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TOURISM

‘It’s too much’: Spain’s Menorca another victim of overtourism

Every year, nearly 800,000 tourists wander through the alleys of Binibeca Vell, a tiny whitewashed village nicknamed "the Spanish Mykonos" for its resemblance to the famous Greek island which attracts huge crowds of visitors.

Published: 5 June 2024 10:18 CEST
'It's too much': Spain's Menorca another victim of overtourism
Tourists walk past a sign reading "Right to admission reserved" as they visit Binibeca, a small fishermen's village, in the municipality of Sant Lluis on the Balearic island of Menorca, on May 30, 2024. (Photo by JAIME REINA / AFP)

For its 200 residents, “that is a lot” said Oscar Monge, who runs a local residents’ association and would like the village “to be calmer”.

Binibeca Vell, on Menorca island, sits on a small bay with sparkling turquoise waters, and the picturesque village has become a major draw for visitors to Spain’s Mediterranean Balearic Isles.

A windfall for tour operators quick to promote the “fairytale” allure of this village, designed by Catalan architect Francisco Barba Corsini, the crowds are a source of irritation for locals forced to put up with the rude behaviour of some visitors.

“Everyone wants to come here to have their picture taken,” said Monge, whose association represents homeowners in this private residential community that was established in 1972.

“We don’t have anything against tourism, but sometimes it feels like we’re living in Disneyland Paris,” he sighed.

READ ALSO: Good tourist, bad tourist – How to travel responsibly in Spain

Behind him is a sign asking visitors to be “respectful” and “quiet”.

“We have put these up everywhere… because some tourists walk on the walls and climb up to the rooftops” or even open doors and go inside the homes “to see who is living there”, he said.

‘Negative social aspect’

Residents recently decided to limit access to their picturesque streets, with visitors only allowed between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm.

And on August 15th, they will vote on whether to go even further and ban visitors altogether.

But the initiative has raised debate.

“It’s good to limit visitors at night. But if the village is totally closed, it will have a negative effect on businesses,” said Maria Neyla Ramírez, who runs El Patio restaurant and is hoping to see “a bit of flexibility”.

And while many visitors understand, they also want to keep coming.

“For the people who live here, it’s special. But that’s tourism… we like to see beautiful things,” admits Jean-Marie Bassut, 66, from southeastern France.

Tourist sunbathe on La Cala de la Olla beach, near Binibeca. (Photo by JAIME REINA / AFP)

Monge insists that it is possible to have a balance.

The village can’t have “busload after busload” of tourists coming in “without any kind of regulation,” he said, hoping the restrictions will raise awareness.

It’s not only Binibeca Vell that is affected by overtourism. Last year, a record 17.8 million people visited the Balearic Islands, both from Spain and abroad.

And the figures are expected to be even higher this year.

“The Balearic Isles have reached their limit,” regional leader Marga Prohens of the right-wing Popular Party (PP) said last week.

She said the “negative social impact” should be taken into account to make tourism “compatible with the residents’ lives”.

‘Not for sale’

At the end of May, several thousand people hit the streets of Mallorca, Menorca and Ibiza – the three main Balearic islands – to demand steps to limit overtourism under the slogan: “Our islands are not for sale”.

READ ALSO: ‘Ibiza can’t take it anymore’: Spanish island plans mass tourism protest

Residents point to the noise levels, the clogged roads and the pollution – but above all the impact on house prices, which have surged in recent years as many apartments have been transformed into tourist accommodation.

Faced with growing local exasperation, the authorities have taken a number of steps.

Some towns in Mallorca and Ibiza have restricted the sale of alcohol in shops after 9:30 pm, as well as imposing a ban on drinking in the streets.

READ ALSO: No, Spain’s Balearics haven’t banned tourists from drinking alcohol

In Mallorca, the mayor of the island’s capital is also planning to ban new tourist accommodation and limit the arrival of cruise ships.

Ibiza also wants to tighten the rules for party boats.

