Juan Mestre

🚧 Spain's Dirección General de Consumo has initiated a sanctioning file against Airbnb for listing thousands of illegal holiday rentals for years, despite negative effects on housing prices. Airbnb faces a fine potentially six times the profit made from these listings. Other countries and popular tourist destinations have also acted against Airbnb's illegal listings, like Paris with over 95,000 listings, Florence banning new ads, Berlin imposing strict rules and high fines, Amsterdam limiting rentals to 30 nights per year, Portugal halting new Airbnb licenses, and New York requiring minimum 30-day rentals. In the first months of 2024, Airbnb earned $8.007 billion, up 12% from the previous year, with $2.200 billion in profit.

💸 Víctor de Aldama testified on Monday at the Supreme Court about his involvement in Air Europa's rescue, stating that José Luis Ábalos and adviser Koldo García ensured compliance with his directives during Aena meetings, which Javier Hidalgo also attended. Aldama began collaborating in 2018, arranging a trip with Ábalos, García, and Begoña Gómez, PM Sánchez's wife, and met Hidalgo through an ex-Air Europa CEO employee. Meetings were also held with ex-Economy Minister Nadia Calviño and Maria Jesús Montero.

💰 José Luis Ábalos, Spain's former Minister of Development, remained silent during his Supreme Court testimony a few days ago, refusing to answer 300 questions, including those about Air Europa's quick rescue involving Aldama, who is accused of corruption by the UCO and was on Air Europa's payroll. Ábalos' connection to Aldama includes a birthday party organization and covering his girlfriend's Madrid apartment rent, while Aldama also paid for Ábalos' Cádiz summer house rental and nearly bought him a €2 million Madrid apartment.

🔎 Ex-commissioner of the National Police Pedro Agudo Novo advocates in El Español for increased tourist checks during hotel check-ins, citing crime prevention benefits like countering money laundering, human trafficking, and terrorism. The measures aim to enhance transparency in the tourism sector and international police cooperation, with data collection facilitating transnational investigations. Agudo highlights the importance of safeguarding fundamental rights and ensuring data protection through solid cybersecurity measures.

🏠 Riu, the Spanish hotel chain, ended its legal dispute with the Ministry of Finance over a tax deduction claimed on Corporate Tax for the years 2007, 2008, and 2009, deciding not to appeal a November 2022 court ruling. The contention arose from a 5.8 million euro capital gain obtained from selling a property in Chipiona, bought in 2004 and sold in 2006. The court determined the property was not part of Riu's fixed assets, which would have qualified for the fiscal benefit. The sale yielded a roughly 40% return in just two years.

🏥 Ana Maria Jaume, now owns 54.8% of voting rights in Meliá Hotels International after her husband Gabriel Escarrer's death on November 26. Control is through Hoteles Mallorquines Consolidados (24.365%), Hoteles Mallorquines Agrupados (11.290%), Hoteles Mallorquines Asociados (13.763%), and Tulipa Inversiones 2018 (5.388%). A family pact from October 2018 remains in effect, requiring an 80% majority for critical decisions for five years post-Escarrer's death, ensuring stability during succession.

🗣 Javier Hidalgo, former CEO of Globalia, will not testify for alleged false testimony in the 'caso Koldo' as requested by popular accusation Liberum, decided by the National High Court's Criminal Chamber, confirming judge Ismael Moreno's decision. The Supreme Court's doctrine states false testimony requires the statements to be essential, which did not apply to Hidalgo's case. Liberum accused Hidalgo of lying in his September 12 declaration about his knowledge of a commercial relationship between Koldo García and Víctor de Aldama.

🚩 Delegada de Turismo Marta Rivera de la Cruz criticized Minister Jordi Hereu on Sunday for neglecting the tourism sector. Hereu, accused of inaction and ignoring industry pleas, is controversially invited to a tourism forum by CEOE and Mesa de Turismo on the 17th. Critics like Rivera de la Cruz and industry leaders Juan Molas and Juan Cierco question the benefit of involving Hereu, reflecting on past disappointments with government support for tourism.