Holiday boost as Majorca to ditch strict cruise rules – but there’s a catch
MAJORCA is to reconsider its controversial limit on the number of cruise ships which can visit the island and its plan to "cap" the number of tourists.
The Balearic government agreed last year to only allow three big liners a day at the port in Palma in a bid to cut congestion and visitor numbers.
But since the elections and the formation of a new administration, the regional government says it is prepared to look at allowing more than three cruise ships a day from 2015.
However, this would only be in the low season.
Minister of Tourism, Jaume Bauzà said there would probably be criticism if there was an increase in stopovers.
But he stressed: "Any tourist who arrives in Majorca is welcome and cruise tourism, consequently, is. It is our will and what the Government wants to convey."
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The employers' association of the shipping companies CLIA sees the measure as positive as there is growing demand to increase activity in the port of Palma
Mr. Bauzà made the announcement after a meeting held with the President of the Government, Marga Prohens, and the director for Spain of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), Alfredo Serrano.
He confirmed the regional Executive will study the option of increasing the number of cruise calls in the low season months of 2025.
However, the figure of three cruise calls will be maintained this year, 2024 and the high season of 2025.
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Mr. Bauzá said it was impossible to change the number of calls in the short term because the shipping companies have all the programming done for this year and 2024.
"The intention is to analyse the extension of the calls in the low season of 2025, always within a context of sustainability and efficiency," he said.
"We do not rule out expanding the scales but we are going to study it."
In March of this year, the then administration announced it wanted to "desaturate" Maljrca of too many tourists and concentrate on "quality rather than quantity."
The limit on cruise ships was seen as part of this bid and was the first ruling of its kind in Spain.
cruise tourism contributes more than €500million to the Balearic Islands annually and generates more than 4,000 jobs.
Environmentalists fear any relaxation of the cruise ship limit, if only for the low season, could be the thin edge of the wedge for changing the summer restrictions.
