Latest news with #VicentMarí
News18
4 days ago
- Automotive
- News18
This Popular Beach Destination In Spain Is Limiting Tourist Vehicles This Summer
Between June 1 and September 30, a new regulation has been implemented on the island of Ibiza to limit the number of vehicles used by non-residents to a maximum of 20,000 per day, according to a report in El Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera. Of this daily cap, 16,000 spots are allocated for rental cars available on the island, while the remaining 4,000 are reserved for privately owned vehicles arriving via ferry, provided they obtain prior authorisation. Additionally, caravans must prove they have a confirmed booking at a designated camping area, as overnight parking in natural areas is strictly prohibited. Motorbikes, however, are not subject to these seasonal limitations. Vicent Marí, president of Ibiza's local government, explained that the initiative is designed to 'ensure the sustainability" of the island, which is home to approximately 1,50,000 residents but welcomes around 3.6 million tourists annually. This heavy influx also affects the neighbouring island of Formentera, which has already introduced its own vehicle restrictions. Official figures show a dramatic increase in traffic over the past 20 years, with the number of vehicles on Ibiza's roads surging from 51,000 in 2002 to 2,07,000 in 2022. Marí acknowledged that some sectors—including rental car companies and large businesses—had opposed the new vehicle limits. Nonetheless, he stressed the necessity of regulating what he described as 'unsustainable" tourist numbers. The broader Balearic archipelago, which includes Mallorca and Menorca along with Ibiza and Formentera, attracts roughly 19 million tourists each year. This makes the region a major contributor to Spain's tourism industry, which sees about 94 million visitors annually, ranking it second only to France as a global travel destination. Mallorca, another popular Balearic island, is also reportedly preparing to introduce similar vehicle control measures shortly.
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ibiza and Airbnb announce joint crackdown on unregulated tourist flats
Authorities in Ibiza have announced an agreement with Airbnb to work together and crack down on unregulated holiday lets on its platform. Consell d'Eivissa (Ibiza's Island Council) announced on 20 February that it signed a 'historic' and 'unprecedented' agreement with the short-term letting platform, along with Ibizan tourist accommodation associations, to collaborate in combating unregulated tourist accommodation on the Spanish island that 'that operate on the margins of legality'. The council says that this agreement will help ensure environmental, social and economic sustainability for the island, as well as enhancing the quality of tourism. Ibiza is one of the most popular destinations for British tourists, attracting partygoers to its club scene, as well as families seeking beach holidays along its white sand coastline. However, like many other Spanish destinations, short-term rentals used for holiday lets have become a point of contention with permanent residents. Airbnb is committing to accelerate the process of removing listings that go against local regulations, as well as working with the council to put measures in place to address the unregulated tourist lets. So far, 300 accommodations have been taken down as part of this new agreement, yet this number could still rise as the effort is ongoing. The president of Consell d'Eivissa, Vicent Marí, thanked Airbnb for its collaboration and says the agreement is "a milestone in the roadmap that we set out more than five years ago to lead a relentless fight against the island's unregulated [tourist accommodation] supply". Tourist accommodation will be removed from Airbnb if the authorities identify it as going against local regulations and Airbnb's terms of service. Illegal tourist accommodation in Ibiza includes 'multi-family homes' such as flats, rooms inside apartments and homes with multiple occupancy, camping outside of campsites, and those that are not registered and authorised by the council. The council also has a portal on its website that identifies all tourist accommodations, companies and guides that have registered with the council. Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, the general manager of Airbnb's marketing services said: 'This joint commitment between the public sector, Airbnb and the representative organizations of the tourism sector, underlines the common interest in ensuring that Ibiza remains an exceptional and quality tourist destination for future generations'. The Ibiza Tourist Accommodation Association, the Ibiza and Formentera Hotel Business Federation and tourist promotion company Fomento del Turismo, who also signed the agreement, will be working with the council and Airbnb to promote and assist in tackling unregulated accommodation. The crackdown on unregulated short-term rentals comes after authorities in Ibiza also implemented new regulations to limit the simultaneous arrival of cruises by allowing no more than two cruises to dock at the same time. Mr Marí said that while the island is not against the arrival of tourists on cruise ships, better planning needs to be carried out to ensure overcrowding does not affect their residents. Ibiza is not the only Spanish destination calling for a change in how tourism is managed, with residents in some popular tourist locations have blamed short-term rentals on intensifying housing crises. A group in Tenerife recently protested over mass tourism on 21 February, with coastal towns being 'destroyed' to make way for accommodation for tourists. Earlier in the month, a Mallorca campaign group that has led large-scale protests against overtourism said it would be 'redoubling' its efforts.
