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Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Conor McGregor disrupts traffic and leaves locals taken aback in Mallorca
Conor McGregor has made a return to Mallorca, one of his favourite holiday spots, and he's already causing quite the commotion. The Crumlin-born ex-UFC champion has been absent from the Octagon for nearly four years, following his last brawl, a Las Vegas trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021, which was halted in the first round after McGregor fractured his leg. Whispers have circulated for some time that a comeback might be imminent, but for now, the 36-year-old has flown off for some sunshine with his fiancée Dee Devlin and their children. However, it appears training is still very much on the agenda. McGregor was spotted on social media engaging in some rigorous sprint drills, although the Irishman chose not to exercise publicly during a quieter part of the day. As the former featherweight and lightweight champion began his runs up a hill in the exclusive area of Port Adriano, cars and motorbikes whizzed past, with some even honking their horns at McGregor, who was causing a bit of a traffic disruption on a road leading to the local port, as reported by Spanish news outlet Ultima Hora. This didn't seem to faze the fighter, however. He carried on with his drills as if the vehicles weren't there, and could be heard panting heavily due to the strenuous nature of the training. Locals and holidaymakers were reportedly taken aback when they saw the shirtless Irishman committed to his circuit, and this isn't the first time McGregor has used such a technique to keep fit, reports Dublin Live. In an intense show of stamina, McGregor was filmed back in 2022 tearing up a similar hill on the island under the darkness of night in a social media video, letting out a battle cry as he powered through the steep incline. On his Instagram page, he questioned fans: "Ask yourself this: Why aren't you finding a hill and sprinting it? It's simple, effective, free, benefits are astounding." The former UFC champ has been soaking up the sun after arriving on his favourite holiday spot via private jet, reportedly spending time on his yacht with his fiancée and children, cruising on a €10,000 Porsche electric bike, zipping around in a Ferrari and being generous to the local residents with his tips. McGregor's return to the octagon, however, remains uncertain. There were plans for him to clash with Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in 2024, but an injury thwarted a reappearance. Speculation about the 36-year-old's comeback have been circulating, and McGregor himself indicated an essential condition of his return in April. "I'll only come back to a stadium," he wrote on social platform X, suggesting the Irishman would only re-enter the cage for a massive live audience. Yet, Dana White, the UFC's CEO, was probed last month by Adam Glyn about the likelihood of McGregor fighting again soon, giving an enigmatic answer in the spontaneous interview. "He's not fighting anytime soon," said White, casting uncertainty over whether McGregor will ever return to the UFC. "I haven't talked to him in a minute. But I don't know."
Daily Mail
05-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Majorca will cap rental cars and limit air passenger arrivals in peak season in latest anti-tourist crackdown
Majorca is set to implement a cap on rental cars and limit air passenger arrivals in peak season amid its latest anti-tourist crackdown. The popular holiday island is due to follow in Ibiza's footsteps in a rental car crackdown as the hotspots aim to limit the number of tourists on the road. 'The Consell de Majorca is following in Ibiza's regulatory footsteps and is rigorously analysing what measures it could replicate to limit vehicles from the summer of 2026,' reported Spanish newspaper Ultima Hora. The proposals will be sent to Parliament in the coming weeks with local residents pointing the finger at tourists for the congestion, saying visitors who rent a car during their holidays are adding to the clogged-up roads. They say that drastic measures should be taken, including banning all tourists from renting a car and introducing a mobility eco-tax. To curb the increasing tourism numbers, Balearic Vice-President Antoni Costa confirmed that the regional government has formally asked Spain 's central government and Aena - the national airport operator - to cap the number of flights arriving during the summer. Costa said: 'We are at the maximum limit. Increasing airport capacity during the high season is not advisable. We have to prioritise sustainability over short-term gain.' The Minister of Economy, Finance, and Innovation agreed with Costa, saying: 'Perhaps we should consider whether the number of slots at Balearic airports is more than sufficient during the peak season'. To curb the increasing tourism numbers, Balearic Vice-President Antoni Costa confirmed that the regional government has formally asked Spain 's central government and Aena - the national airport operator - to cap the number of flights arriving during the summer. Pictured: Eurowings Airbus A320 airplane at Palma de Mallorca Airport in Spain 'Just as the Government is limiting the supply of tourist accommodation,' he added, 'perhaps it should be said, and I will say it, that the increase in the number of slots in the summer, during peak season, at the Balearic airports has come to an end. We have reached the maximum limit.' When asked about the maximum number of these slots, Costa didn't specify a specific figure, but did say that the 'maximum' is the volume reached last year. 