Ibiza has brought together researchers, public officials and tourism and mobility stakeholders to examine one of the island's most complex challenges: how to manage transport, tourism pressure and the capacity of an island territory.

The first University Conference on Sustainable Mobility, Territorial Governance and Tourism Carrying Capacity took place on Friday, 2 October 2026, at the Ibiza campus of the Universitat de les Illes Balears (UIB).

The event was organised by the UIB's GEDETUR research group, with the collaboration of the Consell d'Eivissa.

Bringing Ibiza's Challenges into the University

The opening session included the president of the Consell d'Eivissa, Vicent Marí, and Joana Maria Petrus, dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters and co-director of GEDETUR.

Marí highlighted the role of collaboration between the island government and the university in generating research, studies and data that can contribute to decision-making on Ibiza's future.

He also stressed the importance of bringing the island's current realities into the academic environment and involving younger generations in analysing the challenges facing Ibiza.

Mobility at the Centre of the Debate

Sustainable mobility was one of the principal themes of the conference.

Marí highlighted measures including the regulation of vehicle arrivals to Ibiza and the development and improvement of public transport as an alternative to private vehicles.

The island's vehicle-entry regulation is established within a legal framework designed to address congestion and the pressure created by the seasonal increase in vehicles. Spain's Law 5/2024 specifically provides for measures to limit vehicle numbers, encourage public transport and sustainable mobility, and protect the island's environmental and territorial capacity.

The conference therefore comes as Ibiza continues implementing its vehicle-control system.

For the 2026 and 2027 summer seasons, the Consell approved a maximum of 17,668 vehicles during the regulated period, 2,500 fewer than the figure established for 2025. The limit includes a maximum of 14,000 rental vehicles without a driver, with the remainder relating primarily to vehicles arriving by sea.

First Results of Vehicle Regulation Presented

Roberto Algaba, the island's director of Transport, also participated in the conference.

Algaba presented the objectives, implementation and initial results of Ibiza's vehicle-entry regulation and took part in a roundtable discussion titled "Towards a Balearic Sustainable Mobility Model?"

The session provided an opportunity to examine how Ibiza's experience fits into the wider debate over sustainable mobility across the Balearic Islands.

Tourism Pressure and Carrying Capacity

The conference also addressed tourism pressure and the concept of carrying capacity in island territories.

For Ibiza, this question extends beyond the number of visitors alone. The island's legal framework links capacity considerations to road congestion, parking, beaches and coves, emergency access, wastewater treatment, waste management, water resources and the wider environmental and urban impact of tourism and mobility.

The 2024 law also establishes the framework for an Action Plan for Sustainable Mobility on Ibiza, including specific objectives, measures and indicators to evaluate progress.

More Research and Data for Ibiza

The conference provided a platform for researchers and public authorities to exchange experiences and knowledge about sustainable mobility, tourism pressure and the capacity of island territories.

For Ibiza, the discussion reflects a broader shift towards using data and planning to manage the practical effects of seasonal population and vehicle increases.

The Consell has also promoted public transport and alternative forms of mobility as part of its wider approach to reducing pressure from private vehicles. The island's tourism authority describes the Ibiza Circular initiative as a programme combining vehicle regulation with public transport, cycling and walking.

The first university conference places those issues within an academic setting, bringing together research and public policy around questions that are increasingly central to Ibiza's long-term management.