Tourists travelling to Spain will have to go through more paperwork from Monday when a new law requiring hoteliers and car hire firms to send personal information about their customers to state authorities comes into force.
The rules, which also apply to property rentals and campsites, are being introduced for national security reasons, but travel experts have raised concerns about privacy and warned that it could lead to delays at check-in counters.
The data required includes passport details, home addresses and payment methods for those over 14. These will be passed on to the Home Office.
The Confederation of Spanish Hoteliers and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT) said it was concerned about the impact on its members’ businesses and was considering legal action to challenge the rules.
Spain struggles with record tourism
Spain is the second most popular destination for tourists in Europe, with more than 82 million people expected to visit in 2023, including 17 million from the UK.
The start date for the new regulations – officially known as Royal Decree 933/2021 – has been moved from October 1 to December 2 to give the industry more time to prepare. Both tourists and residents of Spain will have to provide information, which will also include phone numbers, email addresses and number of travellers.
Businesses will have to register with the Home Office, report the data collected daily and store it digitally for three years, and face fines of between €100 and €30,000 (£80-25,000) for breaches.
Meanwhile, Airbnb has told property owners who rent out accommodation through its website that they will have to register with the Spanish government and collect data on their customers.
In a statement, the Home Office said the rules were “justified by the general interest in the security of citizens against the threat of terrorism and other serious crimes committed by criminal organisations.”
However, hotel industry organisation CEHAT said the changes “put the viability of the sector at serious risk.” Tourists and Spanish citizens will have to face “complex and tedious administrative procedures that will jeopardise their accommodation,” it said.
Hoteliers are also being forced to comply with “confusing and disproportionate rules” that run counter to other European directives relating to data protection and payment systems.
Journalist Simon Calder told the BBC that the Spanish government is concerned about organised crime and terrorism and “just wants to know… who is coming and going, where they are staying and what cars they are renting.” Many accommodation and car hire providers are expected to automate data collection through online registration.
