Cvery year, Spain welcomes 85 million tourists, and the new rules imposed by the Spanish government risk making more than one player in the sector wince.
Indeed, hotels, campsites, car rental companies and other bungalow parks now owe a large amount of data about each of their customers including bank account, telephone number and passport details, even when talking about a one night reservation.
These new restrictions raise fears for the worst, both on the Spanish side and on the side of tour operators. Our colleagues from The Latest News relays the point of view of Frank Radstake, of ANVR (Dutch General Association of Travel Agencies): “It is not at all clear how this data should be provided and how confidentiality is guaranteed. It’s a huge job that is making a lot of noise in our sector. »
Concern in the sector
“It’s obviously not good for tourism. We are worried, especially because many things remain unclear, even if the new rules come into force on 1is october. This seems completely unrealistic,” protested Piet Demeyere, spokesperson for TUI, at the end of September. Spain’s Interior Ministry says the new regulations have been postponed several times to give the tourism sector time to prepare. These aim to protect against terrorism and organized crime, according to a ministry spokesperson.
