Spain’s new registration system for tourists continues to make waves, as travel industry experts warn tour companies will pull out of the Balearics if large groups cannot provide their data in advance.
President of the Aviba Association of travel agencies in the Balearics, Pedro Fiol, told the Majorca Daily Bulletin that small tour operators that host sports teams and conference groups will suffer if pre-booked reservations can’t provide guest information as they do not know “exactly who will attend”.
The new Spanish law, aimed at improving security, stipulates that providers must collect extensive fresh information from holidaymakers.
From 2 December, accommodation rules require a list of personal data for everyone aged 14 or above including: full name, gender, nationality, passport number, date of birth, home address, landline phone number (if you have one), mobile phone number and email address.
Mr Fiol said: “It is not possible to give so much data so far in advance. For example, when a company reserves a hotel to hold an event it doesn’t know exactly who will attend. How is it going to provide more than 40 pieces of information in 24 hours if it doesn’t know who will be participating?
“The same thing happens with sports teams. These types of reservations are made months or even years in advance, based on forecasts, but these are not confirmed names.”
He added that losing these large group bookings that often spend highly during off-peak seasons could have a “very negative” impact on the Balearic economy.
Hotels have long recorded some personal details. But the government is extending the list of data required – and also wants information from people staying in apartments booked on platforms such as Airbnb.
According to the Bulletin, the Mallorca Hoteliers Federation said the requirements represent “a very high level of legal uncertainty”, highlighting the “risk of possible data leaks”.
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