector is distorted due to large multinationals, which use the activity to position brands in the vehicle sales market instead of providing a service to tourists; therefore, the employers' association demands the prohibition of these operators.
On the other hand, GOB, Terraferida, and the Gabriel Alomar Foundation agree in demanding a firm boost to public transport. The FEHM shares the need for improvement and requests more connections with Palma airport, but adds demands such as more investment in roads and the creation of a single taxi district. Finally, focusing on the impact and emissions of air traffic, the platform Menys Turisme, Més Vida proposes that the State implement a reduction in airport operations, prohibit night flights, and move towards co-management of airports, while also asking the Government to guarantee sufficient places and more investment in public transport for residents.
Territory and environment
Protect rural land and repeal harmful regulations
Environmental organizations consider it a priority and urgent to protect the rural land of the Balearic Islands. GOB and Terraferida demand a ban on new buildings and swimming pools in the countryside, as well as the repeal of regulations that leave the territory unprotected, such as the Law of Administrative Simplification (known as the Omnibus Law) approved by PP and Vox in Parliament. Regarding the management of natural resources, the platform Menys Turisme, Més Vida demands that, during periods of drought, water cuts be applied as a priority to large consumers – hotels, golf courses, and large villas with swimming pools – before the resident population. Along similar lines, the Fundació Gabriel Alomar requests that these large consumers be obliged to replace drinking water with regenerated water, while also advocating for a halt to the expansion of ports, especially that of Palma. For its part, the FEHM proposes that the funds collected through the ITS be directly allocated to cover the structural deficiencies of the water cycle.
Diversification and work
Avoid industrial estates being used for commercial activities and further training
One of the proposals collected by the Civil Society Forum has been that industrial estates should be used for industry and R&D, and not for commercial and speculative activities. In any case, at this point it is essential to reduce the Islands' dependence on the tourist monoculture.
Regarding the situation of workers in the Islands, CCOO regrets that the wealth generated by the tourism model does not translate into their working conditions and calls for more vocational training. The FEHM recalls that a factor that affects workers' well-being is the extension of the season, which also allows for more stable employment.