Despite its reputation as a bastion of Great British Culture, the humble lads holiday is at a threat of extinction. This week, authorities from Spain’s Balearic Islands – which include Ibiza, Mallorca and Menora – have said that drunk holidaymakers could be banned from the isles if they don’t keep their anti-social behaviour in check.

According to James Bauza, the head of tourism for the islands, if revellers don’t adhere to new strict regulations – which are yet to be announced – they could be sent packing, never to return again. After a meeting of the Commission for the Promotion of Civism in Tourist Zones, Bauza told local outlet Diario de Ibiza that the severity of bans would depend on the “crime or infraction committed”.

“I’ve expressed the master lines and nothing’s being ruled out or confirmed at this stage,” Bauza continued, “Then it will need to have a legal framework. The main thing is to target companies as well, but above all those people who behave in a way that is not tolerable, here or anywhere.”

Before now, the Balearics already attempted to clamp down on anti-social behaviour, but only in specific places like Magaluf in Mallorca and Ibiza’s Sant Antoni de Portmany resort. A decree against excess tourism was introduced in 2020, banning things like happy hours, 2-for-1 drinks parties, and advertising bar crawls. 24-hour off licences were also forced to close between 9:30pm and 8am, and tourists caught balcony-hopping could face fines of up to £50k.

The Islands’ new right-wing regional government indicated that they want the new rules to cover more than just the specific resorts in Ibiza and Mallorca. They also intend to change the name of the decree against excess tourism to one of ‘responsible tourism’ to avoid the negative connotations the title might bring.

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