Earlier this year, the Balearic Islands government approved a new law requiring tourism businesses to implement pioneering sustainability measures. 

Balearic islands go sustainable

The Government of the Balearic Islands will invest 55M euros to serve its aim of becoming the first circular destination in the world, and as such, all-tourism businesses will be required to have a circularity plan encompassing aspects like waste, water use, and clean energies.

Every hotel must install water-saving devices in bathrooms, prohibit single-use amenities and change oil boilers for gas or electric ones in order to emit 57,600 kilos less CO2 per establishment each year. The law will promote making use of rainwater – a factor which will be considered when classifying establishments – and tourist establishments must measure their water consumption. 

Finally, the law sets out to increase the protection of chambermaids, a group greatly affected by accidents at work related to overexertion. Thus, from the year 2023, hotels on the islands must install elevating (mechanic or electric) beds to facilitate their work, a measure which requires renewing 300,000 beds, from which over 20,000 hotel workers will benefit. 

The President of the Balearic Islands, Francina Armengol says that ‘the new laws bring together a series of measures which will allow a more inclusive and sustainable form of economic growth; an improvement in the cohabitation of workers, residents and tourists; a more efficient use of resources; as well as boosting public-private collaboration’