The Balearic Government plans to allocate 15 million euros of tourist tax revenue to the demolition of obsolete or abandoned tourist accommodation.
The tourism ministry's proposal will be presented for approval at the meeting of the Sustainable Tourism Tax Commission at the end of October. It is very likely to be approved.
The principal aim, it seems, is for demolished sites to be converted into public space - gardens, parks or social facilities. There is the possibility of building social housing. However, this is said to run up against the suitability of having residential accommodation in tourist centres. Conditions to ensure coexistence between residents and tourists may not apply.
Four properties have been earmarked. These are the Hotel Teix in Magalluf, the Hostal Colon in Peguera, the Topaz Apartments in Calas de Mallorca and a project in Sant Antoni in Ibiza.
Calvia Town Hall has approved the plans for Teix and the Colon, and the Teix was in fact identified by the previous government under its scheme (not carried out) for eliminating obsolete hotels. The key principle both then and now is transformation towards a higher quality tourism model.
Notwithstanding the suitability on coexistence grounds, it can be argued that housing is the more pressing priority. Unrelated to the tourist tax proposal, there is, for example, the case of the Posada de Verano in Alcudia, which the town hall wants to acquire for demolition with the intention of creating a public space. Its location is such that there would be no coexistence issue.
It might also be noted that there have been legislative attempts for the conversion of obsolete hotel stock into residential accommodation. Despite a lack of success with these initiatives, they have established a different principle, which is one focused on homes.
7 comments
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Morgan Williams“Sigh” Then where do you expect the staff who work in hotels to live ? In some grotty basement or in tents in your back garden ?
Social housing in Magaluf. Love it.
BerlingoNot everyone who resides in “social housing” is on the dole. Think of it in terms of council houses (flats).. Admittedly, in Spain they are referred to as social housing, 4 million of which were built during the bad old days between the 60’s and 80’s, and no one, or nearly no one was on the dole then.
The fact that buildings are allowed to fall into this state is the actual disgrace here. Why is the taxpayer (tourist or resident) supposed to pick up the tab? Make the owners liable. They either are compelled to fix up and maintain the property, or if they cannot afford to, to sell it to someone who can within a deadline, or if no one wants it, it gets confiscated to pay for the clean-up.
Zoltan TeglasThe cost of renovating and repairing these abandoned places is double the cost of New Build !
Well a lot of these Abandoned Hotels are in good locations if Social housing was built there not sure the local residents would be pleased about that also is it really a good idea to encourage people to live on the Dole ? These desolate places need to be Gone for sure and there are many and they promote drug meeting places as well as destroying the environment the Tourist tax needs to be used transparently and used wisely not thrown out the window by here today gone tommorow individuals !
This shows how stupid politicians are - instead of converting the hotels into affordable housing, they spend millions on demolishing them.