Something is wrong if in the circular tourism model -whose objective is to be supposedly more sustainable and better for everyone- there is something that is not or, worse, someone who is left out. In a sector that wants to lead circularity under a quality model, there can only be room for a law that protects the rights of people who, in one way or another, make it possible.
The maxim is clear: tourism is only truly sustainable if it is also socially sustainable. That is, if you establish measures to protect what a linear logic has unprotected for decades: your base. The new Law for Circularity and Sustainability in Tourism of the Balearic Islands wants to be the new framework that not only protects, but also represents a definitive boost -and an example for the rest-.
One of the measures that illustrates the spirit of this law is the replacement of all beds with lifting beds, mechanically or electrically, and which will require an investment of 15 million euros to subsidize the purchase of lifting mechanisms. All those tourist establishments that have an obligation to clean daily (hotels, city hotels, apart-hotels, rural hotels, as well as the rest of accommodation establishments that have voluntarily obtained a star classification) will have to apply this measure, although the regional Executive establishes up to six years the period of time that establishments have to adapt it. In fact, it will be the higher category establishments, four and five star hotels, who will have to adapt more quickly.
In total, the measure estimates that more than 300,000 beds will be renewed throughout the archipelago, responding to a historical claim by housekeepers, a group hard hit by workplace accidents. According to a study by the Balearic Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (IBASSAL) and Meliá, housekeepers suffer 27.3% of accidents in the sector. Of these accidents, 35% are related to overexertion, which will be reduced thanks to the replacement of beds promoted by law.
For the substitution to be truly effective, a working group chaired by IBASSAL with representatives of the sector will be in charge of reviewing the implementation of the measures and good practices in terms of ergonomics or workload in all the departments of the establishments. Only establishments, with a maximum of 30 rooms, that are located in buildings that are assets of cultural interest, cataloged assets, that have a unique protection classification, or that are located in the old town, are exempted from this obligation, as long as the beds and the structure that integrates them have an accredited historical and patrimonial significance.
On the other hand, the law requires guaranteeing that the heating and cooling installations of tourist establishments are adequate to provide convenience and comfort to all users, which includes workers and, therefore, applies in a special way to spaces for work, such as kitchens, always complying with labor laws and the protection of users and consumers.
In order to carry out better control and avoid mistake or suspicion, the Law for Circularity and Sustainability in Tourism of the Balearic Islands includes the possession of a record book of the people who carry out cleaning, maintenance and similar tasks in vacation homes.
The objective of this measure, which will come into force as of May 1 of this year, is to control the working conditions with which these people carry out their work. The record book has to adopt the model determined by the insular tourist administration and can be electronic, as long as the veracity and verification of data is guaranteed. Be that as it may, it must remain updated during the periods of tourist stay, and be available to the inspectors of the insular tourist administration.
After decades paving the way through different formulas, the new tourism law puts the brakes on precisely to take a step forward to ensure a sustainable and equitable future for all those who depend on tourism in the Balearic Islands and, above all, the protection of their greatest asset: the islands themselves. An objective that involves blocking the growth of tourist places for four years, both in vacation rentals and in any other type of accommodation. In fact, every time a place is removed, it will be incorporated into the stock market, but it will not leave there again, guaranteeing a de facto and gradual reduction in tourist places.
It is one of the most ambitious axes for the protection of the environment and the territory and that it applies to the four islands. With this regulation, a destination will be promoted in the Balearic Islands where not only tourists matter, but also each one of the people who live there. Once this period has passed, the island councils will assess the need to maintain the measure, depending on the evolution with respect to the community’s objectives in terms of waste and greenhouse effect emissions set out in the climate change law and the law of waste. One more measure, in short, that will make it possible to lead the transformation and modernization of the tourism sector ‘from’ the base and not ‘on’ it. Its true engine: the people who make it possible.
