Water shortage and mass tourism: Ibiza is on the abyss!

Water shortage and mass tourism: Ibiza is on the abyss!

Jesús, Spanien - ibiza is increasingly under the pressure of mass tourism in August. The unsolved problems associated with the rush of visitors are obvious. More and more tourists who head for the picturesque island lead not only to an overload of the infrastructure, but also to serious care bottlenecks. The seawater relaxation systems are in full operation, but drinking water remains a precious resource. Especially in the residential complex in Jesús, almost 50 houses were for days without water, which makes the misery of the infrastructure clear. In response to the situation, the municipality of Santa Eulària sent 50 letters to hotels and businesses to draw attention to the excessive water consumption. According to the defined rule, only 250 liters of water per person per day can be consumed.

The municipality even threatened with a reduction in water inflow if the consumption remains too high. The problem is that it is extremely difficult to control water consumption in hotels and private households. Many hotels neglect efficient use by watering lawns while at the same time seeping through thousands of liters of water due to dilapidated lines. Another major problem that is reinforced by mass tourism is the traffic situation in Ibiza. The streets are overcrowded, especially in August, where dangerous overtaking maneuvers are piling up.

political measures and promise

throughout Europe, especially in southern Europe, tourism continues to increase. In 2023, over 85 million international tourists visited Spain, and the previous figures for 2024 already took 42.5 million tourists in the first half of the year. This leads to protests by locals who take to the streets in cities such as Athens and Barcelona in view of mass tourism.

reactions and solutions in other regions

Barcelona plans to abolish all apartments by 2029 to create more living space for the locals. Protests are also loud in Tenerife, since expansive tourism drives up rental prices and stresses the environment. In Venice, a fee of 5 euros has been raised for day visitors since April 2024, while in Greece, investments of 2 billion euros flow into climate protection and sustainable tourism.

Dubrovnik in Croatia has already taken measures to limit the number of cruise ships in the number of cruise ships and prohibits holiday apartments in apartment buildings. Copenhagen promotes initiatives for sustainable tourism, such as "Greenkayak" and "Copenpay". It turns out that there are approaches to meet the challenges of mass tourism, but there is still a clear and comprehensive solution in many places. Ibiza is an example of how the growing pressure through tourist activities can be both a significant source of income and a significant burden.