Celestí Alomar, the former Balearic Tourism Minister and one of the key figures behind the islands’ original tourist tax, has died at the age of 76.

Alomar died on Monday, August 31, 2026, after a long illness. His death has prompted tributes across the Balearic Islands, with politicians, cultural organisations and former colleagues remembering a figure who played an important role in the region’s tourism policy.

For Ibiza and the wider Balearics, his legacy is particularly significant: Alomar was one of the main architects of the ecotasa, the pioneering tourism tax introduced at the beginning of the 2000s.

The Man Behind the Original Ecotasa

Alomar served as Conseller de Turisme from 1999 to 2003 in the first Pacte de Progrés government led by Francesc Antich.

During that period, the Balearic Government introduced a controversial new idea: charging tourists a tax on their stays and using the revenue to address the environmental impact of tourism.

The measure was approved by the Balearic Parliament in April 2001 and began to be applied on May 1 of that year.

It quickly became known simply as the ecotasa.

The policy was strongly opposed by the hotel industry and the Partido Popular, and after the PP returned to power under Jaume Matas in 2003, the original tax was abolished.

More than a decade later, the idea returned.

In 2016, a new left-wing government led by Francina Armengol reintroduced the measure under the name Impuesto de Turismo Sostenible (ITS), or Sustainable Tourism Tax.

A Legacy That Still Affects Ibiza

Although the original ecotasa was introduced across the Balearic Islands, its legacy is particularly relevant to Ibiza today.

Revenue from the current Sustainable Tourism Tax helps finance projects connected to areas including environmental protection, water infrastructure, sustainability and tourism-related pressures.

Just this week, for example, the Balearic Government announced projects in Ibiza financed through the current tourism tax, including work related to the water cycle and the planned wastewater treatment plant in Portinatx.

That means the idea Alomar helped introduce more than 25 years ago remains part of the island’s current tourism strategy.

Alomar Wanted a Different Tourism Model

Alomar's thinking went beyond simply introducing a tourist tax.

Throughout his later career, he remained critical of the traditional model of mass tourism in the Balearics.

He argued that the islands needed to move away from a model based on continually increasing visitor numbers and towards a more sustainable approach.

In a 2022 interview, Alomar described the existing tourism model as a failure and criticised the continued expansion of tourism infrastructure.

As recently as February 2026, 25 years after the original ecotasa was approved, he was still discussing tourism policy and defending the principle behind the tax.

At the time, he argued that the tourism tax had become broadly accepted and that the debate over whether it discouraged visitors was misplaced.

A Career Beyond Tourism

Alomar was born in Llubí, Mallorca, in 1949 and had a long career in public administration and politics.

He studied Geography and History at the University of Barcelona and became a member of Spain’s senior civil service.

Before becoming Tourism Minister, he held several positions connected to tourism administration, including roles within the Balearic tourism authorities and the Spanish state administration.

He also served as a director general in one of Felipe González’s governments and was a member of the Balearic Parliament from 1999 to 2007.

Alomar was also one of the founders of the Partit Socialista de les Illes, established in 1976 and later transformed into the Partit Socialista de Mallorca.

Tributes Across the Balearics

News of his death prompted tributes from political colleagues and organisations across the islands.

The Obra Cultural Balear, of which Alomar was a member and adviser, was among those to express its sadness, describing him as a committed figure.

His death has also been marked by former political colleagues and members of the Balearic Government.

His political career was not without controversy, particularly because the original ecotasa became one of the most politically divisive tourism measures in the history of the Balearics.

But its eventual return in a new form has made Alomar an important figure in the history of sustainable tourism policy in the islands.

His Legacy Lives On

More than two decades after the original ecotasa was introduced, the debate that surrounded it remains remarkably relevant.

Ibiza and the other Balearic Islands continue to grapple with questions around mass tourism, overcrowding, environmental pressure, water resources, housing and the balance between tourism and quality of life for residents.

The current Sustainable Tourism Tax is now an established part of the islands' tourism system.

And while tourism policy has changed considerably since Alomar was in office, one of the ideas most closely associated with his career remains firmly embedded in the Balearics.

Celestí Alomar leaves behind a political legacy that continues to influence one of the biggest questions facing Ibiza today:

How can the islands benefit from tourism without allowing tourism itself to overwhelm them?