Majorca is considering a controversial ban on holiday apartments, raising concerns that thousands of UK tourists could see their travel plans disrupted.
Gabriel Escarrer Jaume, CEO of Meliá Hotels International — the island’s largest hotel group — issued a warning about the potential policy, criticizing current government measures on tourism and housing.
Escarrer Jaume stated, “Governments often issue ill-directed emergency treatments without a precise diagnosis that identifies the causes of the problems and with ineffective or discriminatory measures to silence public opinion.”
He specifically addressed the recently implemented tourist tax, arguing that it fails to offset the broader societal impact caused by legalizing nearly 100,000 holiday rental units, many of which, he claims, should have been returned to the residential housing market.
“It has been a huge disappointment, not because of our particular interest, but because it doesn’t respond to the general interest and yet does affect the quality and sustainability of our tourism model,” he added.
The CEO advocated for stricter regulation of holiday apartments, suggesting they should be limited except in buildings exclusively dedicated to this purpose, where holiday rentals do not coexist with residential use.
This announcement comes amid ongoing debates about how to balance tourism growth with housing availability on the island, which remains a popular destination for British holidaymakers.
