Tourist group sizes will be smaller under a new law which has angered tour guides in Palma, Spain, Express reports.

Tour guides say the new rule is unreasonable and that they feel they are being treated like criminals—and tourists like animals.

The Proguies Turistics de Baleares tourism agency says the Palma City Council’s plan to limit guided tours to 20 people per group flies in the face of Balearic Islands’ regulations, which allow groups of up to 70.

“The current average group size is between 30 and 50 people,” said president Gabriel Rosales.

Rosales is also concerned about how police will monitor how many people are in a tourist group as people sometimes join "on the fly."

Raising worries about what people will do in the circumstance, he said: "Are we going to tag them like animals? Or hand out batons to keep out the ‘unauthorized’ tourists?”

The new rule will mean the tourism sector could encounter difficulties as a result of the change, reports The Olive Press.

Torturing groups of just 19 people will make it hard to sell tours as it will be financially unsustainable, Rosales added.

But this won’t be the only impact it will have on the area.

Popular attractions could see a decline in visitors meaning they will make a much smaller revenue.

Tour guides will also be asked to display ID as part of a new requirement.

“This violates our privacy rights and clashes with data protection laws,” Rosales said.