British Holidaymaker Says Majorca Trip Was Ruined Because Of New Binge Drinking Rule
British tourists hoping to a enjoy a holiday in Majorca were left 'upset and angry' due to a new law related to the drinks on offer on all-inclusive holidays and island resorts.
Jason Walker, 42, travelled to the island of Majorca this month to celebrate his cousin's birthday after having forked out £240 for the three-night trip with travel operator Love Holidays.
Assuming the deal entitled him to as much food and drink as he wanted, Jason didn't account for extra costs in his budget. But upon arriving in Majorca he and his family learned there were limits on how much alcohol they would be allowed to consume each day.
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"We only found out when we checked in and only budgeted so much because thought all our food and drink would be covered," Jason said.
"We were very upset and angry. We’ve come as a family of eight to celebrate my cousin’s 40th and while we have still had a good time, we have incurred extra costs as a result."
The restrictions come as the result of a new law announced by Spanish officials in January which states 'alcoholic drinks will be limited to six per day'.
The ruling forms part of a package of measures designed to crack down on anti-social behaviour and affects certain resort areas of the Balearic Islands, including Palma, Ibiza and Magaluf. The rules are also believed to include bans on pub crawls, happy hours and two-for-one drinks offers, with those found to be breaking the rules at risk of facing large fines.
Jason acknowledged the Spanish government's attempts to 'stem alcohol abuse and rowdy behaviour', but expressed belief the rules should be better advertised.
"I think this has been done very sneakily – I was not made aware of it and didn’t know about the law. We are also here as a family and all-inclusive is great for families as you don’t have to worry about budgeting for food and drink," he said.
The 42-year-old is calling on travel operators to offer more information about how trips might be affected by the laws, and expressed belief that holidays with a three drink per meal rule should not 'be sold as an all-inclusive holiday'.
He added: “If you are booking an all-inclusive holiday, I recommend that you look at the small print and see what is actually included and what’s not because the rules have changed.”
A spokesperson for the The Travel Association (ABTA) admitted the rules have the potential to cause 'confusion' among holidaymakers, saying: "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.
"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."
LADbible has reached out to Love Holidays and the ABTA for further comment.
Topics: Food And Drink, Travel, UK News
Emily Brown