The Balearic Minister for Tourism, Jaime Martinez, was grilled by a special committee yesterday over events in Magalluf this summer.
Palma.—Martinez, whose department has finally shelved a publicity campaign to try and encourage responsible tourism in Magalluf, was yesterday forced to admit there are businesses operating in a manor which is surplus to requirements in the resort and have “over stepped the mark by allowing anti social behaviour to take place on their premises.” The media and political spotlight has been firmly fixed on Magalluf this summer after a video of a young woman from Northern Ireland performing sex acts on a group of men during a pub crawl went viral on the Internet and provoked a flood of similar videos to be posted on social media all season.
Yesterday, Martinez said that this kind of behaviour is no longer going to be permitted in Magalluf.
“It’s an embarrassment that some businesses encourage this kind of behaviour and there is a very clear red line which can not be crossed,” the Minister said.
However, Martinez claimed that despite the scores of videos posted on the social media, some of which were actually bought by a pornographic website, the incidents were “isolated” and he praised the government for the way in which it quickly dealt with the problems.
He underlined that 270 inspections were carried out by tourism and the health and safety authorities in Magalluf alone this summer.
But, there is a feeling that too little was done and too late.
Not just here in Majorca but also in the UKwhere tour operators called on Calvia Council to take stern action and quite simply close down any of the bars and clubs permitting anti social behaviour and allowing sex for alcohol games to be played.