Jurídicos y Administrativos

🚩 Seven anti-tourism activist groups in Mallorca wrote a letter to visitors asking them to refrain from coming, blaming tourists for the island's tourism saturation crisis. The letter suggests Mallorca's half-a-million hotel accommodations, made in the last century, and the recent approval of 100,000 legal tourist apartment and home spaces by the last government, are not the tourists' fault. No political party, not even the left-wing ones, suggest eliminating tourist accommodations in the Balearics, unlike Barcelona's planned suspension of 10,000 vacation apartment permits by 2028. The anti-tourism letter expresses hostility and lack of hospitality towards visitors.

🏕 Japan targets 60 million tourists by 2030 but implements a dual pricing system to combat overtourism. Foreigners will pay 8,800 yen versus 6,930 yen for locals at Junguria Okinawa Park opening this July. Himeji Castle differentiates by residence, not nationality. Similar policies exist in Thailand (Emerald Temple) and India (Taj Mahal). Ordinary tourist expenses like hotels, consumption, and transportation remain unaffected.

🏠 Catalonian lodging sector associations met with Generalitat representatives to express "total rejection" of the tourist tax hike announced on February 27, after an agreement to double the levy. The increase mandates that at least 25% fund housing policies for vulnerable groups. Municipalities can now add a surcharge, previously exclusive to Barcelona, potentially raising it to €8. The meeting on March 20 included major association and government figures, yet businesses criticized the lack of a conclusive economic impact report and the absence of constructive dialogue.

🛫 Javier Gándara, president of the Asociación de Líneas Aéreas (ALA), warns about a financial strain caused by the Spanish Government's non-payment of subsidies owed to airlines for resident discounts in the Canary Islands, Balearics, Ceuta, and Melilla. The unpaid amount for 2024 reaches €425 million, nearly depleting the 2025 budget of €560 million, initially allocated to cover these expenses. The expected cost for 2025 is €1.250 billion. Airline capacity between the Canary Islands and the mainland increased by 9.6% to 61.81 million seats in 2024, and connections between the Balearics and the mainland rose by 6% to 55 million seats.

✈ The Spanish Government has ruled out the construction of a second runway at Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport despite a passenger traffic increase of over two million in a single year. Senator Agustín Almodóbar had questioned the necessity of expansion. The government deemed the current facilities sufficient, with modern, secure, and competitively priced installations. Aena has planned an adjustment of the terminal and movement area, with a €19.8 million investment in January for the first phase of technical assistance and drafting. The second runway is included in the airport's Master Plan but will only be built when technically deemed necessary.

✈ A non-binary passenger filed a lawsuit against Ryanair in 2021 for not providing a gender-neutral option in their booking system. The incident occurred when the individual attempted to book a flight from Berlin to Gran Canaria. They are seeking over £4,000 (around €4,800) in compensation and demand a change in the airline's platform. Ryanair refused an out-of-court settlement, leading the non-binary person to take the case to the state court in Berlin.

🚨 European embassies warn citizens about public disorder in Turkey, notably in Istanbul, after the arrest of city mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish lira fell nearly 6%, and the stock market plummeted about 9%, prompting state bank intervention. WhatsApp and X were blocked on Thursday. No spread to holiday areas, currently in low demand, reported.

💰 On March 21, 2025, it was highlighted that companies must annually manage a crucial process for employees—the submission of Modelo 145. This document reflects an employee's personal and family situation for accurate income tax withholding (IRPF) calculation. The Modelo 145 includes information such as marital status, children or dependents, disability, and residence in special regime regions. While not presented to the tax authorities (AEAT), the form ensures correct IRPF calculations by the employer. Submitting and correctly filling out the Modelo 145 is not only mandatory for all working individuals but also crucial for optimizing fiscal expenditure and avoiding errors in the net salary and tax declarations. Employers, or labor consultancies on their behalf, should manage this process, ideally using fiscal management software to automate and store data efficiently.

🔔 Over 400 hotels have joined a class action lawsuit organized by the Spanish Association of Hotel Directors (AEDH) against Booking for economic compensation over parity clauses, recently challenged by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) in September 2023. The lawsuit follows a historic €413 million fine from the National Commission of Markets and Competition (CNMC) imposed on Booking. The Spanish hotel sector could claim damages up to €3 billion, with the final amount depending on participation. The contentious clauses were in place from 2004 to June 2024. AEDH provides legal guidance to hoteliers considering joining the claim.

📍 Gabriel Escarrer, President of Exceltur, criticized regional government policies impacting the tourism sector during the inauguration of a report presentation on "Solytur." He highlighted concerns about the trend towards establishing ecotaxes and seeking limitations in coastal Spanish municipalities, which he believes directly affects competitiveness. Escarrer emphasized proactive management and addressed challenges such as population growth, housing shortages exacerbated by tourist flats, rising living costs, and inadequate visitor anticipation. He advocated for off-season promotion, combating illegal vacation rentals, eradicating excessive drinking tourism, pirate taxis, party boats, illegal parties, and unlicensed guides. Escarrer expressed disappointment with the central government for not utilizing Next Generation funds to make coastal destinations competitive for the next 20-25 years.