Mallorca banned private traders to take accommodation to tourists

• On Mallorca banned private traders to take tourists accommodation

In the Spanish resort of Palma on the island of Mallorca in July 2018 with the apartment owners to ban tourists to take shelter. City will be the first in Spain, where such measures are introduced after complaints from local residents to higher prices for rent by the appearance of a variety of websites and applications for travelers.

The Mayor of Palma, said that the ban will be an example for other cities, who suffer from mass tourism. But employers' association believes that such measures will lead to the fact that the financial situation of many citizens will only suffer.

It is unclear whether the prohibition concerns only private apartments, which pass through the local application or website. Private homes and chalets are exempt from such measures, except for those that are in protected areas close to the airport, or in industrial areas.

largely due to a variety of housing proposals - In Palma, as in many other resort towns around the world, the flow of tourists has grown significantly. According to the authorities, during the period from 2015 to 2017 the number of unlicensed housing, lease, increased by 50 percent. The Spanish newspaper El País writes that offer tourists 11 000 private apartments and only the owners of 645 of them have a license and the right to rent housing to rent.

The local population, in turn, outraged higher prices in the city because of the tourism. Rents increased by 40 percent from 2013. In addition to the popular tourist areas have deteriorated condition due to noise and cheeky behavior of tourists. "We went to such measures, because in the first place protect the interests of citizens. We are confident that other cities do the same, when they realize that the main principle - to find a balance. "

Jose Ela (José Hila), chief city architect, said: "In the development of rental housing for tourists, and a rise in prices is a parallel. All European cities suddenly transformed because of this process. We need order. In Palma will be a house for rent, but only where it should be. "

Last year, the city banned the advertising of unlicensed apartments and introduced penalties for the owners of such housing. In Barcelona did the same.

In 2017, Spain was visited by a record number of visitors - 82 million. Among the most popular tourist destinations are Catalonia, Majorca, Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.

Joao Fortes (Joan Forteza), president of the federation community residents, was satisfied with the measures taken, which followed a petition with thousands of signatures 6.

However, the local organization representing the interests of small businesses, said that housing for rent by tourists has become an important source of income for many families. A housing association rent Habtur confident that the ban would cause problems not only for the owners of apartments, but also shops and restaurants, which will have to lay off workers.