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Formentera faces a growing controversy over proposals for a new tax aimed at day visitors and hikers. As summer crowds swell, the impact is becoming much harder to ignore.

 

The island, stretching just 83 square kilometres, frequently welcomes numbers far beyond its capacity, leading to noticeable environmental deterioration. Sensitive areas such as the Posidonia oceanica meadows, which help keep waters crystal clear, are under threat, alongside dune erosion and beach wear. These changes are especially visible around Ses Salines Natural Park, which includes marine and land habitats between Ibiza and Formentera.

 

According to the Formentera Council, thousands of day trippers arrive by ferry from Ibiza, hire vehicles, pack out beaches and roads, then leave before evening, often without supporting the local economy. Tourism Minister Artal Mayans explained, “We want what is currently a burden to become an opportunity to reduce the tax burden on residents.” The aim is for those using public services, from waste collection to lighting, to help fund the island’s sustainability.

 

One of the main ideas being floated is a special tax for day hikers and short-term visitors. However, Mayans admits the process is complicated by European regulations surrounding the free movement of people, and told local media, “It won’t be ready next year.” Legal and technical studies are already underway, but progress towards implementation will take time.

 

Meanwhile, congestion at Illetes beach, the archipelago’s top tourist spot, has become a symbol of mass tourism. Here, queues of cars, swarms of bathers, and boats anchored on delicate posidonia meadows create both environmental and logistical problems. The Council is considering a mandatory reservation system for Ses Salines Natural Park to better spread out visitor arrivals and reduce pressures on fragile habitats.

 

Residents and environmental groups have voiced their worries, insisting that Formentera cannot support current visitor levels indefinitely without risking its most valuable asset - a unique natural environment in the Mediterranean. While these proposed measures aren’t immediate, there’s clear cross-party agreement that a balance between tourism and preservation is urgently needed.

 

 

Image: Karol Chomka/Unsplash