As countries across Europe crack down on overtourism, one stunning Spanish holiday hotspot has introduced a ‘residents only’ zone.
The largest of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca is known for its crystal blue waters, gourmet food scene and, famously, for having more than 300 days of sunshine each year. And, found on the north coast is Sóller, a destination hailed as a ‘typical old Mediterranean town.’
But increasingly, some locals are concerned that too many are being charmed by its beauty, as the council introduces a ‘residents only’ zone blacklisting hire cars from the town centre.
While it’s not known roughly how many people visit Sóller each year, a whopping 15.3 million international tourists flocked to the Balearics in 2024, an increase of 6.15% from 2023, as per the Border Tourist Movement Survey.
Now, Sóller Council is experimenting with a new policy that’ll see the introduction of a low-emission zone, according to reports in the Majorca Daily Bulletin.
And, across 70 hectares of the town, which spans 12 streets, only residents with registered cars will be allowed to drive, with no hire cars – or cars not registered to the area – allowed.
According to Sóller’s councillor for mobility, Pep Porcel, the new policy will ensure that visitors arriving in a car will ‘leave them parked in the car parks’ to be set up ‘next to the Desvío road.’
The Majorca Daily Bulletin described the current situation in Soller as ‘one long snaking queue practically from the tunnel to the port,’ while elsewhere, Redditors have long wondered whether the destination is getting too busy.
@zobovaultgirl labelled the beach ‘lovely’ but ‘packed,’ while @Merkaartor noted that, particularly during the summer months, there are never ‘enough taxis’ and ‘parking will be hard.’
This isn’t the first Spanish holiday destination to put its foot down.
Last year, Barcelona locals used water guns to deter rowdy tourists, while more recently, Málaga took action with a new three-year law subsequently dubbed a ‘tourist ban.’
However, the term is somewhat misleading, as the law doesn’t ban tourists from anywhere. Instead, it prevents the registration of any new holiday rentals across 43 districts in the area.
And, over in Italy, which is on the cusp of marking one of its busiest periods on record as it celebrates its Jubilee year, a new rule to save Florence from overtourism has proved controversial.
In 2024, 364,073 people called the city home, and yet each year, around 11 million flock to experience its famous food, history and culture.
Now, many locals have seemingly had enough. The city council has announced that Florence will ban self-check-in keyboxes typically used by short-term holiday lets such as Airbnb, which act as a buffer between a host and their travelling guests.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE: Rush hour delays on London Underground and Elizabeth line after signal issues
MORE: British backpacker in a coma in Thailand after ‘horrific’ motorbike crash
MORE: Where is hot in May? 17 destinations for a sunny holiday
