The Habtur holiday rentals association in the Balearics believes the European Commission's ruling that the government's ban on new apartment holiday lets violates EU regulations is "logical". Rather than a blanket ban across the whole of the region, the association proposes limiting bans to high-demand areas. Decisions should be left to town halls based on their housing-market studies.
The Habtur manager, Maria Gibert, says: "There are places on the islands that are primarily holiday destinations and where the housing market is not strained, so the regulations should be more rational." Areas which should be exempt from the ban, in her view, include Cala d'Or, Cales de Mallorca, Cala Millor, and Son Serra de Marina. "We understand that there are areas with obvious problems, such as Palma or Ibiza Town, but there are many others that are not strained."
The European Commission does concede the possibility of bans in specific areas, Gibert adding: "We find it perfectly logical that Europe thinks this way, and it coincides with what we conveyed to the government before the tourism containment decree was issued."
In parliament on Tuesday, tourism minister Jaume Bauzá reiterated what he had said on Monday. The government will not comply with the European Commission's demand: "There will not be one step back."