The Independent
03-03-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Ibiza and Airbnb announce joint crackdown on unregulated tourist flats
Authorities in Ibiza have announced an agreement with Airbnb to work together and crack down on unregulated holiday lets on its platform. Consell d'Eivissa (Ibiza's Island Council) announced on 20 February that it signed a 'historic' and 'unprecedented' agreement with the short-term letting platform, along with Ibizan tourist accommodation associations, to collaborate in combating unregulated tourist accommodation on the Spanish island that 'that operate on the margins of legality'. The council says that this agreement will help ensure environmental, social and economic sustainability for the island, as well as enhancing the quality of tourism. Ibiza is one of the most popular destinations for British tourists, attracting partygoers to its club scene, as well as families seeking beach holidays along its white sand coastline. However, like many other Spanish destinations, short-term rentals used for holiday lets have become a point of contention with permanent residents. Airbnb is committing to accelerate the process of removing listings that go against local regulations, as well as working with the council to put measures in place to address the unregulated tourist lets. So far, 300 accommodations have been taken down as part of this new agreement, yet this number could still rise as the effort is ongoing. The president of Consell d'Eivissa, Vicent Marí, thanked Airbnb for its collaboration and says the agreement is "a milestone in the roadmap that we set out more than five years ago to lead a relentless fight against the island's unregulated [tourist accommodation] supply". Tourist accommodation will be removed from Airbnb if the authorities identify it as going against local regulations and Airbnb's terms of service. The council also has a portal on its website that identifies all tourist accommodations, companies and guides that have registered with the council. Jaime Rodríguez de Santiago, the general manager of Airbnb's marketing services said: 'This joint commitment between the public sector, Airbnb and the representative organizations of the tourism sector, underlines the common interest in ensuring that Ibiza remains an exceptional and quality tourist destination for future generations'. The Ibiza Tourist Accommodation Association, the Ibiza and Formentera Hotel Business Federation and tourist promotion company Fomento del Turismo, who also signed the agreement, will be working with the council and Airbnb to promote and assist in tackling unregulated accommodation. The crackdown on unregulated short-term rentals comes after authorities in Ibiza also implemented new regulations to limit the simultaneous arrival of cruises by allowing no more than two cruises to dock at the same time. Mr Marí said that while the island is not against the arrival of tourists on cruise ships, better planning needs to be carried out to ensure overcrowding does not affect their residents. Ibiza is not the only Spanish destination calling for a change in how tourism is managed, with residents in some popular tourist locations have blamed short-term rentals on intensifying housing crises. A group in Tenerife recently protested over mass tourism on 21 February, with coastal towns being 'destroyed' to make way for accommodation for tourists. Earlier in the month, a Mallorca campaign group that has led large-scale protests against overtourism said it would be 'redoubling' its efforts.
Local Spain
01-03-2025
- Local Spain
Inside Spain: How Ibiza's residents are taking action against overtourism
2024 was the year anti-tourism protests in Spain. Barcelona, Madrid, Valencia, Seville, Alicante, Granada, Cantabria, Tenerife, Mallorca, and also the small Balearic island of Ibiza. Every summer, Ibiza becomes the party spot of the world's rich and famous, drawing in the best DJs and young revellers who don't mind spending their savings on VIP lounges and bottles of champagne. The island is particularly overrun with affluent tourists during the high season, but even when the temperatures drop and the jetsetters leave, Ibiza is unaffordable for most residents. Combined with a lack of affordable housing, overtourism and short-term tourist rental accommodation have sent rental costs skyrocketing. In fact, it's been so bad in Ibiza that working locals, from hospitality workers to even police officers and nurses, are being forced to live in their cars or tents. Four municipalities in Ibiza are among the top ten with the most expensive rents in the whole of Spain. Local media reports suggest that around 200,000 people continue to be at risk of poverty in the Balearic Islands more widely. Now it seems that Ibiza's roughly 160,000 residents have had enough, and are fighting back in a number of ways. Ibiza's Mirador des Vedrà lookout point has in recent years become famous for its instagrammable sunsets, and with it hoards of tourists, traffic jams, rubbish and even DJ sets have taken over this protected natural space. For many, it's a symbol of everything that's wrong with the tourism model in Ibiza. So it was perhaps inevitable that local authorities would eventually take action, as they have given permission (or turned a blind eye rather) when disgruntled residents recently blocked the parking spots available close to the clifftop and even closed off access to pedestrian tourists with big rocks and fencing. That's just the start. The local council this week signed a 'historic' agreement with Airbnb to ban adverts for illegal and very questionable accommodation on the island. The measure, which stops ads for caravans, campervans and tents from appearing on Airbnb, is part of a strategy to combat unregulated tourism and ensure that Ibiza remains a sustainable holiday destination. The reality for many Ibiza residents is very different from that of the tens of thousands of international partygoers who visit Mediterranean island every year. (Photo by JAIME REINA / AFP) Ibiza Council President Vicent Marí has described the agreement as 'a milestone for Ibiza as a sustainable and quality tourist destination' and has emphasised that the collaboration with Airbnb is 'historic and pioneering' as it will allow illegal listings on the island to be combated more effectively. 'Our objective is for Ibiza to be recognised for its regulated offer and for illegality to have no place,' he said. Local renters are also taking action themselves. The Ibiza and Formentera Tenants' Union has called for a new mass protest on April 5th in defence of housing and against rising rent prices on the island. Marching under the slogan: 'Let's end the housing business', the demonstration is backed by dozens of organisations from the housing movement and it looks set to be joined by similar rallies on mainland Spain. As has been the case across Spain, rents are the main concern: 'The exorbitant price of rents are the main cause of impoverishment of the working class and a barrier to accessing housing,' they assert. Tourists inevitably bring traffic and cars are now also set to be cracked down on in Ibiza. The vice president of Ibiza's council, Mariano Juan, says that they are considering ways to better control vehicle entry and circulation. Cadena Ser reports that the plan will establish a daily limit this season of 20,168 vehicles on the roads, of which 4,000 will be for tourists. Juan says that the plan 'does not seek to prohibit, but to limit and organise the impact of certain types of vehicles,' he said, in reference to motorhomes used by tourists. Ibiza's struggle is similar to that of neighbouring Mallorca and Spain's other popular archipelago - the Canaries (mainly Tenerife, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote) - but given Ibiza's tiny size and the exclusivity it holds among wealthy travellers, the effects of overtourism ibicencos face are magnified.
