New rules for tourists staying in hotels and apartments across Spain have faced backlash from bosses in the tourism sector who fear the increased measures could drive holidaymakers towards other destinations.
New tourist registration rules came into effect in Spain in December, meaning travellers will be required to provide 42 pieces of information when they check in to their accommodation. Hotels already recorded guests’ passport information, but must now log their email addresses, bank details, personal addresses, phone numbers and relationships among other things.
The new law faced harsh criticism before its implementation, with critics comparing the measures to Big Brother controls, and has prompted further complaints since it came into force. The Canary Islands Vacation Rental Association branded the new system ‘nonsensical’, citing the resources needed for compliance, while the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations denounced the treatment of tourists, calling it ‘interrogation’.
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The confederation’s secretary general told Canarian Weekly last month: “Asking for a passport or ID should suffice, processed through a reader that sends the information directly to law enforcement agencies. There’s no need for a detailed interrogation.”
Hotel associations, travel agencies and holiday rental operators across Spain have criticised the extensive new registration rules, arguing that it invades privacy, discourages tourism and risks overwhelming the government’s data collection platform, which already experienced technical issues.
The Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies echoed concerns about its effect on the country’s tourism appeal, saying in a letter to the government: “Several European tour operators are already turning their focus to competing markets. This regulation could significantly harm Spain’s international tourism sector.”
Defending the new measures previously, the government insisted that the register was necessary ‘because of the need to guarantee public security in the face of terrorist threats and other crimes committed by terrorist organisations’. A spokesperson said in an earlier statement: “The regulation respects the principle of efficiency, proportionality, judicial security and transparency.”
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