Magaluf hotels THROW OUT 150 tourists as wild party resort declares WAR on drunken Brits abroad
Tourism chiefs say they are starting to attract more families thanks to the "zero tolerance" approach to drunken violence
HOTELS in Magaluf have thrown out 156 holidaymakers this year as the wild party resort declares war on boozy bad behaviour.
Tourism chiefs say they are starting to attract more families thanks to the "zero tolerance" approach to drunken violence.
A number of hotels are also abandoning the all-inclusive approach in favour of "a more quality offer".
The hotel association for Magaluf and Palmanova says it has had "an excellent season", registering almost 5.5 million overnight stays so far in 2017, which is 4.4 per cent up on last year.
Adult couples and families now make up the largest segments, accounting for 70 per cent, compared to 22 per cent for young tourists, a trend which island leaders wants to continue.
Rather than being put off by reports of drunken behaviour in the resort or Brexit fears, British tourists have increased by one per cent since 2016, with 167,316 stays.
The British market is still the largest segment with a 47.65 per cent share.
Chairman of the Palmanova-Magaluf Hotel Association, Sebastián Darder said: "In Magaluf, we have implemented zero tolerance against antisocial behaviour and crime and the result is clearly visible.
"Despite the relatively frequent negative information about events in Punta Ballena street, a very specific point in the destination, we are very pleased to affirm that the figures of delinquency and cases of alcoholic intoxication and other unconventional behaviour continues in clear descent.
"Hotels warned at the start of the season that they would eject any guests involved in "uncivic behaviour" and this promise has been carried out.
Even so, the 156 tourists thrown out is actually down 20 per cent on 2016 which suggests rowdiness is on the decline.
The hotel president stressed they were not against young tourists but did not want hooligans.
According to data from the Calvià council, from January to September, 3,830 complaints were lodged for breaches of the Ordinance on Coexistence, which came into force this year.
Of these, 2,126 are for street vending, 527 for alcohol consumption and bottle parties , 279 for consumption or possession of drugs and 182 for unauthorised practices, such as massages.
There have also been 395 inspections that have been carried out in establishments, which have resulted in 300 acts of denunciation and the closure of six sex clubs.
Hotel occupancy between June and September remained at the levels of last season, with 86 per cent in June, 88 per cent in July, 91 per cent in August and 87 per cent in September.
The resort is also trying to extend its season into November and in October, nearly 60 per cent of hotels are remaining open.In recent years, Mallorca has invested more than 1.15 billion euros in hotel improvements and this is to continue.
It came after reports that Brit holidaymakers in Magaluf could find themselves being tasered by cops next summer if they get out of line.
Carlos Tarancon, leader of the opposition centre-right Ciudadanos party, says he backed the move after talking with officers about their difficulties dealing with drunken troublemakers in areas like Magaluf’s Punta Ballena strip.
Stun guns could also be rolled out at other party hotspots like Ramon de Montcada Street in Santa Ponsa, which is part of the same municipality of Calvia as Magaluf.
The brash street is more popular with Irish tourists as opposed to Punta Ballena which is a Brit favourite.
It hit headlines in July when a Civil Guard officer was filmed using his truncheon on holidaymakers blocking the road.
Punta Ballena was branded as “500 metres of shame” by a former regional president.
The strip saw England and Scotland football fans clash after a World Cup qualifier in June, with drunken hooligans throwing chairs at each other in the street in ugly scenes.
Mr Tarancon is a practising lawyer and part of the Mixed Group of councillors in Calvia who in the past has demanded “zero tolerance” from the left-wing-led town hall against yobbish Brit tourists.
He claims the guns and batons local police currently use are not always the answer with violent people.
He told local paper Diario de Mallorca the batons “can do quite a lot of damage and can even cause broken bones” and guns can only be used in cases of “extreme danger” and not to reduce someone resisting arrest.
Mr Tarancon insisted officers often had to resort to using martial art-type holds to immobilise problem drunken holidaymakers, resulting in more violence and occasional injuries to police.
He added: “In other European countries they are starting to use stun guns.
“It doesn’t mean they are used constantly, just in situations of extreme necessity.
“That’s why we’re raising it at the next full council meeting, because we understand that the security and physical integrity of our local police should be protected.”
The motion put forward by Ciudadanos, which has 25 MPs in Spain and is strongly opposed to Catalan independence, proposes a study of economic viability to establish the number of stun guns Calvia Council can buy.
The controversial weapon has been linked to a number of deaths since they were introduced in other police forces.
In August 2016 the former Aston Villa footballer Dalian Atkinson died after being tasered by the police following a clash outside his father’s home in Telford, Shropshire.
Mr Tarancon has been vocal in his calls for a “zero tolerance” policy against tourists who breach by-laws on things like public nudity.
In June he urged the council to take an “uncompromising stance” against a group of British holidaymakers who took part in a naked run through the streets of Magaluf’s neighbouring resort of Palmanova.
The male tourists, who stripped off for a starkers broad-daylight skinny-dip before jogging back to their hotel, ended up being fined.
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