Every day on Mallorca's beaches, what can best be described as a "towel war" takes place. Tourists reserve spots on the beach and by the pool by brazenly laying out towels early in the morning. Now the authorities in Mallorca have had enough and are planning to deploy drones to check whether occupied lounge chairs are actually being used.
Several municipalities on the island, including Calvià and Andratx, already have access to drone technology that can be used for remote aerial surveillance. The ultimate goal is to reduce the number of complaints that pour in every year from tourists and hotels regarding empty reserved sun loungers.
In some areas, people who leave towels out in this way can face fines ranging from 50 to 300 euros. Meanwhile, other parts of the Balearic Islands have introduced additional measures, including completely removing umbrellas and sun loungers. Some hotels also use time-limited booking systems or apps to manage the situation.