New regulations that demand sensitive information on British tourists is collect by Spanish hotels has been branded as “nuts”.
Set to be enforced from Monday, these rules will require hotels, travel agencies, campsites, car rental companies and even accommodation apps to collect comprehensive customer data, including home addresses and bank card details of holidaymakers. The regulation, known as the Royal Decree 933/2021, was introruced in 2023, but a lengthy delay has meant it will only kick in now.
HOSBEC, the influential Hotel and Tourism Business Association in the Valencian Community with a strong presence in Benidorm, has today voiced its potential move towards legal proceedings. This follows a similar threat by another prominent hotelier group, Cehat, which has warned that the incoming system could slow down check-ins for international visitors and expose them to hefty penalties under EU data protection legislation.
Cehat’s general secretary, Ramon Estelella, has blasted the government’s decree, calling it “nuts”. HOSBEC criticised the Spanish government for ignoring concerns and cautioning that the new regulations could have “grave consequences” for tourists.
The controversial traveller registration system was initially slated to begin on October 1 but has since been postponed to the now impending start date of December 2. HOSBEC expressed its stance in a statement released today:.
“HOSBEC, as part of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), believes that this regulation could have serious implications for travellers and establishments, and is contemplating taking it to court,” they said. “This announcement comes due to the government’s silence and the negative impact this rule will have on the hotel industry and travellers alike.”
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“Despite numerous warnings about the severe consequences of this regulation, the government has neither provided solutions nor issued the promised ministerial order to clarify its implementation.”
Spain’s interior ministry insists these new obligations are necessary for security reasons, aiding police in tracking criminals operating within Spain. Hotel chiefs argue that Spain is the only EU country where hoteliers must send tourists’ ID and passport information to the police, rather than simply storing the data for a period of time, and believe the current data gathering regulations are more than adequate. HOSBEC’s president Fede Fuster warned today that any implementation of the new system would turn hotels into data centres.
Non-compliance with European data protection regulation could result in fines that surpass the proposed £25,000 penalty for not adhering to the Spanish government decree on time. This puts hotels and other travel firms in what they’re calling a ‘lose-lose’ predicament.
The legislation will kick in at a time when Spain is seeing increasing international visitors, with over 53 million in the first seven months of 2024, spending around 71 billion euros.
