The Cathedral of Santa Maria of Palma in Palma de Mallorca, Mallorca, Spain
The new legislation requires extensive personal data from tourists (Photo: Getty Images)

Spain‘s new registration system could harm the Balearic Islands economyaccording to travel experts.


The new rules, compared to ‘Big brother‘, came into effect on December 2, requiring hotels, travel agencies and car rental companies to collect up to 42 pieces of personal data per guest.


Critics warn that travel groups could withdraw from the Balearic Islands if large groups are required to provide their details in advance.


Pedro Fiol, the president of the Aviba Association of Travel Agencies in the Balearic Islands are strong critics of the new rules.


Speaking to the Mallorca Daily Bulletin, he said: ‘It is not possible to provide so much data so far in advance. For example, when a company reserves a hotel to host an event, it does not know exactly who will be there. How is it going to provide more than forty pieces of information in 24 hours if it doesn’t know who is participating?


“The same thing happens with sports teams. These types of reservations are made months or even years in advance, based on predictions, but they are not confirmed names.’




Spain, Balearic Islands, Cala Bona, aerial view of the seaside resort and busy beach in summer
The new rules came into effect on December 2 (Photo: Getty Images/Westend61)

Fiol added that the loss of these large group bookings, which tend to spend more in mid or low season, will be “very negative for the economy of the Balearic Islands.”


The Mallorca Hoteliers Federation said the requirements represent a ‘very high degree of legal uncertainty’, with potential ‘invasion of privacy’ and the risk of potential data breaches, the Bulletin reports.


Hotels in Spain have always asked guests for personal documents, but the government has expanded the list of required data. Before the legislation, tourists only had to show their identity card or passport.


The new rules are expected to be the strictest in the EU and apply to everyone aged 14 or over. It includes the person’s full name, gender, nationality, passport number, date of birth, residential address, mobile number and email address.


The information is then uploaded to a platform to share with the Spanish security forces. The new system reportedly crashed on the first day. Fiol told the Bulletin: “It was chaos. During the test period it almost never worked.’


Those under the age of 14 do not have to provide the information, but adults traveling with them must explain the relationship they have with them.




Madrid Spain, sunrise city skyline at Cibeles Fountain city square
Before the new rules, tourists only had to show their passport or ID card (Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The Spanish government has defended its decision on the new rules, claiming it plans to ‘crack down on organized crime’. Fines for non-compliance can reach 30,000 euros (£24,800).


However, the country’s main hotel association, Cehat, has hit back against the new rules. The group’s secretary general, Ramón Eestella, said: ‘It’s like “Big Brother” – it’s crazy and will cause chaos.’


Cehat has now launched a legal challenge over the rules. While the group has said it is willing to work with the government in the interest of security, they are concerned about violating customer privacy.


It said the new obligations could breach the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation, resulting in fines even higher than the proposed 30,000 euros (£25,000) for failure to comply with the decree.


Estelella told The Telegraph that Spain is already the only country in the EU where hotels must send guests’ identity details to police.




A protest banner against mass tourism in the Ciutat Vella (old town), Barcelona.
It follows a year of protests against tourism in Spain and across Europe (Photo: Getty Images)

“Not only could it violate fundamental privacy rights, but it also threatens to complicate and hinder the experience of millions of visitors who choose Spain as a destination,” Cehat said in a statement.


The group also said this would cause significant delays for tourists checking into hotels, especially during peak times.


Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska said in October that the new rules “balanced all considerations, including both the right to privacy and the need to protect the security of society as a whole.”


It follows a year of protests against overtourism throughout Spain and Europe. In October, thousands of Spaniards took to the streets of Madrid to protest against extortionate housing prices and the impact of holiday rental sites such as Airbnb.


Barcelona has also seen numerous demonstrations this year. In the summer, demonstrators armed with water guns demanded ‘tourists go home’, while in November 22,000 people protested in the city to demand lower house prices.


Popular holiday destinations, such as the Canary Islands, have repeatedly suffered from overtourism.


This article was originally published on December 2, 2024.


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