The municipal group of Vox in Palma warns that guided tours by unqualified individuals have increased by 60% in six years, since the mandatory registration was abolished in 2020. The party demands more inspections and the reinstatement of mandatory registration.
Labour intrusion among tour guides in Palma has surged. According to the municipal group of Vox, the number of tours conducted by individuals without official qualifications has grown by 60% since 2020, when the Balearic Government, then led by the PSOE, abolished mandatory registration through Decree-Law 8/2020, approved in the context of the covid-19 pandemic.
Vox will present a motion at the next plenary session of the Palma City Council, scheduled for July, to demand urgent measures against this practice. The party's spokesperson, Fulgencio Coll, has pointed out that the situation harms both qualified professionals and the quality of the tourism offering in the Balearic capital.
The abolition of mandatory registration ended what was established in Law 5/2004, which in its article 4 required registration to work as a tour guide in the Balearic Islands. Since then, the increase in labour intrusion has been progressive, and the inspection actions by the Administration have been, according to Vox, clearly insufficient.
To obtain the official title of tour guide in Mallorca, it is necessary to pass a qualification test that is periodically called by the Mallorca Council. Additionally, it is required to hold a higher vocational training degree, diploma, or university degree in related areas.
The Official College of Tour Guides of the Balearic Islands, which supports Vox's complaint, also demands greater involvement from the administrations. The entity believes it should continue to participate in all strategic and working groups on tourism that are organized.
In the same vein, the PIMEM-Proguías de Turismo association has reported this week that some qualified guides are suffering attacks, threats, and coercion during their activities. The entity warns that a narrative attributing negative connotations to tourism is spreading, which at times is projected against those who work legally in the sector.
Proguías Mallorca defends that qualified guides engage in legal activities, pay their taxes, and contribute to the Balearic economy. Therefore, it demands a clear response from the administrations and protective measures to be able to carry out their work safely.
Vox, for its part, demands that the Mayor of Palma, Jaime Martínez (PP), establish contact with the Official College of Tour Guides to coordinate actions against labour intrusion. The party also urges the Balearic Government to reinstate mandatory registration in the regional legislation.
Vox's motion includes a request for more inspections of tours and tour guides, especially in the historic centre of Palma, where most of the activity is concentrated. The party believes that collaboration with the professional college is key to ensuring service quality and protecting legally qualified guides.
Tour guides in Palma have been alerting about this situation for years. In 2023, they already warned that the city's civic ordinance clashed with regional regulations, and in 2024 they requested limiting visitor groups to 25 people to improve the quality of visits. Now, the increase in labour intrusion adds a new concern to a sector that considers vital for the island's tourism image.
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