Opposition parties have accused the Balearic government of "cynicism" in having announced a pilot project to measure overcrowding on beaches.
According to President Prohens, this project, which will eventually also include popular tourist spots such as the Deya viewpoint, will provide data to "better manage tourist success".
"We need objective data, not just perceptions, and new technologies make it possible to obtain this. We want to know where the hotspots are, so that tourist experiences are optimal and, above all, that the coexistence of residents is not affected as happens now at specific times and places. We will be able to make mobility decisions, redirect tourist flows and identify infrastructure deficiencies."
On Wednesday, Marc Pons, PSOE's deputy spokesperson, accepted the value of conducting studies but criticised Partido Popular inconsistency. "They favour deregulation, the legalisation of everything illegal and putting more pressure on the islands while at the same time announcing pilot plans against saturation. What they cannot do is make decisions that increase pressure with laws that increase overcrowding," He was referring to the decree for simplifying administrative procedures that the government is currently working on.
Lluís Apesteguia of Més said that the PP's tourism policy is "the policy of Instagram", ensuring that the photo doesn't look ugly. "Més are concerned about people's lives. The tourist experience is increasingly negative." In his opinion, saturation at coves and viewpoints is symptomatic of the problem of "tourist overflow in general".
PP spokesperson, Sebastià Sagreras, insisted that if there is a sense of saturation this summer, it will not be because of the policies of the current government but of the previous administration. This will be the government's "first summer".
(The PP formed the government after the election in May 2023. Last year, the total number of tourists in the Balearics increased by 1.3 million to 17.8 million. This total is expected to be exceeded in 2024, a suggestion having been that it may even reach 19 million.)