The Canary and Balearic Islands are teaming up to fight overtourism by cracking down on illegal holiday rentals and overcrowding.
Both tourism authorities are currently in discussions to coordinate their efforts by drafting laws and regulations based on shared experiences of mass tourism.
The proposed legislation against overcrowding will be a first-of-its-kind initiative offering both communities greater protection against potential private sector or governmental opposition.
The first agreement will be established between the two autonomous governments, with cooperation between island councils and local councils.
It’s anticipated that the private sector will also participate in these meetings, which are expected to occur roughly every six months.
The Balearic government has received support from the Mallorca Hotel Federation and Jorge Marichal, president of the Hotel and Non-Hotel Association of Tenerife, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro.
This initiative has been in the works for several months by the Regional Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport of the Government of the Balearics.
Both regions experienced widespread protests last season over tourist saturation issues.
The Canary Islands were the first autonomous community to protest against mass tourism, with signs reading “mass tourism equals poverty”.
The Canary Islands government, grappling with similar issues of overcrowding and limited housing access, decided to establish a dialogue forum to address the negative impacts of tourism and seek solutions.
This initiative involved setting up five expert panels tasked with developing sustainability measures.
The Balearics’ Pact for Economic, Social and Environmental Sustainability is also set to enter on its second phase on February 27.
The first phase of the pact will be officially concluded on the same day, slightly ahead of schedule, indicating the government’s eagerness to expedite the process.
