Ibiza has turned the fight against illegal tourist accommodation into an issue that goes far beyond competition among lodging providers. The pressure on the island, the capacity of public services, and the sustainability of the tourism model are part of a debate in which technology and collaboration with digital platforms are beginning to play a decisive role. This approach has now been extended to Menorca, where the Council of Ibiza has outlined its strategy to combat activities operating outside the regulatory framework.
The Regional Minister of Territory, Tourism Planning, Mobility, Road Infrastructure, and Combating Illegal Practice, Mariano Juan, presented this model at the 3rd National Congress of Commercial Law and Tourism, held on October 15 and 16 at the Carme Cloister in Maó. The event brought together legal experts, academics, and institutional representatives from all over Spain to analyze the regulatory challenges facing the tourism sector.
During his speech at the roundtable titled “Unfair Competition and Its Effective Control,“ Juan advocated a change in strategy: to act on the marketing of accommodations before illegal activity occurs, rather than focusing efforts solely on inspections and subsequent penalties.
The scope of the problem helps illustrate the scope of this initiative. According to figures presented by the regional minister, it was estimated that in 2024 some 17,500 illegal tourist accommodation beds would be offered on the market in Ibiza through digital platforms, a figure almost equivalent to the total number of legal tourist accommodation beds on the island.
Moreover, the impact is not limited to the accommodation market. Accommodation that falls outside the scope of tourism planning places additional pressure on transportation, resources, public services, and community relations, while putting compliant establishments at a competitive disadvantage.
Less advertising and greater control over the market
One of the key indicators of this strategy’s progress is the trend in vacation home listings. According to data from the National Statistics Institute (INE) presented during the conference, Ibiza went from having more than 4,100 advertised properties in August 2024 to about 2,300 in May 2026. This represents a 44 percent drop. The reduction is also reflected in the advertised accommodation capacity: the number of beds offered decreased by 40 percent during the same period, from over 28,000 to less than 18,000.
These results are part of the work initially carried out with Airbnb and later expanded to Booking and Vrbo, with the objective of identifying and filtering vacation rental listings. Beyond the reduction in numbers, the Council highlights an improvement in the traceability of listings, a key factor for locating properties, verifying their administrative status, and taking action in cases of irregularities. The strategy is supported by a monitoring system that combines the geolocation of listings with the location of legally authorized accommodations, database cross-referencing, and the verification of images and registration numbers.
According to the data presented by Juan, these tools typically allow for the detection of between 25 and 30 ads per day and accelerate the verification process, with a response time of approximately 48 hours. The goal is to reduce the time between the detection of a possible irregularity and administrative intervention.
Collaboration with platforms: a key element
Technology is only one part of the model. The Council has also promoted a collaborative framework with digital platforms, business organizations, and professional associations in the tourism sector, with the aim of improving the regulation of supply and fostering more orderly development of the sector.
This work, which began through specific working groups, has been consolidated with the creation of the Intrusions Working Group, designed as a permanent forum for sharing information, tracking developments in service delivery, and coordinating actions.
The approach is based on a practical premise: in a market where lodging is marketed through digital channels, the authorities’ ability to oversee the sector also depends on their access to reliable information and on cooperation with the intermediaries who publish the listings.
In addition to this technological and collaborative aspect, there has been an increase in public resources dedicated to inspection. Since 2023, the number of tourism and transport inspectors has increased from nine to 14, while the team of investigative agents has grown from four to nine professionals. Additionally, as of January 1, 2025, approximately 400 disciplinary proceedings related to illegal tourist services have been initiated.
A model that focuses on tourism planning
The experience of Ibiza highlights the control of irregular supply as a key strategic issue for tourist destinations: how to reconcile economic activity with the territory’s real capacity and compliance with market rules.
Juan’s position is that combating illegal lodging does not mean reducing the activity of regulated lodging providers, but rather preventing the growth of lodgings that operate outside the planning framework and that exert additional pressure on the island. Through a combination of data analysis, cooperation with platforms, and increased resources for inspections, the Council aims to anticipate irregularities and improve its responsiveness.
The presentation in Menorca brings this issue to the national legal and tourism debate. The data from Ibiza show advertising trends and the number of marketed rooms between 2024 and 2026; the challenge from now on is to maintain oversight capacity and ensure that the announced reduction in supply translates into effective compliance with regulations.
