Palma and Barcelona set the course: quality tourism and an end to excess
19 November, 2025Palma and Barcelona are facing a new tourism phase based on a model that combines boosting urban appeal with preserving social well-being. Both Mediterranean capitals have taken a decisive step towards more balanced tourism, implementing measures that restrict activities associated with excessive leisure and promote a more sustainable coexistence between visitors and residents.
In Barcelona, the City Council has decreed an absolute prohibition of alcohol routes or pub crawls throughout the city, 24 hours a day. The measure, which extends previous restrictions in Ciutat Vella and Eixample, seeks to guarantee public health and neighbourhood rest, aligning with Law 20/1985 on addictive substances.
Palma, in turn, has gone further by prohibiting tourist rentals throughout the municipality, as well as the opening of new youth hostels and party boats on the Paseo Marítimo. With only 639 authorised tourist accommodations, the Balearic capital reaffirms its commitment to quality, sustainable and respectful tourism with its urban and social environment.