Brits jetting off to Spain for some winter sun will face new rules from Monday, making holidays "much harder". The new regulations, which come into force on December 2, require tourists to provide hotels and accommodation providers with a slew of personal details, including contact information, family relationships, bank card details, and home addresses.
This data, which could total up to 31 pieces of information, must then be uploaded to a platform for sharing with security forces, sparking concerns about privacy and likened to "Big Brother" by Spain's leading hotelier association, Cehat. The law applies not only to hotels but also to tour operators, holiday rental platforms, and car rental companies, with Cehat's Secretary General Ramón Estalella warning that it will significantly delay check-in times.
Estalella told the Telegraph, "Spain is already the only country in the EU where hotels must send guests' ID info to the police, while in other countries they just have to keep that data for a period. 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."
Ramón further added: "It is impossible to automate the process and it would involve additional and disproportionate manual work for establishments and a considerable increase in errors.", reports Birmingham Live.
A representative from the Interior Ministry had previously stated: "It is justified for the general interest for the security of citizens against the threat of terrorism and other serious offences committed by criminal organisations."
At present, Spanish hotels request guests to provide their ID card or passport details.
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