Spain’s latest regulations for UK tourists have been met with severe criticism, being labelled a “disaster” and likened to Big Brother. British holidaymakers planning trips to the European Union are now required to provide 42 pieces of information to hotels under the new rules.
Pedro Fiol, president of the Aviba Balearic Association of Travel Agencies, has warned that the system’s failures have already caused an “international impact.” Fiol commented: ” It was chaos. It hardly ever worked during the test period.”
Gabriel Escarrer, chief executive of the Palma-based Melia hotel Group, has also condemned the new registration system as a “disaster”, according to the Majorca Daily Bulletin. Escarrer criticised the “Big Brother” style hotel registration system in Spain as being both a “disaster” and “faretul.”
Hoteliers are incensed, arguing that the system increases paperwork for their staff and could infringe on guest privacy laws. They are calling for the new measure to be either significantly “watered down” or completely “withdrawn” after its introduction at the beginning of the month, reports Birmingham Live.
There are concerns among hoteliers that the requirement for additional personal information may deter people from booking hotels. Despite these complaints, the Spanish government maintains that the heightened security measures are necessary for safety reasons, and so far, they have not responded to the hoteliers’ grievances.
They assert that the new measures have led to hundreds of wanted criminals being apprehended. There are concerns that there may be an increase in complaints from guests once the busy summer season begins after Christmas.
One visitor expressed their frustration, saying: “Having just booked a hotel in Madrid and asked to check in online and not wanting to spend thirty minutes uploading photos front and rear of our families resident cards plus all the other details, which are already on the cards, I respectfully declined and let the hotel do the work. Hopefully they’ll get the message and press the government for a change.”