MALLORCA TODAY - New tourism law for the Balearics and Mallorca

The Balearic Government's proposals for reforming the tourism law have been presented for public consideration. The proposals, that have been widely publicised, include:

• provision for condohotels,
• removal of administrative restraints (largely as they apply to hotels),
• change of use of obsolete hotel stock so that dwellings of 90 square metres can be created,
• tourism use of buildings "catalogued" as such,
• commercialisation of holiday homes, of the type that has become popular in Pollensa.

The new law also envisages far tougher sanctions against the "illegal offer" of tourism accommodation, with the government prepared to come down "tremendously hard" on such accommodation; fines could now rise to 400,000 euros.