From Monday, December 2, new rules for tourists who spend their holidays in Spain come into force, with hotels and car rental companies being obliged to report certain data to the authorities.
New rules in tourism in Spain come into force on December 2. iStock photo
The new law requiring hoteliers and car rental companies to send personal information about their customers to the government comes into effect on Monday, December 2, 2024.
The rules, which also apply to rental properties and campsites, are being introduced for national security reasons, but tourism experts have raised privacy concerns and warned they could lead to delays at check-in desks.
The requested data, which will include passport details, home addresses and payment methods for those over 14, will be sent to the Home Office.
The Confederation of Spanish Hoteliers and Tourist Hotels (CEHAT) said it was concerned about the impact on its members’ businesses and was considering legal action to challenge the rules.
Spain is the second most popular destination for tourists in Europe, with more than 82 million visitors in 2023, ahead of 17 million from the UK.
The start date of the new rules – officially known as Royal Decree 933/2021 – has been pushed back from October 1 to December 2 to give the industry more time to prepare.
Both tourists and Spanish residents will be required to provide information, which will also include phone numbers, email addresses and passenger numbers.
Firms will have to be registered with the Home Office, report data collected daily and keep a digital record of the information for three years, and face fines of between €100 and €30,000 for breaking the law.
Meanwhile, Airbnb has told property owners who rent out accommodation through its website that they will have to be registered with the Spanish government and collect data from their customers.
In a statement, the Home Office said the regulations were “justified in the general interest of the security of citizens against the threat of terrorism and other serious crimes committed by criminal organisations”.
But hotel industry body CEHAT said the change “puts the viability of the sector at serious risk”.
It said that both tourists and Spanish citizens would have to deal with “complex and tedious administrative procedures that compromise their accommodation experience”.
He added that hoteliers are required to comply with “confusing and disproportionate regulations” which contravene other European directives related to data protection and payment systems.
Travel journalist Simon Calder told the BBC that the Spanish government is concerned about organized crime and terrorism and “simply want to know… who’s coming and going, where they’re staying and what cars they’re renting”.
It is expected that many accommodation and car rental providers will automate data collection through online registration.
Mr Calder predicted there would be “quite a lot of reception” when the rules come into force, but said it was “very low season” at the moment and that would give businesses a chance to get used to the system .
Gibraltar-based Penelope Bielckus, travel content creator at The Flyaway Girl blog, said the new rules “add another layer of paperwork that can feel like a chore when all you want to do is relax on holiday”.
And she agreed that “it might slow things down a bit, especially at check-in, as there is now more paperwork to manage.”
But she said that while Spain’s level of data collection “seems stricter” than elsewhere, hotels and car rental companies already collect much of the information requested from travelers.
“We are still waiting to see how this will affect booking last minute hotel or car rental”she added. “Hopefully it won’t cause any major problems, but it’s definitely something to watch for any changes.”
