In recent years, the two island bodies have detected urban planning infractions such as the creation of new accommodation without a licence, irregular swimming pools and a cowshed converted into a spa.

The Department of Tourism and the Territorial Defence Agency (ADT), which is part of the Consell de Mallorca’s Department of Territory, Mobility and Infrastructures, collaborate in the fight against illegal tourism on rural land. In recent years, as a result of the collaboration between these two island bodies, the creation of tourist accommodation without a licence, irregular swimming pools and even a cowshed converted into a spa have been detected.

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The fight against illegal tourism on rustic land

One of the most recent cases is the discovery made by the ADT in an existing tourist establishment, following the detection of unlicensed excavation work on protected rural land. Seven new accommodation units had been created without planning permission, based on the change of use of existing buildings that had been used for agricultural or livestock purposes, and unlicensed works had been carried out affecting some 1,200 square metres, including a new swimming pool.

Apart from opening the corresponding urban planning infringement file, the ADT brought these facts to the attention of the Consell de Mallorca’s Tourism inspectors, so that this department could also take the sanctioning actions foreseen in the tourism legislation.

In addition to the creation of these seven new accommodation units, other urban planning illegalities were also detected on the same plot. This is the case of the conversion of a 400 square metre cowshed into a spa; the opening of new roads, which occupy some 10,500 square metres of the estate; new paving and other constructions totalling some 475 square metres.

The collaboration between Tourism and the ADT has made it possible to detect other irregularities in the tourist offer on rural land throughout Mallorca: a 340 square metre house with a swimming pool; two tourist houses of 140 and 65 square metres with a swimming pool on the same plot, and three tourist houses of between 125 and 255 square metres, with the corresponding swimming pool.