I F I go to a hotel in Palmanova my all inclusive holiday package will include booze but if I walk up the road to Magalluf then it is limited to six drinks for the whole day. This curb will also be enforced in some parts of the Playa de Palma and in San Antonio in Ibiza. There is a ban on the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am, as well as pub crawls, two-for-one drinks offers and happy hours in these three resorts. Overall, it doesn´t sound like a bad idea but of course there are some rather big loopholes such as going to resorts nearby and buying your booze and coming back. It might have been better if the curbs had been introduced across the Balearics and not just in the three areas which are known for their booze-fuelled bad behaviour. I can see what the Balearic government are trying to do and they are working alongside the British Foreign Office and the British travel industry but it might cause some problems this summer especially if places such as Magalluf and the Playa de Palma return to their pre-pandemic levels. Will it mean that there is a drop in bookings to Magalluf on all inclusive packages and an increase in similar holidays to Palmanova and Santa Ponsa? Well, we will have to wait and see. If you go to a Magalluf hotel you can expect to drink less than a Downing Street party (only joking) but your suitcase could come in handy (wink, wink, say no more!) but make sure it has wheels, Palmanova is quite a walk away!!!
Magalluf: new rules could mean you will drink less than at a Downing Street party!
Comment piece: By Jason Moore
Jason Moore | Palma |