Ibiza and Formentera Hoteliers Await Government Response Following European Setback Over Traveller Registration System

The Ibiza and Formentera Hotel Business Federation (FEHIF) has welcomed the decision by the European Commission to open an infringement procedure against Spain over the implementation of the controversial traveller registration system. A system that Europe considers may breach EU data protection legislation.

FEHIF’s manager, Santiago García Ramón, recalled on Friday that the federation “has always maintained that the amount of information required under the traveller registration system is excessive.”

Royal Decree 933/2021 obliges businesses to provide the Ministry of the Interior with data such as the ID document support number, the traveller’s full residential address, family relationships when minors are travelling in the group, and even whether the accommodation establishment has internet access. These data must be submitted to the authorities even if the reservation has been cancelled.

The rationale behind the introduction of the traveller registration system was security. FEHIF’s hoteliers understand this objective. However, García made it clear that such controls should be implemented “based on proportionality, administrative simplification, and a balance between security requirements and tourism operations.”

According to FEHIF’s manager, the implementation of the registration system was chaotic. Hotel management software had to be adapted to connect with the Ministry of the Interior and transmit the required information.

“Eventually, the software providers adapted their systems and data are now transmitted automatically in real time,” García explained.

“Our position has always been that the amount of information hotels are required to collect and submit is enormous,” he stressed. “The workload at hotel receptions has increased significantly. Many hotels now use pre-check-in systems so that guests can enter their own information before arriving at the property.”

The European Commission’s announcement has not yet received a response from the Spanish Government. FEHIF does not expect any immediate changes during the current tourist season.

“We welcome the announcement, but we understand that this decision will not have any practical impact this season. We will have to see what happens in the future, as that will ultimately depend on the Government,” García said.

Mallorca hotel association

For its part, the Mallorca Hotel Business Federation (FEHM) is calling for the repeal of the traveller registration decree and considers the European Commission’s decision to open infringement proceedings against Spain as confirmation of the criticism the tourism industry has been raising for years.

The Mallorca hotel association, whose president, Javier Vich, serves as one of the vice-presidents of the Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodation (CEHAT), argues that Brussels’ action demonstrates that Royal Decree 933/2021 is an “unworkable” regulation and contrary to European law.

FEHM has supported from the outset the legal and institutional actions promoted by CEHAT against the regulation and believes that the infringement procedure validates the arguments put forward by hotels, travel agencies, car rental companies and other tourism operators affected by the obligation to collect and transmit large amounts of travellers’ personal data.

In this context, FEHM is demanding the immediate repeal of Royal Decree 933/2021 and the urgent opening of a dialogue process between the Ministry of the Interior and the affected sectors in order to design an alternative system that balances security needs with citizens’ privacy rights and the operational realities of tourism businesses.

The European Commission’s decision has also been welcomed by CEHAT, which maintains that Brussels has confirmed concerns that the sector has been expressing since the regulation was first approved.

Administrative burden and operating costs

The national hotel confederation argues that the regulation was designed without taking into account the day-to-day operations of tourism establishments and has generated a disproportionate administrative burden for thousands of businesses.

According to CEHAT, the requirements associated with the registration system have increased management costs and reduced the sector’s competitiveness.

Hoteliers also question the obligation to store particularly sensitive traveller information. In their view, the system turns hotels and accommodation providers into custodians of vast amounts of personal, financial and location data, increasing the risk of cyberattacks and data breaches.

Furthermore, both FEHM and CEHAT believe that the European Commission has focused on one of the sector’s main concerns: the mass and indiscriminate collection of personal information over long periods of time. The organisations argue that this practice breaches the principles of proportionality and data minimisation established in EU legislation.

Despite their criticism of the decree, hoteliers insist that they remain committed to cooperating with Spain’s security forces and support the need to guarantee public safety. However, they stress that this objective must be achieved while respecting fundamental rights and without imposing what they consider disproportionate obligations on tourism businesses.

The president of CEHAT, Jorge Marichal, stated yesterday that the infringement procedure launched by Brussels should serve to correct a regulation that, in his view, “has damaged the relationship of trust between the Ministry of the Interior and a large part of the tourism sector.”

According to Marichal, the European Commission’s action opens the door to a reform that would make it possible to build “a more effective, modern system that is fully aligned with European legislation.”