Local authorities on the popular holiday island are coming under intense pressure to discriminate against foreigners in favour of local residents.

15:57, Mon, Nov 17, 2025 Updated: 16:03, Mon, Nov 17, 2025

MAJORCA

A marina in Majorca (Image: Getty)

Holidaymakers with deep pockets may want to start looking beyond Majorca for their next yachting holiday. Local residents in the Balearic Islands should be given priority when it comes to acquiring moorings in ports, according to the PSIB socialist party. The Balearics have long been a magnet for tourists from all over the world, who visit the islands in their millions.

Last year, a whopping 18.7 million visitors descended on the islands, looking to enjoy their unique blend of stunning coastlines, great food and breathtaking natural landscapes. While most tourists travel by aeroplane, many also arrive on the islands on their private yachts. Marinas have sprouted up all over the islands in a bid to meet demand, with Majorca boosting at 15,000 moorings.

SPAIN

Marc Pons is a socialist party MP (Image: Getty)

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However, anger is growing among residents, many of whom find themselves unable to afford a mooring for their boats due to the competition from wealthy foreigners.

The PSIB is aiming to exploit this discontent to push an amendment to new port laws being currently processed by the local parliament.

The party insists that priority for mooring places should be given to residents who have lived on the island for five years.

Socialist MP Marc Pons wants the government to consider revoking some mooring concessions, arguing they should be returned to public management.

He explained his proposals were an attempt to stem the loss suffered by Balearic citizens to non-residents who arrive with greater financial resources.

The socialist MP noted that there are similar plans to introduce restrictions to the property market. New laws could soon be implemented in Majorca that would prevent non-residents from buying houses on the island.

It comes in the wake of plans by Spain's government to impose a tax of up to 100% on the value of properties bought by non-residents from countries outside the EU, such as the UK.

The idea for the property tax was first floated by Spain's Prime Minister in January, who claimed it was needed to combat the housing crisis in the country.

Non-EU residents bought 27,000 properties in Spain in 2023, he told an economic forum in Madrid, "not to live in" but "to make money from them".

"Which, in the context of shortage that we are in, [we] obviously cannot allow," he added.