Be careful, you now have to show your credentials to stay in this country

© Avan Saleh – UNSPLASH

– A shopping street in the city of Granada, Andalusia.

Hoteliers, travel agencies, car rental companies… All are now subject to strict information collection obligations, going up to 40 facts for hosts et 60 for vehicle rental companies. This information includes name, age, email address, family relationships, dates of stay and even telephone and bank card numbers. This data must then be transmitted to the Spanish Ministry of the Interior, reports The Dispatch on December 3.

The measure aims to strengthen national security by limiting the use of tourist rentals and vehicles in criminal activities. According to the authorities, these requirements are necessary to combat terrorism and organized crimetwo threats that often exploit flaws in the monitoring of tourism activities. However, the sanctions provided for in the event of non-compliance — fines of up to 30 000 euros — accentuate the fears of professionals.

An outcry in the tourism sector

Spanish tourism professionals believe that the world's second largest tourist destination in 2022 could lose its competitive advantage if visitors turn away from its beaches and monuments in favor of more privacy-friendly destinations. The tourism sector, which represents 12% of Spanish GDPthus denounces a law which risks weakening an industry already marked by the Covid-19 crisis. Professional associations, such asECTAA and its Spanish counterpart ACAVEpoint out several problems.

On the one hand, la charge administrative of this collection considerably increases the work of companies, particularly small structures. On the other hand, the reliability of the data collected is questioned, as it can easily be falsified by visitors who are reluctant to provide as much information. The associations also warn of a dissuasive effect for tourists, particularly foreigners, who might prefer less intrusive destinations.