UK tourists warned new tourist rules in Spain are 'impossible' to follow

UK tourists warned new tourist rules in Spain are 'impossible' to follow
-Credit: (Image: Reach Publishing Services Limited)


There is concern growing in Spain over "impossible" new rules for UK tourists which begin NEXT WEEK. European Union holidaymakers have been warned of "panic" over new tourist rules, which are set to be introduced from October 1.

The new rule, formally known as Royal Decree 933/2021, will force private rental accommodations and hotels to collect sensitive 'reservation data' from tourists. The Spanish government claims that it will make the country a safer place but critics say that it could be breaking privacy guidelines.

The new rule applies to both domestic and foreign tourists. However, hoteliers are not impressed and have called on the government to scrap it. The Tourism Council of the Spanish Confederation of Business Organisations, the Business Federation of Territorial Associations of Spanish Travel Agencies (FETAVE), the National Union of Travel Agencies (UNAV) and the Corporate Association of Specialised Travel Agencies (ACAVe) are all against the move.

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In a joint letter, the associations warn the new rule could have "significant negative consequences for the tourism sector in Spain as it is a rule that is impossible to comply with". The Spanish Confederation of Travel Agencies (CEAV) has called for changes to the law to "guarantee the competitiveness of the Spanish tourism sector against tour operators from other countries and avoid a disproportionate burden on companies in the tourism sector".

The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT) 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."

he Spanish Ministry for the Interior has said that they wanted to know who and when were staying in hotels and apartment complexes across the country. Hoteliers say that it will add to the already heavy work-loads of their staff.