A travel firm has erupted in fury over an impending regulation in Majorca intended to cap guided walking tours at just 20 participants. The Balearic Islands' Travel Agencies Business Association (Aviba) has blasted the proposed cap as 'disproportionate' and 'nonsensical'. Speaking to Ultima Hora, Aviba's top brass Pedro Fiol declared: "If this is implemented, you can be sure that we will stop bringing tourists to the city of Palma. Operationally, it would be unfeasible and very costly.".
Fiol then remarked that the agency was blindsided by the proposal 'not consulted' on the matter at all. To add further concern, Mr Fiol pointed out that this particular rule wasn't included in the preliminary version that was made public. It came as a 'complete surprise' during a Wednesday presentation (November 27), according to reports, reports the Express. Although their current authorization allows for guiding groups as large as 70, Aviba contends they never actually do so; instead, they typically operate with about 50 tourists.
Based on Mr Fiol's comments, slashing the group size to a mere 20 individuals will necessitate higher prices, effectively passing the cost onto customers pinching their spending power at the destination itself. It has been reported that he views the proposal as showing a 'lack of understanding' about the way tours operate, often spanning multiple municipalities. He suggests that under new regulations, more guides will need to be hired implying that if a tour starts in one area, such as Part Forana, and moves on to Palma, they would require separate guidance for each segment.
