Officials have announced a major crackdown on the number of cruise ships allowed to dock at the holiday port of Palma de Mallorca.
The government of the Balearic Islands has reached an agreement in Spain with the main international shipping companies and cruise employers' groups (CLIA) to limit the number of mega cruises allowed to enter the port of Palma this year.
The move could cut the number of vessels visiting the Majorcan capital by 15 per cent, compared to pre-pandemic levels when more than 2.6m cruise-ship tourists visited the Balearic Islands. Most UK operators in the Mediterranean embark or call at the port.
It means the port of Palma will be able to host a maximum of three cruises a day and only one of the vessels will be one of the huge mega-cruise vessels, with a capacity for more than 5,000 passengers.
Minister of Tourism for the Balearic Islands Iago Negueruela has emphasised that the agreement is not to only limit arrivals but also addresses environmental concerns, which will result in more sustainability and respect for surroundings.
Cruise ship programmes are often scheduled months in advance, so the new daily limits will include 20 exemption days to honour contracts, the regional government indicated.
On these days the limit for cruise ship arrivals would be increased to four, though the number of total passengers would be capped at 59,500 a week.
The agreement is set to be in place for the next five years.
Studies have estimated that tourism linked to cruises supported more than 5,500 jobs and contributed £215m in direct and indirect revenues to the Balearics.
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