IBIZA CAN’T HANDLE INCREASES IN TOURISM, WARNS LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Local government officials in Ibiza have warned that it will be unable to handle increases in tourism in the future, due to pressures being place on the island's infrastructure.

With countries like Turkey, Tunisia and Egypt suffering terrorist attacks in recent years, holidaymakers are looking to the mediterranean islands once again as a safer option for their annual holiday.

One place that’s expecting another sharp rise in visitor numbers is Ibiza, with local government officials worried that increased tourist numbers will put too much strain on the island.

“More people on the islands means more people consuming our resources (water, environment...) Nowadays we have nearly 100,000 legal touristic beds and a registered population of 13,000 inhabitants, approximately,” explained Department of Tourism head Vicente Torres to Pulse. “The island is just 572 km²; we cannot support much more increase in tourism”.

Torres’ main concern is the island’s ability to deliver fresh, potable water which means the island needs to invest in better, more reliable infrastructure including roads, treatment and desalination plants.

The new government, which has been in power since January, has already taken some drastic measures including a tourism tax and a moratorium on building on certain areas on the island — which he hopes will make a difference in the years ahead.

Torres is hoping that with more bipartisan support, Ibiza can and will be able to overcome its sustainability challenges if the difficult decisions are taken now.

“Not all institutions on the island have the same colour government. Therefore, it is necessary to arrive at a consensus and fix a breaking point. It is a must that we need to solve and take a decision for the good of our future.”