Spain’s new tourism rules could 'breach' UK tourists' privacy rights
New rules for UK tourists mean they have to give Spanish hotel bosses or Airbnb more details when they are staying in the European Union holiday hotspot. The information required will include bank account details, car rentals, and more.
A Spanish hotel association spokesperson said: "There is widespread confusion regarding what data is required and how to submit it. It is impossible to automate the process and it would involve additional and disproportionate manual work for establishments and a considerable increase in errors."
Spanish hotels, travel agencies and vehicle rental companies must provide up to 18 extra details about tourists under the government rules which are due to come in to force from Tuesday 1 October. The Confederation of Spanish Hoteliers and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), which represents 16,000 tourist establishments, said the regulations would cause “chaos” and “puts the viability of the sector in serious danger”.
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CEHAT claimed that the new Spanish regulations breached the court’s ruling. “The collection and storage of data, as proposed, does not respect the principles of proportionality and minimisation, which could generate sanctions, legal actions and greater legal uncertainty for the obligated subjects,” it said in a statement.
“Furthermore, the regulations imply a significant interference in the privacy rights of tourists and users without offering clear safeguards, limiting massive data collection to specific and justified cases.”
Maria Frontera, president of the Mallorcan Federation of Hoteliers, told i News: “We demand that the government changes and reforms these rules and delays their enforcement until we have reached an agreement.”
In a statement, a spokeswoman for the Interior Ministry said: “The regulation respects the principle of efficiency, proportionality, judicial security and transparency. 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.”