Related news: Mallorca tourism: The impossibility of camping and caravan holidays

The pandemic gave a boost to caravan tourism and camping . There were health benefits from social distancing and being outdoors. But in Mallorca, despite the appeal of this type of tourism, there weren't the facilities. On the mainland, by contrast, there were the facilities. Camping tourism enjoyed a boom - in Catalonia and Valencia in particular.

There hasn't in fact been a site that truly merited a description 'camping' for some 25 years. But an association of caravaners and campers, AMMICCA, is now determined to press for a regulatory framework that permits and protects this activity and that will create sites in Mallorca. In support of its demands, the association says it represents "new responsible tourism " that distributes wealth among small businesses.

In 2020 there were around 350 campsites in Spain . By 2023 there were some 800. Catalonia is the market leader. The Balearics sit at the bottom of the regional ranking. There are five sites. They are in Ibiza and Menorca and not all of these operate in the low season. In Mallorca there isn't a single one, although there is a place for a limited number of caravans and motorhomes to park in Son Serra de Marina.

Along the Bay of Alcudia from Son Serra is what is now known as the Valentin Playa de Muro Hotel. For a time it was called Blue Bay Resort. But even under that name, it was locally remembered as 'Camping' . Bus schedules continued to refer to Camping years after it had ceased to be. The change was brought about as the result of a sanctioning procedure by the ministry of tourism. This was soon after the first PSOE-led coalition took power in 1999. The site had a permit as a campsite but the ministry considered that it was operating a hotel regime . It had caravans and some bungalows. To cut a long story short, there was a change to the licence, the camping disappeared and the number of bungalows increased. It became a hotel.

One has to go back further, though, to understand why camping is so limited in the Balearics. Following the establishment of regional autonomous government in 1983, the first tourism ministry was created. The minister was Jaume Cladera. With hotel interests, he had been a leading figure at the Fomento del Turismo, the private Mallorca Tourist Board which until 1983 had been central to much tourism organisation and promotion.

Cladera set about introducing a host of decrees to regulate tourism . One of them, passed in 1986, specifically dealt with camping. The requirements of this decree didn't make camping impossible but they did make it very difficult. That decree is the single most important reason why there are nowadays just the five sites. On the mainland, by contrast, camping was to flourish. Today there are some quite grand sites, such as one in Benidorm.

The current tourism ministry is working on new regulations. These are said to be at an "embryonic" stage. In January 2024, the Council of Mallorca agreed to consult with town halls on finding suitable spaces for parking and overnight stays for motorhomes, caravans and camper vans. There has been no major progress since then; quite the opposite. More and more municipalities are restricting the parking of these vehicles. Muro has agreed to create a space next to the Escola Graduada in the town. This is a preliminary measure to banning parking on the coast.

AMMICCA is determined to bring about regulatory change, but the chances of anything significant are limited. Spaces with services for parking may be created. As for large campsites , it can be concluded that there will never be any.

Motorhome dwellers want nothing to do with Palma protest by motorhome 'tourists'

Motorhomes banned from the whole of Can Picafort

Twenty euros a night for parking a motorhome in Son Serra de Marina

Camping - a tourism that will never be in Mallorca

The impossibility of camping and caravan holidays in Mallorca

Motorhome dwellers want nothing to do with Palma protest by motorhome 'tourists'

Motorhomes banned from the whole of Can Picafort

Twenty euros a night for parking a motorhome in Son Serra de Marina

Camping - a tourism that will never be in Mallorca