Irish tourists who have booked all-inclusive holidays at top Spanish resorts this summer are being warned about a controversial "six-drinks-a-day" law. Visitors to resorts on islands including Majorca and Ibiza, as well as some hotels in the Balearic Islands, will only be allowed to have three drinks with their meals.
And there is no way that Irish visitors will be allowed to down the six drinks in one session. They will also have to pay the going rate for beers, wines and spirits if they want more than their meagre three drinks at their meal allowance.
Fed-up local authorities in the Spanish resorts brought in the drastic measures in a bid to curb boozed-up holidaymakers, mostly from the UK, causing chaos on the islands. Ireland's leading travel writer Eoghan Corry told the Irish Mirror that the resorts had no alternative because of growing drink-fuelled disorder.
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He said: "It's been a runaway problem at all-inclusive resorts for many years. What's happened is that a small number come and try and get boozed.
"It tends not to be the cost of it that they look at, it's the disorder that can result." Spanish officials first announced the new law in January, but it has caught out Irish holidaymakers who are now arriving.
Local authorities in Spain introduced the booze ban earlier this year, which affects certain resort areas of the Balearic Islands, including Palma, Ibiza and Magaluf. The new law – which states "alcoholic drinks will be limited to six per day" – is part of a package of measures designed to crack down on anti-social behaviour.
These are also believed to include bans on pub crawls, happy hours and two-for-one drinks offers, which are all being enforced by hefty fines. It is also understood shops in these resorts will not be allowed to sell alcohol after 9.30pm during the holiday season.
Mr Corry said some Irish holidaymakers might be surprised at the rule, adding that all-inclusive deals might soon be a thing of the past. He said: "It should have been better flagged but you have to remember it's at the cheaper end of the all-inclusive business that you find this.
"It's not really at the premium end. All-inclusive is controversial anyway because tourist boards don't like it as it keeps people in the resort and doesn’t get them out to the local hotels and bars.
"Certainly in Europe, all-inclusive is becoming less and less a thing." There have been calls for travel operators to give holidaymakers more information about how their trips might be affected by the draconian laws.
Those booking all-inclusive are recommended to examine the small print and see what is actually included and not. One Twitter user claimed that inclusive holidays with booze limits should be marketed as "half-board" – and called for hotel contracts where this wasn’t clearly stated to be ripped up.
Travel operator Thomas Cook recently alerted their customers to the crackdown on free booze through an email. They said: "Please be advised that a decree has been issued by the Balearic Government on a new restriction for all-Inclusive meal options.
"There is a maximum of six alcoholic drinks per person per day that can be served and these drinks will be provided only during lunch and dinner. Please be aware that Magaluf, El Arenal, Playa de Palma in Mallorca and Sant Antoni in Ibiza, there is a new restriction on all-inclusive."
