UK tourists heading to Majorca face new law as local government says ‘too many cars’ | World | News

UK tourists travelling to Majorca are likely to face a new law as authorities in the holiday hotspot declare there are “too many cars” crowding the island. Officials are claiming Majorca is home to up to 122,397 more cars than it can accommodate, with tourists playing their part by either reaching the Balearic island with their own vehicles or hiring one to travel around.

The island draws in over 13 million tourists annually, with 75,000 to 125,000 hire cars on the roads during the peak summer months. Yesterday, June 5, the Council of Majorca approved regulations that will cap the number of vehicles exempt from paying Balearic Islands vehicle tax and impose a limit on the number of hire cars available. This law will be registered by the Balearic Parliament on Monday and it will be forwarded to the Balearic Government for its opinion.

There will then be a period for possible amendments, meaning the law is unlikely to impact the current summer season.

The councillor for mobility, Fernando Rubio, said he estimates “that the law could be approved between December and February”.

To establish the vehicle limit for 2027, Rubio said a traffic load study will be implemented based on data from the past two years.

“This study will be based on data from 2024, 2025, and 2026 and will provide a more up-to-date and accurate picture of current traffic conditions”, said Rubio.

Figures from the Balearic Ports Authority highlight that 378,609 vehicles entered Majorca via the ports of Palma and Alcudia in 2024.

The Council of Majorca also conducted a recent study and found that the largest Balearic Island can, at most, support 863,061 cars. In the most restrictive model, the island can only support 834,263 cars.

Rubio said: “The study we had already presented indicated that there were between 93,599 and 122,397 too many cars. It also stated that at that time there should be between 834,263 and 863,061 cars at most.

“To understand the complexity of this issue, the number of cars entering the island decreased in 2025 compared to the previous year. That’s why it’s important to have constantly updated figures in order to regulate wisely.”