The Mesa del Turismo of leading figures in Spain's tourism industry and the industry at large have succeeded in securing the suspension of the new Royal Decree requiring documentary registration in accommodation and motor vehicle rental “given the impossibility of compliance with the rule for tourism companies and potential conflict with the Data Protection Act”. It was due to have come into force on October 1, now it has been pushed back until December. However it is feared that it could put Britons off coming to Mallorca and Spain.
According to one Briton on TikTok, having to supply 43 pieces of information when checking into accommodation is going to turn Britons away and judging by comments from people who have watched the video, he is not wrong. Carlos Abella, the secretary general of the Mesa del Turismo, has said that the update of this Royal Decree obliges accommodation companies, car rental companies and intermediary tour operators to provide customer information telematically with an excessive level of detail, also providing for penalties of up to 30,000 euros in case of infringement. All this in addition to “cumbersome booking procedures”.
The Spanish government has defended the rule, claiming that the tighter requirements will enhance safety by allowing the Ministry of Interior to access details on who, when and where both domestic and international guests are staying, assisting in tracking terrorists and organised crime syndicates.
But many people feel it is an infringement of their human rights and could also clash with data protection laws, not to mention being a major hassle.
Benidorm resident Frank, known on TikTok as @frankthestagman, says “I’ve got to be honest with you, I can’t believe we’ve got to a stage in life where anybody can actually ask for this type of information. Information they are wanting from you, which you will have to give, is - well, there’s a lot of it - but these are the basics.
“These are the ones that you’re more likely to not want to hand over. Your full name, your full address, your credit card information. They’re also going to be wanting your phone number, they’re going to want to know where you’re going to be staying and also your passport and driving licence information. If you fail to provide any of this information, and there is more, you can be fined up to 30,000 euros. Wow.” The new law is now due to be enforced from December 2.
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TobyWelcome to the digital world. I remember telling people when the UK switched from analogue TV to digital, from now on you cannot trust what you see on screen. Live analogue was virtually impossible to manipulate, digital kids now can do it in their bedrooms. Twenty years on we have only scratched the surface of the life changes we will see . Good or bad we cannot go back, all we can do is learn to live with it, try and use its benefits - like ID cards - and remember everything you do nowadays is tracked, processed and stored . Thank you all for reading and absorbing this message. You may now return to your work stations. End.
Bought a hybrid car. Found it reports my driving manner and locations. The garage can log into it directly and find out all sorts right down to the life left in the oil. Bought a Casio watch, it has a tacker built in. My phone tracks me. All my internet search history is logged by some computer somewhere, as are my emails and phone calls. Now, I can’t go on holiday without a foreign Country wanting all my details too. Facial recognition in shops and supermarkets, All those in favour have a think. You can’t walk the dog without someone knowing, even to the point of pushing trackers on the dogs! 1984 wasn’t a novel, it was an ideal. Conspiracy theories? A theory is there to be proved or disproved to one’s personal satisfaction either way, not to be dismissed because the media has told you to dismiss “disinformation” just because it’s been branded a conspiracy theory. Research people! Think where we are heading this last 4 years.
The US does it already for the ESTA. EU and UK citizens have to do it and have to be their fingerprinted. Time for the EU to follow suit and the UK to issue ID cards.
Richard PearsonWTF? What do "young liberals in the USA" have to do with anything? Even worse - the the only ones in the USA who've said that "young liberals in the USA think that demanding an ID to be able to vote is racist" - is Trump & Co. Yeah, they started that. Nobody else has said that.
Zoltan TeglasYou mean they have fake passports? Most people are legitimate I believe.
tranq tranquerAnd more importantly, persuade the majority in Parliament to back such a legislation. Not an easy task, especially when many mostly young liberals in the USA think that demanding an ID to be able to vote is racist.
Note to British visitors : Vote in a government who will bring in a national biometric ID card and your troubles are over. Extra benefit : for the hundreds of thousands of illegals in the UK their troubles will just be starting.
This story is actually a copy and paste from various English tabloids, inspired by a tikTok video from some guy raging about it. https://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/news/uk-world-news/brits-plan-stay-away-spain-9625091 Having said that, I think it's going too far, regardless of how sensationalised it is, or that it's not actually 43 pieces of information as the blogger claims. We already have too many unnecessary administrative tasks without this. And I don't really see the point of it. We already have to register guests with the guardia civil, and that's a pain in the arse as it is. And the guardia civil doesn't seem to pay any attention to it anyway - their website works like something out of the 1990's. Let's see how long this actually lasts. Or if it's actually enforced. Like the police letter of invitation that nobody's ever seen, been asked for, or ever been required to submit.
Marvin Le MartianNice to hear the truth from someone actually using the system, thanks!
Terrorists and serious criminals won't be using their real ID to check into a hotel, so the whole thing is a nonsense.