Towns, cities and whole regions across Europe are testing out different tactics when it comes to mitigating the impacts of overtourism, and a popular destination in Majorca has just thrown a new one into the mix.
Soller sits on the northwest coast of Majorca, amidst lush greenery and orange trees, and the town’s narrow cobbled streets are lined with tapas bars and ice-cream shops. It’s a popular base for hiking, though plenty of travellers stop by for the day on the vintage train from Palma – sounds idyllic, doesn’t it?
However, locals have been calling for change to manage the town’s traffic problem for a while now, and the introduction of a ‘residents-only zone’ has just been announced.
RECOMMENDED: This popular Spanish region is doubling its tourist tax – here’s why.
According to Birmingham Live, councillor for mobility Pep Porcel says the aim is to ensure visitors arriving by car ‘leave them parked at the car parks which will soon be set up next to the Desvío road.’
The new zone stretches from there to Isabel II, Sant Jaume-Pere Serra, Camino del Murterar, Andreu Coll and Cetre, enclosing 12 streets where only registered vehicles will be allowed to enter. This comes just two weeks after the town imposed a ban on hire cars in its centre, according to the Express, but not everybody is convinced this no-go zone is going to have the desired effect.
Some locals are hopeful, but others have pointed out that there’s a lack of clarity over who will be able to register their vehicles, and that residents of the town who use their cars more than those who live within the zone might have their routines unfairly disrupted.
Stay tuned for more updates, and in the meantime, have a look at the best things to do in Majorca.
Did you see that these are Europe’s busiest airports, according to a new report?
Plus: This Austrian coffee shop is officially the best in Europe (and third-best in the world)
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Travel newsletter for all the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.
