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Magaluf bans drunk badly-behaved tourists

Fiona Govan
Fiona Govan - [email protected]
Magaluf bans drunk badly-behaved tourists
British tourists on a night out in Puente Ballena last summer. Photo: Jaime Reina / AFP

Bare chests, sex parties, falling down drunk in the streets and balconing will no longer be tolerated in Magaluf under new bylaws.

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The Calvia town council passed new legislation on Thursday in a bid to clean up the drunken and debauched image of the Mallorcan resort of Magaluf.

In an attempt to rid Magaluf and the strip of Punta Ballena of its down-market reputation, tourists will be told to cover up when walking the streets away from the beach and anyone caught spitting, urinating or defecating in the street could face harsh fines.

The new rules, which come into place from June 9th, will also see those stupid enough to attempt to jump from balconies into swimming pools in the dangerous “balconing craze” fined between €750 and €1,500.

The council approved measures that will see a limit on “organized group pub crawls” – in a clamp down on the drinking tourism that has made the resort infamous.

In a bid to encourage more mature tourists back to its hotels, the measures will tackle street noise between the hours of 10pm and 8am and limit the sale and consumption of alcohol in bars and clubs after midnight.

Girls on a night out in Puente Ballena last summer. Photo: Jaime Reina / AFP

It will also see police given powers to deal with those caught drinking alcohol in the street or being seen to be inebriated in a public place.

Police will be able to confiscate alcohol and issue warnings to tourists appearing too drunk.

However, those caught drunk in the streets will not, under the current measures, face fines.

“Stamping out (the drinking culture) is a complex process and for now we are basically going to provide information and raise awareness,” explained Joan Feliu, a town hall councilor, according to a report in Spain’s ABC newspaper.

Town hall authorities have placed drastic restrictions on tour operators that promoted mass pub crawls and sex games in the wake of a video that went viral last summer showing an 18-year-old British holidaymaker performing oral sex on 24 men during a pub crawl.

Organizers are no longer allowed to promote such activities in their publicity material and can only stage one “pub crawl” per day limited to 20 people per group and only one tour group can be present in an establishment at any one time.

The strictest measures have been reserved for those attempting to participate in the craze of “balconing” when drunken tourists leap from the balcony into the swimming pool, a practice that often results in serious injury or even death.

Anyone caught attempting to climb over balconies or inciting others to do so could be fined.

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