Five tourists are fined £30,000 each for ‘balconing’ – climbing from one hotel balcony to another – as Magaluf cracks down on dangerous behaviour
- Five tourists were caught ‘balconing’ and fined £30,000 each in Magaluf
- Holidaymakers were also thrown out of their respective hotels amid strict laws
Five tourists have been fined £30,000 each for ‘balconing’ – climbing from one hotel balcony to another – in Magaluf as the party resort cracks down on dangerous behaviour.
The rowdy tourists, who were caught either climbing from one hotel balcony to another or jumping from their balcony into a swimming pool below, were fined more than £150,000 in total by local authorities.
The holidaymakers were also all thrown out of their respective hotels, according to Calvia council, which covers the tourist hotspots of Magaluf and Palma Nova.
Juan Feliu, the head of Calvia council, stressed the severe fines acted as a ‘powerful deterrent’ against the reckless and dangerous behaviour.
‘Balconing is not tolerated in our municipality,’ Feliu told Majorca Daily Bulletin. ‘It is an irresponsible practice that can cause serious, irreversible injuries and even death.’
Five tourists have been fined £30,000 each for ‘balconing’ – climbing from one hotel balcony to another – in Magaluf as the party resort cracks down on dangerous behaviour (file image)
He said police efforts to crack down on the anti-social behaviour, which has previously led to many injuries and several deaths, are being intensified amid efforts to promote a better image for Magaluf.
Feliu did not state whether the fines issued to the five tourists have been paid or how it intends to pursue them.
In recent years, footage has emerged online of British tourists climbing from one hotel balcony to another – or jumping from their balcony into a swimming pool below.
As a result, in 2020, Mallorca’s regional government based in Palma Mallorca passed a law banning the practice of ‘balconing’ throughout the Balearic Islands, with fines reaching £50,000.
And last year, the government banned the sale of alcohol in shops between 9.30pm and 8am, as well as pub crawls, two-for-one drinks offers and happy hours at certain spots in Magaluf, El Arenal and Playa de Palma in Mallorca.
Announcing the new laws in 2020, a regional government spokesman said: ‘Efforts to promote the destination, to provide it with better quality through both public and private sector investments, and position it in an increasingly competitive and global market, have been affected recently by certain uncivic behaviour.
‘Most of this type of behaviour is directly related to alcohol abuse in certain tourist areas of Majorca and Ibiza.’
The Balearic government has been stepping up action against tourists behaving badly in a bid to stem a fall in visitor numbers blamed on Magaluf and San Antonio garnering a bad image in recent years and the collapse of tour operator Thomas Cook.
Thousands of British tourists flock to the islands every year, including large groups of revellers who have earned them an infamous reputation.
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