When the pandemic hit, cities that catered to tourists went from having throngs of people all the time to just citizens walking the streets. Some of those cities realized they’d been subject to overtourism and, in exiting the pandemic, are trying to right those wrongs. Amsterdam, Venice and Hawaii are just some of the places that are beginning to put limits on visitors, and tourism in general.
Europe has, of course, always been popular with visitors and Spain, in particular, has had its problems with tourism. Not surprisingly, the country is in the midst of introducing rules for tourists and shoring up other rules it already had. Specific cities in Spain are also making rules for their own areas.
Having enough money
Proving you had enough money has been a rule for entry into Spain for a while. However the price has increased from 90 euros per day to having at least 100 euros (about $110) for each day of their vacation. Visitors must also be able to prove they have another 900 euros (approx. $985) for any emergencies that may come up.
From the Spanish Interiors Minister: “Foreigners from third countries must prove if required to do so by the officials in charge of controlling the entry of people into Spanish territory, that they have economic resources for entering the country through cash, travelers’ checks (Note: yep, some people still use travelers checks), payment letters or credit cards.”
Smoking
Spain passed a new law last year that gave local municipalities the power to fine people if they were caught smoking on the beach.
The Canary Islands and all ten beaches of Barcelona already had such a ban in place. Other cities are choosing to enforce the smoking ban, or not, on their own accord. If they do, the respective beaches will have huge signs warning you that the beach has a “smoke-free status.”
There are no fines involved yet but if they choose to, municipalities can impose a fine upwards of over $2,000.
Partying
Some Spanish cities are legendary for their illegal parties. To combat them, the popular vacation destinations of Ibiza and Mallorca are now levying hefty fines for revelers who attend illegal (read: unlicensed) parties.
Police on the two islands have been given the power to stop parties taking place or issue fines once one is over. Partiers could be hit with a $30,000+ fine if they’re caught attending these illegal parties.
Alcohol restrictions
Parts of Spain have also upped their game to decrease public drunkenness by setting an allowance of only six drinks per day in all-inclusive resorts.
Guests of all-inclusives in the towns of Magaluf, El Arenal, Playa de Palma in Mallorca, and Sant Antoni in Ibiza will only be allowed to have 3 drinks with lunch and 3 with dinner.
Balearic officials have also banned the sale of alcohol from 9:30pm to 8am.
Noise control
With partying and booze comes a whole lot of noise. However the city of Alicante is introducing the country’s toughest rules on noise pollution.
Alicante has had rules on the books regarding loud music since 2019. However they’ve just strengthened the rules to include talking too loudly, playing music on the beach, or even scraping furniture if they move it across their patios at antisocial hours.
And POOF – Alicante went from being a party town to a quiet peaceful one.
Dress code
Mallorca has had problems with what they call “drunken tourism” for years. A group of restaurants in the resort have banded together to impose a new dress code that all tourists will have to follow or they will be refused access:
- Tank tops without straps
- Swimming trunks
- Swimsuits
- Any accessories purchased from street vendors, such as gold chains or glow-in-the-dark hats
- Soccer jerseys
Spain ain’t playin’, y’all!
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