The emergency calls come relentlessly, especially during the bustling summer months. Pablo Roig, an ambulance technician, skillfully maneuvers his vehicle through the congested streets of Ibiza, Spain’s iconic party destination, often arriving at scenes of drug-related emergencies occurring at nightclubs. “On busiest days, we hardly have time for meals,” says Mr. Roig. With a significant uptick in nightlife incidents, local health workers warn that the island's ambulance service is nearing a breaking point, largely driven by the influx of foreign visitors.
During peak times, over a quarter of all ambulance requests stem from nightclub locations, impacting the healthcare resources allocated for Ibiza's 160,000 permanent residents. José Manuel Maroto, a union spokesperson, noted, "There are nights when we respond to the same club multiple times to assist intoxicated patrons."
Ibiza, a crucial pillar of Spain’s tourism—with around 3.3 million visitors in the previous year—exemplifies a growing narrative of tensions surrounding tourism in Europe as summer peaks. Protests against overtourism have emerged recently in nations like Spain, Italy, and Portugal, where citizens voice concerns that excessive tourism burdens public services and inflates living costs.
