British tourists in Mallorca and Ibiza warned they could face ‘huge fines’ as happy hour, pub crawls and booze cruises banned

Scottish and UK tourists heading to Spain have been warned not to attend ‘illegal’ parties – or risk facing huge fines.

The Balearic Islands, which includes Mallorca and Ibiza, is clamping down on drinking and anti-social behaviour among boozy Brits.

A six drink a day limit has been introduced at popular resorts, replacing the unlimited offers of the past, and other restrictions are now in place.

It’s part of a new “tourism law” passed in early February, aimed at attracting “quality tourism” only.

It means happy hours and free bar offers are now banned on Mallorca and Ibiza, while shops selling alcohol will now be forced to close from 9.30pm to 8am every day.

The organisation of pub crawls and party boats are prohibited.

Brits jetting off to the Balearic Islands destinations this summer are being told to be aware of the new rules to avoid confusion.

British tourists in Mallorca and Ibiza warned they could face 'huge fines' due to Spanish law change

The British Embassy in Spain has issued a warning to those visiting the islands due to serious accidents that have taken place there.

A spokesperson said: “There have been a number of serious accidents involving people attending irregular commercially-promoted parties in villas and private homes on the islands of Ibiza and Majorca.

“Licensed clubs and bars are required to meet safety and security standards, including emergency exits and capacity limits, and to have trained licensed security staff. Irregular commercial parties may not meet these standards.”

The Government said: “You should take care of your belongings, ensure you know where emergency exits are located and not take unnecessary risks. Heavy fines may be imposed by local authorities to anyone attending irregular commercial parties.”

The warning comes as the Balearic councillor for the presidency, Mercedes Garrido, and the president of the Council of Ibiza, Vicent Mari, unveiled new regulations to stop “illegal parties”, which have increased “exponentially” in the last two years with the closure of discos due to the pandemic.

Landlords who rent out properties where parties are held could also be fined between 100,000 and 300,000 euros.

Another new regulation is that the fines will reach the attendees, who could be fined between 300 and 300,000 euros, depending on the seriousness of their infringement.

The ABTA, travel association, said: “ABTA strongly supports initiatives that improve the health and safety of holidaymakers, as well as the welfare of local communities.

Some of the measures introduced by the Balearic Islands authorities to limit anti-social behaviour have potential to cause confusion for UK holidaymakers, so we welcome the recent clarification from the authorities, including that the restrictions will only apply to certain limited areas in Mallorca and Ibiza rather than the whole of the Balearics as originally proposed.

“ABTA will continue to engage with the Balearic Islands Government, ABTA Members and other parties, to encourage clear communication and exchange of information, in order to ensure holidaymakers travelling to hotels in the designated areas enjoy a positive customer experience.”

Thomas Cook has sent an email to customers warning them about the limits on drinks at the Spanish resorts.