'It's not desirable to increase that number during the peak season,' he said. The Balearic government is also asking for shared management authority over the islands' airports, so they can play a more active role in determining how many flights operate and when. During Easter week, around 11,240 takeoffs and landings were recorded in the Balearic Islands, marking a 46 per cent increase from 2024. Costa emphasised that these figures were unsustainable and is urging Aena not to add additional flight slots during peak seasons as Mallorca is already having to limit the number of overnight accommodations on the island. If fewer flights depart from Majorca, costs for holidaymakers are likely to rise as a result. This is in addition to restrictions on accommodation, plans on an increase in the overnight tax and a ban on tourists renting cars, which have already been announced. The council have also said that it would also clamp down on vehicles that aren't registered in the Balearics. People with properties whose vehicle is registered outside the Balearics are only allowed to have only one vehicle per property. This is intended to reduce the number of foreign-registered cars. The island's council is considering the new plans to impose a limit on vehicles, with approval expected this year and implementation slated for 2026. A multidisciplinary group of island officials is currently examining the regulations to formulate the future law, according to reports. The Balearic Parliament has already given the green light to a groundbreaking law aimed at curbing the number of rental cars and caravans entering Ibiza. From June 2025, the island will roll out strategies to manage the influx of vehicles, with an eye on harmonising tourism and the well-being of locals. Vicent Mari, President of the Ibiza council, has voiced his support for the legislation, highlighting its role in tackling the social and environmental issues created by the island's booming tourist trade. 'We face new challenges that demand we work towards an essential balance between tourism and residents' quality of life,' Marí remarked. The new rules provide a legal framework to cap the number of rental cars, caravans, and motorhomes arriving on the island. In a statement, the Ibiza council announced: 'This summer, the island of Ibiza is taking another step forward in its commitment to sustainability and coexistence between the tourism sector and residents and will implement, for the first time, a regulation that will control the influx of vehicles. 'The Island Council has already approved the maximum quota of 20,168 cars, which, in addition to those with tax residence on the island of Ibiza, will be allowed to circulate on the island between June 1 and September 30. 'Of these, 16,000 will be rental cars and 4,108 will be for tourists who want to disembark with their cars in Ibiza from the ports of Barcelona, Denia, Valencia, or Palma. 'This first year of operation will serve, in addition to evaluating the actual effects of this measure, to obtain for the first time all the data that shipping companies, city councils, and the DGT (Directorate General of Traffic) will provide to the Island Council of Ibiza, the island's highest authority, on the number of cars circulating on the island. 'To this end, the Island Council of Ibiza has launched the platform, which, upon payment of a fee of 1 euro per day, will allow you to reserve the quota necessary to enjoy your vacation. 'The goal is none other than to ensure that those who reside and visit our island can do so with the highest possible quality of life, while safeguarding natural environments that are affected by overcrowding.' The crackdowns on flights and vehicles comes after anti-tourism activists promised to wreck havoc across Spain this summer as they ramp up their campaign against holidaymakers. Activists blocked beauty spots and torched hire cars ahead of a planned international summit to discuss protest tactics in March. Some 6,500 people take part in a demonstration organised by a platform reflecting the growing discontent among locals with the current tourism model in Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain on October 20, 2024 Visitors to the party paradise of Ibiza were left disappointed in February after a popular viewing point was dramatically blocked off with boulders in a sign of growing local resentment towards mass tourism. The famous Es Vedra viewpoint, where thousands gather to watch the sun sink behind the mountainous island each evening, was off-limits after frustrated landowners declared they'd had enough of being overrun by crowds. A blunt sign warned visitors: 'Private Property. Restricted Access.' But the blocked roadway was seemingly tame compared to the violence and chaos that erupted in Tenerife in March, where furious activists reportedly torched and smashed a fleet of hire cars in a shocking act of protest. Disturbing footage circulating online shows masked vandals dousing around 20 rental vehicles with flammable liquid before setting them alight in the popular Costa Adeje resort - a favourite among British holidaymakers. Angry demonstrators targeted visitors last year, blaming them for soaring rents and a cost of living crisis that's driving locals out of their homes. Some campaigners have even threatened to take their protests to the next level by blocking airports. The anti-tourism movement is gaining momentum across southern Europe with at least 15 activist groups from holiday hotspots in Spain, Portugal, Italy and France set to meet in Barcelona next month to plot their next steps. The recent vow for more protests follows a summer of major demonstrations across Spain's popular resorts, with anger particularly mounting over mass tourism. In January shocking graffiti reading 'kill a tourist' appeared in Tenerife amid the holiday hotspot's ongoing protests against holidaymakers. The frightening slogan was spotted on a house in the south of the Spanish island by a concerned resident who admitted to being worried that the mass protest movement against overcrowding was going too far.
