From December 2, 2024, a scandalous legal norm began to operate in Spain, according to which tourism enterprises must strengthen the rules for registering tourists.
Points of attention
- Spain has implemented controversial new rules requiring tourism businesses to collect and submit extensive personal data of tourists to authorities, leading to fines for violations.
- The tourism industry, particularly hotels and travel agencies, is protesting the new regulations, citing concerns about deteriorating guest living conditions, privacy violations, and potential price hikes for travelers.
- Efforts to fight international crime are said to be the motivation behind the stricter tourist registration rules in Spain, but the measures have stirred up mixed reactions within the tourism sector.
- Notably, hotels are pushing back against the regulations, with the leading Spanish hotel association considering legal action due to the anticipated administrative burdens and negative impact on guests.
- European Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ECTAA) and Spanish travel agencies have expressed worries about the potential repercussions on the European tourism market and the protection of travelers' personal data.
What are the provisions of the strengthened rules for the registration of tourists in Spain
It is noted that from now on all enterprises working in the field of tourism must collect and transfer to the authorities more than 40 units of information points for accommodation reservations and more than 60 units for car rental during the day.
In particular, this information includes full name, e-mail address, passport or ID number, payment details, home address, telephone numbers, number of guests, family relationship information and degree of relationship with children in the tour group.
This information will be collected by hotels, holiday homes, campsites, travel agencies and car rental companies.
The new rules will apply both on the Spanish mainland and on the islands.
Companies that violate the rules face fines of up to 30,000 euros.
Spanish officials say that the measures were introduced as part of the fight against international crime.
What is known about the attitude of the tourist sector of Spain to the new requirements
At the same time, hotels are categorically against the introduction of new rules that will affect the flow of tourists.
Initially, the innovation was planned for January 2023, but the leading Spanish hotel association CEHAT managed to postpone it for almost 2 years.
The hotel association is currently considering legal action against the authorities.
CEHAT argues that the new rules will mean more complex and tedious administrative procedures, which will worsen the living conditions of guests.
Meanwhile, travel agencies say the procedures will violate people's privacy and add a bureaucratic burden they cannot afford: it could increase working hours and, as a result, raise prices for travelers.
At the same time, the European Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (ECTAA) and the Spanish group of travel agencies ACAVE warned of "serious consequences for the European tourism market and the protection of travelers' personal data."
