Ibiza limits cars: new regulation for sustainable tourism!

Ibiza limits cars: new regulation for sustainable tourism!

Ibiza, Spanien - In Ibiza, new entry restrictions will come into force from June 2025. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has announced this as a measure to control mass tourism on the popular Mediterranean island more effectively. The regulation applies from June to September and stipulates that the number of incoming cars and motorhomes is limited to 20,000 per day. This decision is intended to help manage the island more sustainably because Ibiza is visited annually by around 2.6 million tourists, while the population is estimated at 150,000. The increase in the number of vehicles on the island, which has been exposed in the past two decades, is particularly worrying.

The new regulations also include that vehicles that arrive with ferries have to register in advance. This also applies to motorhomes that need a reservation on a campsite to get to the island. Motorcycles are excluded from this seasonal restriction. According to the new requirements, around 16,000 of the 20,000 permitted vehicles are used as rental cars every day, which are available on site. In addition, 4,000 private vehicles are allowed to the island every day.

sustainability in tourism

The motivation behind these measures is to ensure the sustainability of the island. Environmental Bundesamt.de describes that the term "sustainability" is complex in connection with tourism, since it includes both economic and social dimensions and concerns the environment. Ibiza, one of the most sought -after tourist goals, faces special challenges that are becoming increasingly clear in the vigor of mass tourism. In Spain there are always protests due to the overload of local infrastructures due to high tourism pressure.

Especially in cities like Barcelona, the problem of overtourism is a big topic. Here the population demands measures to secure the quality of life in the cities and to counteract rents. The Spanish authorities even ordered the deletion of more than 65,000 illegal Airbnb offers to relieve the tense housing market. orf.at Documented that the demand for living space in tourist strongholds explodes, which leads to rising rents and nationwide demonstrations for affordable rents.

The new regulations in Ibiza are an important step towards a more balanced tourism, where sustainability comes first. The Mediterranean Island tries to use these measures to find a balance between the revitalization of the economy and the preservation of its unique environment and quality of life.