The president of the Consell de Ibiza, Vicent Marí, warned at the España 360 forum that “Ibiza does not want to die of success” and defended the need to impose limits on tourism to ensure coexistence. Marí recalled that the island, with 150,000 inhabitants, receives 3.5 million visitors a year — a level of pressure which, applied to Spain as a whole, would be equivalent to more than 800 million tourists. “Tourism is managed, not questioned”, he stressed.
Marí reviewed the milestones that have led to the current situation: the modernisation of the hotel sector, the rise of low-cost airlines and holiday rental platforms, and the subsequent response of civil society and public administrations to the effects of uncontrolled tourism.
Among the measures implemented, he highlighted the fight against illegal accommodation, which has led to the removal of thousands of places from the market, as well as the limit on vehicle entries during the high season. He also called for solutions to improve access to housing for workers and reiterated that “tourism must be managed” so that Ibiza can remain a leading yet sustainable destination.
Marí encouraged other territories to learn from the island’s experience and plan ahead to avoid irreversible tourism pressure.
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