Jurídicos y Administrativos

🛫 Fiscalía challenges Judge Juan Carlos Peinado's investigation into Air Europa's rescue, terming it "irregular" and criticizing "inaction." Fiscalía requests UCO to halt their actions and not submit the report, while Peinado insists on probing potential irregularities, citing avoidance as prevarication. Additionally, there's contention over the witness summons of Justice Minister Félix Bolaños for April 16 and the charge against ex-PP official Juan José Güemes, highlighting a "situation of irregularity" and "genuine defenselessness.

🏨 Ramón Vernet, CEO of Best Hotels with 18 hotels and 4,628 rooms in Catalonia, criticizes the Generalitat's decision to double the tourist tax to potentially €15 per person per night. He argues that the already highest tourist tax in Europe will hurt Barcelona's competitiveness, as a couple could pay up to €160 in a week. Vernet suggests using the tax revenue for infrastructure rather than housing issues, which he believes hotels did not cause.

🚨 Incident at Madrid-Barajas Airport: On the night of January 26-27, an unexpected blackout occurred on the runways, disrupting the airport with the highest traffic in Spain, which accommodated 66 million passengers in 2024. The airport's ground lighting failed during aircraft approaches. Fast response and professionalism of Aena's signaling staff resolved the critical incident. Senator Aniceto Javier Armas has requested government clarification and preventive measures in the Senate. The government claims it was an "exceptional" event with no operational impact or planes in final approach.

🏨 Hotelbreak, a startup offering day-use hotel experiences to non-staying local customers, filed for bankruptcy this week after ceasing operations in February due to an inability to meet consumer claims and debt obligations. Launched in May 2019 by entrepreneurs from Mallorca, the company faces claims from residents affected by service cancellations. Hotelbreak had charged users for services not paid to establishments and failed to honor its wallet money. The debt amounts to €1.2 million, with a collective lawsuit from 200 people represented by consumer association Consubal.

🏖 Riu constructed the Boabab hotel on Petite Côte, south of Dakar, Senegal. A robbery occurred at the hotel in late January, followed by another armed attack at Les Mangiers de Guéréo in Popenguine in the same week. Despite these incidents, Senegal, which annually attracts about two million tourists, contributing to 7% of its national wealth, is considered safe. Authorities have increased surveillance following the two attacks within a two-month period.

🛫 Volotea, with significant presence in France, has been charging customers retroactively for a new aviation tax using their banking details without notification or authorization, facing criticism from Guillaume Beurdeley, secretary of the travel agencies' association. Air France absorbed the cost for tickets sold before the tax was announced, while Transavia passed it on to customers. The situation led to bureaucratic chaos when earlier tax proposals fell through with the government's budget, prompting refunds. The industry association has reported Volotea to the Directorate of Competition, Consumption, and Fraud Repression.

💸 Italy attempts to ensure online reviews' authenticity with a new law; commentators must provide proof of visit, such as a bill or booking confirmation, and identify themselves. Reviews are limited to within 15 days post-visit. Non-compliance can lead to fines ranging from EUR 5,000 to EUR 10 million. TripAdvisor removed 2.7 million fake reviews, warned 9,000 businesses against manipulation, and found 360,000 false reviews by employees. Up to 30% of tourist business may be affected by fraudulent reviews, according to Tourism Minister Daniela Santanché.

🔎 Begoña Gómez, wife of the Spanish Prime Minister, is alarmed by Judge Peinado's potential investigation into the Air Europa rescue. She has requested through her lawyer to halt any proceedings, fearing a "fishing expedition." The National Court may authorize Peinado to clarify state aid provided to the Hidalgo's airline, amid concerns about possible criminal decisions. Despite government and prosecution opposition, the UCO supports continued scrutiny into the rescue, independent of political pressure, including Gómez's formal accusation of four crimes linked to her Complutense University connections and the rapidity of Air Europa's aid compared to other sector companies.

🏠 Politicians in Baleares are now taking the issue of vacation housing seriously due to a surge in tourists, signaling a commitment to enforce existing laws against illegal offerings. The focus is on compliance with laws previously unenforced, exemplified by the initiation of proceedings against the publicly known hospedería de Lluc in Mallorca. Enforcement actions underscore the shift in political determination to address illegal vacation rentals.

🏖️ Santiago de Compostela's City Council, with Tourism Councilor Miriam Louzao, plans to implement a tourist tax this summer, as announced in a meeting with the city's tourism sector on Friday. Councilor of Treasury, Manuel César, noted that the draft is well-developed and will proceed to plenary approval after the pre-consultation period and incorporation of relevant suggestions. Discussions included the tax's collection method and the allocation of the funds raised.