Spain’s new travel data law sparks concern

A new piece of legislation in Spain, scheduled to come into force on 1 October 2024, mandates that hoteliers, travel agencies, and private rental landlords collect and share sensitive information about travellers with the Ministry of the Interior. The law requires the collection of extensive personal details, including payment methods, financial transactions, credit card numbers, contract specifics, and personal contact information, affecting both domestic and international tourists.

The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), representing over 16,000 businesses and around 1.8 million accommodation options, has expressed strong opposition, citing concerns about data collection, storage, and privacy. CEHAT argues that the law is impractical, may increase errors due to manual processing, and could heighten operational costs for hospitality businesses. The industry’s primary concerns also include the privacy rights of travellers and the potential economic disadvantage compared to other EU markets.

However, the Ministry of the Interior defends the legislation as necessary for enhancing public safety and combating terrorism and organised crime, asserting that detailed traveller information will improve security efforts. Despite this, the tourism sector in Spain, already dealing with challenges such as anti-tourism protests, fears the law could further harm its economic contributions. Travel agencies have requested either exclusion from the law’s requirements or clear limits on its application to mitigate confusion and potential privacy infringements.

Why does it matter?

With the implementation date approaching, anxiety within the industry is growing due to the lack of clarity over data submission processes and the potential legal ramifications of non-compliance. As the debate continues, industry is urgently calling on the government to provide clearer guidelines and reconsider certain aspects of the legislation.