"It is impossible to put an end to illegal tourist offers." This is how emphatic a Mallorca Council inspector, who requests anonymity, is in conversation with ARA Balears. She knows firsthand the work of the 26 inspectors of this island institution, who monitor both regulated and unregulated offers. According to this source's account, it is much easier to detect infractions by licensed owners than to sanction those who operate outside the system. "It's not at all easy to prove there's an illegal offer," she points out: "They're very clever." In this regard, she warns that, although fines have been toughened, her perception is that "very many procedures expire."

The PSIB-PSOE has questioned the data provided by the Consell de Mallorca on the removal of illegal ads on Airbnb and has accused its president, Llorenç Galmés, of exaggerating the figures.

The platform Airbnb has removed more than 60,000 illegal tourist rental spaces in the Illes Balears during this legislature, according to the island councils and the Government in the framework of the policy to combat irregular supply. The figure was highlighted by the President of the Government, Marga Prohens, during her speech at the Fira de Turisme de Menorca, held in Alaior.

The Mallorcan band The Deaf Buffalos has released a new song, a direct and frontal attack on Airbnb and its consequences for the island of Mallorca and its inhabitants. Titled God bless AirbnbThe group includes lines and verses like "don't go to the beach, let the foreigner go, he's the king of the island, he's the one who gives us our bread," making a reference to tourist rentals. In fact, this is also the central theme of the music video, where the band members are seen in front of ETV signs, the identifying mark for properties intended for tourist rentals.

The Consell de Mallorca's inspection campaign against illegal tourist accommodation has resulted in the removal of more than 4,400 tourist rental listings that lacked any registration number, eliminating over 20,000 beds from the market. The Island Councillor for Tourism, José Marcial Rodríguez, gave an update on Wednesday regarding the latest inspection campaign against illegal accommodation in Mallorca, which began on May 15th and continued until last week. In his remarks, Rodríguez emphasized the importance of the agreements reached with platforms like Airbnb and Holidu to combat illegal offerings, an activity that, as he stressed, is "unfair" and "very damaging" to the sector. "This is a decisive step, especially since the platforms remain committed to continuing to deactivate any unauthorized or illegal listings," the Island Councillor for Tourism affirmed. According to data released this Wednesday, the Inspection and Sanction Service concluded the summer campaign with a total of 3,043 actions, 19.1% more than last year, when the campaign lasted one month less than this year's. The actions carried out by the 27 inspectors of the service focused on illegal tourism offerings. Specifically, 1,659 targeted illegal offerings, and the remaining 1,384 targeted legal ones. The total number of actions is triple that of the 2023 campaign, when this plan was launched, while this latest campaign was similar to that of 2024, Rodríguez indicated, who also highlighted the improvements in managing the inspection process and reducing response times. Regarding the ongoing investigations into illegal tourist rentals, the Minister of Tourism also commented that the Holidu platform, with which the Consell (Island Council) reached a collaboration agreement, now only advertises legal properties on its website. "Collaboration, rather than confrontation, is the way to guarantee compliance with regulations and strengthen the quality of life for residents," he emphasized. During the campaign, the inspection service issued 144 violation reports against illegal listings and 138 reports against legal listings. He specified that 9.2% of inspector visits resulted in a report. The inspection team also focused its efforts on ensuring compliance with the law in establishments. Rodríguez commented that of the 102 establishments that have been asked to provide the necessary accreditation, 20% of the documentation has already been reviewed, and the compliance rate is 100%. Another line of action for this service, he said, concerns adjustable beds, with a campaign involving 100 establishments, 77 of which have already submitted the required documentation for review. In this regard, he reminded hotels that they have until 2028 to demonstrate compliance with the regulations. "The implemented plan is working."

"The implemented plan works. It is the right one despite the many voices that criticized it, and it allows us to fight against illegal offerings," argued the head of Tourism, who highlighted the 180 cases opened throughout the year and the 221 resolved. Regarding the total proposed amount for the open cases, this has been 10.05 million euros, more than double the amount proposed in 2024. "It complies with regulations and the law," he asserted.

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The Mallorcan municipalities of Santanyí, Alcúdia, and Felanitx are among the ten most popular destinations for Spanish families on Airbnb. According to data from the platform, Santanyí is the third most popular destination; Alcúdia, the fourth, and Felanitx, the eighth. The remaining destinations are, in this order: La Oliva, Toledo, Santa Pola, Níjar, Monachil, Denia, and Alcalá de Xivert.

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