The Council of Majorca yesterday presented its intention for there to be a limit on the number of places (beds) which can be used for holiday accommodation. The ceiling is going to be 430,000. Of these, 115,000 will be in registered and official holiday rental properties while the remaining 315,000 will apply to hotels of various types and hostels.
The cap is part of the new PIAT (plan for intervention in tourism areas), which has been drawn up to control the distribution of holiday rentals properties and create a balance between the tourism industry’s footprint and natural resources in Majorca.
The president of the Council of Majorca, Miguel Ensenyat, said yesterday that the PIAT has been devised to introduce some order in the tourism industry, which accounts for 45 per cent of the region’s gross domestic product and creates 32 per cent of jobs, be they full or short term.
The island councillor for planning and infrastructure, Mercedes Garrido, explained that the new rules and regulations will not apply to existing hotels and registered holiday rental properties and that from 1 August people can reapply for permission for tourism licences in areas not considered saturated until the PIAT is finally approved.
Finalising the PIAT could take a period of two years to be approved. During this period of transition only a maximum of 10,000 new hotel beds will be permitted while a maximum of 15,000 more holiday rentals beds will be permitted.