Authorities in Mallorca have passed a new law placing restrictions on tourist pub crawls a week after an incident in Magaluf in which an 18-year-old girl from Northern Ireland was filmed performing sex acts on more than 20 men.
Footage of the incident, which took place during a bar crawl organised by controversial company Carnage Magaluf, went viral after being posted on social media sites and is now being investigated by police.
The resort has long had a reputation among British tourists for its boozy, sexually charged holidays, but the shocking nature of this latest story – widely reported in the British media – has put increasing pressure on authorities to be seen to be addressing the problem.
While the new law has been in the planning stages for several months, today's announcement comes after days of intense scrutiny from local and international press.
Announcing the legislation today, Manuel Onieva, the mayor of the Calvià region, which includes Magaluf and five other resorts popular with British tourists, spoke of his "total rejection and anger at the activities which were carried out in a video which is currently on the social media circuit."
"This week I have passed a law giving us tighter control over the operation of pub crawl organisers and we are the first municipality resort to implement a law such as this," he said.
"The law will come into effect this month and companies operating pub crawls in Calvià now have to apply for a licence through the town hall. They have to prove their responsibility and show that they have the appropriate civil insurances in place."
Among the rules put in place by the new law is the requirement for all pub crawl guides to wear a specific jacket so they can monitored easily by local police.
The law also puts a limit on the number of people who can attend in each group, limiting pub crawls to 50 people. Operators exceeding the new limits will face fines. Some Magaluf pub crawls – particularly popular with teenagers who have just finished their A-levels – can be attended by around 200 British tourists.
However not everyone believes the new law will be enough. The Socialist opposition party has called for all pub crawls to be banned outright, while others have dismissed the new measures as "token".
"Something needs to be done about Magaluf," says Jason Moore, editor of English language newspaper the Majorca Daily Bulletin. "The mayor of Calvià is under a lot of pressure, but these are token gestures and I think a lot of people on the island would want a bigger crackdown."
Speaking to The Guardian, he added: "Even the local bar owners are saying they want pub crawls outlawed - having large groups suddenly turn up scares off the regular customers and they don't make much money out of them either."
Carnage Magaluf is one of many companies offering bar crawls in Magaluf. On its website it advertises package deals that offer tourists a bar crawl, boat party and club night for £79.99. Their "famous" bar crawl takes place four days a week and offers "four hours of free unlimited drinking" as well as "wild drinking/party and shot games at each bar."
For the past two years Calvià town hall has been working to change the perception of the region and promote the high quality hotels and resorts that are available on the island.
"It is such a shame that an irresponsible act by one rogue operator is threatening to undo our hard work," said Onieva. "Our commitment to promote our beautiful region to the UK remains as strong as ever."
