Hostile actions taken by Spain towards vacationers in a number of locations over the previous yr make it more and more tough to consider that the nation nonetheless values its tourism sector.
Firstly, Barcelona has elevated its vacationer tax a number of occasions inside one yr. Then greater than 10,000 vacationer residences have been banned. Now, The federal government plans to gather as much as 18 new private knowledge from vacationers from December 2– probably placing EU knowledge safety rules in danger.
This measure was initially scheduled to be launched on October 1, however needed to be postponed as most motels did not improve their techniques in time.
It’s essential to grasp that the Spanish Confederation of Motels and Vacationer Lodging (CEHAT) has spoken out categorically towards the measure.
Antonio Presencio, president of Horeca Hoteles Zaragoza, defined that the request of the Ministry of the Inside violates a collection of European Union rules, leaving the hospitality sector between a rock and a tough place because of the authorized uncertainty concerning compliance with this new measure.
Till now, when vacationers examine right into a lodge or lodging in Spain, they know they’ve to offer private info reminiscent of their nationwide ID, passport and even some bank card particulars.
However from December vacationers may also have to offer 18 new knowledge factors, together with fee strategies, monetary transactions, residence handle and even the character of their relationship with the individuals they share a room with—critical?
Presencio warns that accumulating such delicate knowledge might put companies in danger as a result of within the occasion of safety breaches, motels – that are privately owned companies – could be legally liable for defending this info.
The brand new controversial regulation follows an modification to Royal Decree 933/2021, which dictates the tourism knowledge that lodging in Spain should gather and undergo the police each day.
The implementation of this regulation not solely places monetary strain on the sector because of the sudden want for expertise investments, but additionally places a heavy burden on the sector “disproportionate administrative burdens” which interprets right into a “aggressive drawback” in comparison with different properties that aren’t pressured to adjust to this mandate, Presencio explains.
In the identical vein, CEHAT, which represents 16,000 hospitality companies throughout Spain, argues that the issue is just not technological adaptation, however relatively the “incompatibility with the fact of the tourism sector” and the “authorized uncertainty” that the implementation of such a measure might entail.
The group makes it clear that the European Union has additionally spoken out towards this measure, as a result of it requires motels to share extremely delicate visitor info with the authorities through a brand new utility.
CEHAT then expressed considerations that stretch past motels and lodging, indicating that this measure additionally has adverse penalties for tourism companies and tourism platforms.
Luckily, in as we speak’s ultra-connected world, vacationers can merely select locations the place they really feel extra snug and free from such rules.