Palma will ban new tourist rental properties

Palma will ban all new tourist rental properties of all types, the mayor of Ciutat de Palma, Jaime Martínez, announced this Tuesday. Thus, "any offer that is not currently authorized and legalized will be prohibited, and no new tourist rental properties will be able to be registered," he emphasized. However, he clarified that the 639 tourist rental properties in Palma will continue to exist, but stressed that "if they are deregistered, they cannot be registered again."

Martínez assured that this initiative "is already prepared" and hoped it will be implemented "as soon as possible." With the aim of "further reinforcing the commitment to quality and legal services," he said he will prohibit "the opening of any type of hostel in any neighborhood of Palma" and explained that the City Council and the Palma 365 Foundation—which until now was dedicated only to tourism promotion, but will also assume its management—will attempt to "reconvert." In this regard, he clarified that existing shelters will continue to operate, "but they will also be subject to inspection."

Ban on party boats

Court also seeks to ban party boats on Palma's Paseo Marítim, a "requirement" that Cort has already communicated to the Port Authority of Palma, according to Martínez. "The Port Authority has changed its way of understanding the city and understands that the integration of the port and Palma must be total. This implies prohibiting the party boats. If we need to take further steps, we will. As a City Council, we have the tools to do so, and if not, we will ask the Government to do so legislatively," he emphasized. These three measures reflect the municipal institution's intention to "promote compatibility between residents and tourists," he explained.

Trend Changes

Along these lines, he asserted that this year there has been a change in the tourist profile trend and also a reduction of almost 5 percent in seasonality. Thus, he emphasized that in 2025, tourist spending will have increased by "more than 15 percent" compared to 2023. "We have tourists with greater purchasing power, and this is evident in different sectors of the city," he insisted.

However, not only has the trend of visitors and their spending changed, but so has the hotel sector, which, according to Martínez, has been converted. "The number of hotels below three stars has been reduced by 50 percent, and we have gone from 41 to 95 four-star hotels, from 2 to 14 four-star superior hotels, from 5 to 26 five-star hotels, and from 2 to 5 five-star superior hotels," he stated.

Martínez stated that in the last two years, according to data from Exceltur, "there are signs of an elimination of illegal tourist housing in Palma." While it represents 3.7% of the statewide rentals (in the 25 cities studied), illegal rentals in Palma have decreased.

He noted that the City Council is working to create a tourism and demographic analysis center for Palma, which will be up and running in the first quarter of the year. He also announced that, following his recent trip to Vitoria, "a pilot project will be contracted to manage data and complete the incorporation of new technologies into the digital district and this control center," the first with the new civic ordinance in place. "It has served to announce that we will be inflexible with the incivility of those who visit us," he emphasized.

The Cort Urban Planning Department has also approved the construction permit for a 72-unit limited-price apartment building on Francisca Bosch Street, located in the Pil·larí neighborhood.

This project will include 540 square meters (m²) of healthcare facilities and a 330-m² garden terrace. Most of the homes will have one or two bedrooms, with floor areas ranging from 50 to 75 m², respectively.

Approval has also been given for various types of licenses for the conversion of eleven commercial premises in different areas of the city to residential use. The Historic Center Commission has also approved two intervention projects aimed at improving the state of conservation of the Flassaders buildings and the Balaguer mansion.

In addition to these actions, Cort explained, the project for the comprehensive renovation of the bathrooms and improved accessibility at the Rei Jaume I Primary School was also approved. This includes, in its first phase, the renovation of the bathrooms in the western part of the center, the installation of interior and exterior ramps to comply with current regulations, and the addition of an elevator.