Jurídicos y Administrativos

🏖️ Barcelona's City Council has approved fiscal ordinances for 2025, including tax hikes for the tourism sector, affecting 208 hotels' property tax (IBI), cruise terminals, tourist buses, and Parque Güell admission fees. The Parque Güell entry fee will rise from 10 to 18 euros, while tourist buses will face increased charges from 20 to 80 euros daily. The current tourist tax remains unchanged at 4 euros, with potential legislative changes to increase the municipal surcharge. Fiscal ordinances received support from PSC, Barcelona en Comú, and ERC in December's plenary session.

🚨 Paris, from January 1st, further limits short-term tourist rentals to 90 days per year, reduced from the previous cap of 120 days. This move is due to concerns that such rentals affect the housing market negatively. Currently, there are 95,000 listings on Airbnb or similar platforms in Paris, mostly available during summer, with an estimated 25,000 illegally rented apartments facing potential fines. French legislation empowers mayors to make housing policy decisions locally.

🛈 The Spanish government confirmed in December that UK tour operators and travel agencies are exempt from new data collection regulations in Spain, as stated by the Spanish Tourist Office in London. The exemption is due to European data protection rules. The Spanish Tourist Office reassures that no additional information is required from travelers than what has been collected for the past fifty years, aside from a system update and mandatory data as per the Schengen Treaty. Only Spain-based intermediaries must collect the data.

🚧 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.

🛫 In France, a non-existent aviation tax caused uproar when announced to charge up to €72 per long-haul flight ticket from January. Air France and Corsair started collecting the unapproved tax from October 24. Following the government's fall on December 6, both airlines decided to refund customers, complicating transactions made through agencies. The new government under François Bayrou may reintroduce the tax, adding to the confusion.

💰 Who? Reyes Maroto, former Minister of Tourism, and Víctor de Aldama. What? Maroto is accused of seeking electoral placement assistance from Aldama. When? Facts date back to late 2022, with key conversations occurring in September 2022. Where? Spain, specifically within the context of PSOE electoral lists for the Madrid municipality and community. How? Maroto allegedly sent constant messages to Aldama, who promised to intervene. Maroto was later elected head of the list for Madrid's city council. On December 19, she retracted earlier denials about her connection with Aldama, after evidence of their communication was revealed.

📖 Ex-minister Reyes Maroto, influenced by her "sanchista" beliefs, was criticized for using a photo of a knife in an envelope during her campaign for the vice-presidency of the Autonomous Community without resigning from her ministry position. She also suggested the volcanic eruption in La Palma could be an attractive tourist landscape, benefiting Turespaña's marketing for free. Additionally, her support for the entry of ex-secretary Oliver into the OMT with a high salary to avoid conflict with Francina, and connections between her former chief of staff and Aldama are noted.

✈ Iberia will shift its basic fares to exclusive distribution via NDC channel from April 2025, giving agencies five months to adapt. These fares will no longer be available on other channels in all European countries except the UK, and in the US, Brazil, Colombia, Uruguay, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Additionally, Iberia will differentiate tour operator rates across distribution channels starting April. The airline aims to benefit customers and ensure access to its full suite of products and services. Agencies are encouraged to connect to Iberia's NDC API directly or through chosen NDC technology providers, with over 47 NDC aggregators and GDS connections offered.

🚫 Spain's mandatory traveler data registration, active since December 2, faces customer resistance. Real Decreto 933/2021 includes sanctions, with fines from €600 for late reporting to €30,000. Agencies convey obligations to clients, aligning with laws despite competitive concerns. If refusal persists, agencies must document it. Some businesses may deny service to avoid liabilities. The sector debates privacy versus security, seeking balance. Over 123,000 hotels use the registration platform, according to a December 17, 2024, tweet. Agencies can make official complaints; one was closed on December 13.

💰 Booking.com, after a €413 million fine by Spain's CNMC, claims 98% of Spanish SME hotels increased sales via its platform, with 89% seeing more international travelers over two years, per a Statista survey. Contrastingly, legal advisor Javier Zamora reports ongoing abuses similar to those sanctioned by CNMC, as hotels warn of continued violations. The European hotel lobby Hotrec noted Booking's non-compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) and potential ongoing restrictive practices. Despite criticism, Booking pledges investment in technology, marketing, and cybersecurity to support SME hotel growth and digital tourism in Spain.