The regional government has set up a committee of experts to draw up a “roadmap” for the archipelago in the hope of finding some long-term solutions.

Although both lawmakers and locals feel some restrictions are necessary, it will be a tricky balance to find in a region that gets 45 percent of its income from tourism.

“We do want tourists to come… and enjoy the natural paradise we have here,” says Joaquin Quintana, 51, gazing down at Binibeca’s calm waters.

“But it’s important to find a balance.”

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PROPERTY

VUT, AT and VV: Why Spain’s holiday let categories matter to owners

Have you ever seen the acronyms VUT, AT and VV when it comes to renting out your apartment short-term to tourists? Confused and want to know what it all means and why it matters for you? Read on to find out.

Published: 19 June 2024 14:52 CEST
VUT, AT and VV: Why Spain's holiday let categories matter to owners

VUT stands for Vivienda Uso Turístico or Property for Tourist Use, while AT stands for Apartamento Turístico or Tourist Apartment.

Sometimes tourist apartments are called VVs or Viviendas Vacacionales (Holiday Homes). They have the same rules and classifications as ATs, but are just called by a different name.

These two categories above, although are similar, are actually different and mean different things for both those who want to rent out their properties and those renting them.

The main differences are in the legal requirements, in accordance with the regulations of each region they’re located in.

READ ALSO – UPDATE: Which cities in Spain have new restrictions on tourist rentals?

What are VUTs?

VUTs can be houses, apartments, chalets or individual rooms and they can be rented through agencies or directly from the landlord. They are rented out for days or weeks at a time to tourists, but are rarely rented out for months, because then they would then be considered as tourist apartments (ATs) or long-term lets instead.  

The exact amount of time they can be rented for typically depends on the rules in each different region in Spain. These regional regulations also determine if you need a tourist licence to rent out your property or if you need to register with an agency for example.

They can be someone’s habitual home, which is occasionally rented out on platforms such as Airbnb when they go on holiday for instance. Or a home that is only rented out to tourists during a particular season.

What are ATs?

ATs on the other hand are only for tourist use and are never used as someone’s habitual home as well. In order to be legal, they need to have a tourist licence, register with competent organisations, adhere to quality and security regulations and also provide services such as cleaning and possibly a reception or concierge.

Tourist apartments are governed by Royal Decree 75/1997, which regulates the legal regime for the control of tourist apartment establishments.

Again, each region in Spain has its own laws regarding these types of accommodations. Some places have limits on the number of them allowed, while others have regulations on where they’re allowed.

For example, Seville recently announced it wouldn’t grant any more tourist licences for apartments located in the Old Town neighbourhoods, while Barcelona hasn’t been issuing new ones for years.

Málaga has also introduced new rules that tourist apartments must have separate entrances and some regions only allow them on the first floor of a building.

What are the main differences between ATs and VUTs?

ATs are intended for tourism use, with usually a stay of no more than three months, anywhere above this time and it’s a long-term let.

VUTs as mentioned before are typically rented out for less than 30 days and in some regions, it can only be a maximum of five days.

If you have a VUT, it’s not required for you to provide professional services, like cleaning, although if you rent it out on a platform like Airbnb you will be expected to carry out these duties, even if you do it yourself.

But, remember the classification isn’t always up to you and what you intend to use the property for. For example, in Barcelona a tourist licence is needed for any rentals of fewer than 31 days and the property must be for tourism purposes only, therefore it can only be a AT and not a VUT.

What do I need to know regarding these classifications?

Basically, whether your property is a VUT or an AT, you need to contact your local authorities before you start renting it out to tourists for any length of time and find out what the local rules and regulations are.

If you’re a tourist, then you’ll know that ATs typically have more regulations than VUTs and offer more services, and you can be sure that they’re legal and have a tourist licence too.

If the property is a VUT and just rented out to holidaymakers occasionally, it’s important to find out what services, if any, will be included and if the property is operating legally. You can do this by asking them for their tourist licence number, if one is needed.

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