The board of the Balearic Ports Authority has agreed to the regional government's request regarding cruise ships in Palma from 2022.
From January 2022, ports authority confirmation of cruise ship stopover will have to be given. At present, the authority's permission to dock is automatic. This will change, and stopovers will not be accepted until confirmation is given and which will be in accordance with parameters to be negotiated by the regional government and the Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) in Spain. Ports authority sources say that if ships meet the criteria, there will be "no problem" with stopovers.
The government and the CLIA will be negotiating to arrive at a "mutual agreement" in respect of both the number of ships and their capacity.
Palma's councillor for the model of the city, Neus Truyol, says that there need to be parameters for cruise ships in terms of their "human and environmental sustainability" in order to avoid the pressure that stopovers cause. "This is an objective which can be achieved."
Antoni Noguera, like Truyol a member of Més and now the party's coordinator (in effect its leader), attributes this development to his party, adding that Son Sant Joan Airport will be the next Més target. The party wants limits on the number of arrivals and to impede expansion at the airport. Més argue that there needs to be tourism "de-growth" in the Balearics.