The Platform Against Mega-Cruise Ships stated today, Wednesday, that the reduction in the number of cruise passengers announced last week is false, leaving the previous agreement intact and confirming that in Palma ‘it is not the general interest that governs, but the large shipping companies’.
In a statement, the group explained that the reduction - from June to September from a daily average of 8,500 to 7,500 people - is a ‘pipe dream’ because that limit is never exceeded. ‘It does not involve any sacrifice on the part of the shipping companies and allows the government to make false claims of supposed restraint and to say that everything is changing when, in reality, nothing is really changing,’ they said.
For the Platform, the same volumes of arrivals, the same environmental impacts and insufficient controls remain, putting the health, safety and quality of life of residents at risk. ‘The pressure from the companies has been enough for the government to back down and maintain a model that condemns the city to saturation and permanent pollution,’ said spokesperson Jaume Garau.
The group insisted that mega-cruise ships do not bring real wealth to Palma, but rather leave ‘crumbs’ while collapsing streets, public spaces and services. The platform also pointed out that there are technical reports stating that the port facilities are not equipped to dock and manoeuvre these large ships with full safety guarantees.
For the group, Palma City Council and the regional government have given up on leading a change in the tourism model and have opted for submission. They pointed out that the latest surveys by the regional government itself show that a large majority of citizens want to reduce cruise tourism.
Last week it was announced that Palma is set to reduce the number of cruise ship berths during the summer months under a new agreement reached between the Balearic Government, Palma City Council and 20 cruise lines. From 2027 to 2029, the daily average number of berths will fall from 8,500 to 7,500 between June and September, while the rest of the year will remain at 8,500. Although the summer limits end in 2029, the agreement is in place until 2031.