New Spain rules in force from MONDAY will make it 'much harder' for Brits to holiday in tourist hotspot
11/30/2024 05:44 AM
NEW Spanish rules coming in force from Monday will make it “much harder” for Brits to holiday in the tourist hotspot.
From December 2, Brits heading anywhere in Spain will be required to give hotels and accommodation a number of extra personal details.
Among the 31 new pieces of information to be shared are home addresses, phone numbers, and email addresses.
Families will also be asked for their relationship to any children travelling with them, as well as their group size.
The new rules will begin to be enforced in just two days time.
They have been introduced by the Spanish government in a bid to “crackdown on organised crime”.
However, Spain's leading hotel association CEHAT has slammed the rules after its request to dial down the details given was denied.
CEHAT Secretary General Ramón Estalella previously described the new rules as “Big Brother” and warned they will also massively delay busy check in times.
Ramón told the Telegraph: “Spain is already the only country in the EU where hotels must send guests' ID info to the police, while in other countries they just have to keep that data for a period.
"Not only could it violate fundamental privacy rights, but it also threatens to complicate and hinder the experience of millions of visitors who choose Spain as a destination.”
They added that many hotels lack the correct technology to follow the new rules or to provide adequate data protection.
Ramón continued: “It is impossible to automate the process and it would involve additional and disproportionate manual work for establishments and a considerable increase in errors.”
The new rules have already been delayed multiple times since their initially planned January 2023 introduction date.
Any hotel organisation that does not comply with the rules faces fines up to €30,000 (£25,000).
A spokesperson for the Interior Ministry previously said: “It is justified for the general interest for the security of citizens against the threat of terrorism and other serious offences committed by criminal organisations.”
Furious tourists have slammed the new rules, with one saying: “They are off my holiday list.”
Another added: “That’s a shame so much for that holiday in Spain.
“I am sure another country will be happy to take my money.”
Anti-tourist measures sweeping hotspots
A WAVE of anti-tourist measures are being implemented across Europe to curb mass tourism in popular holiday hotspots.
Overcrowding has become the main problem in many sunny destinations, with authorities trying to find a solution to keep tourists and locals happy.
Officials have attempted to reduce the impact of holidaymakers by implementing additional taxes on tourists, or banning new hotels.
Earlier this year Venice became the first city in the world to charge an entry fee for holidaymakers after it started charging day-trippers €5 (£4.30) if visiting the historical Italian centre.
It was followed by an area in Barcelona which resorted to removing a well-used bus route from Apple and Google Maps to stop crowds of tourists from using the bus.
Meanwhile, San Sebastián in the north of Spain, limited the maximum number of people on guided visits to 25 to avoid congestion, noise, nuisance and overcrowding.
The city has already banned the construction of new hotels.
The Spanish government has allowed restaurants to charge customers more for sitting in the shade in Andalucia.
Benidorm has introduced time restrictions, as swimming in the sea between midnight and 7am could cost a whopping £1,000.
The Canary Islands are also considering adopting measures to regulate the number of visitors – and charge tourists a daily tax.
Greece has already enforced a tourist tax during the high season (from March to October) with visitors expected to pay from €1 (£0.86) to €4 (£3.45) per night, depending on the booked accommodation.
Officials in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia want to introduce a fee for travellers to remind people to be courteous during their trips.
Tourists are already asked a number of other questions when entering the country.
For example, arrivals must be able to show evidence of enough funds while in the country, with at least €100 (£85) for each day in Spain.
Spain has a number of strict rules in place across the country.
Smoking is banned on a number of beaches in Barcelona and the Canary islands, with fines up to £1,700.
Some restaurants in Majorca ban any tourists who are wearing football shirts.
And alcohol limits are in place on destinations such as Magaluf and Ibiza.
Tourists at all-inclusive resorts will only be allowed to have three drinks in the day and three in the evening.
