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<\/a><\/p>\nMADRID (Reuters) – A new law to curb rents in high-demand areas won’t stop owners renting property to tourists, a loophole that could fuel an uncontrolled boom in short-term accommodation, Spain’s main tourism lobby said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The bill, introduced by the government on Tuesday, caps annual rent hikes at 3% in certain areas to help those who cannot afford soaring prices in tourist hotspots such as the Balearic and Canary archipelagos or Mediterranean cities like Malaga.<\/p>\n
But the draft law does not directly address short-term leases, which could encourage owners to rent out their properties to tourists rather that long-term tenants, industry group Exceltur said.<\/p>\n
“The reform omitted the issue of houses for tourists and this could further aggravate the problem,” the lobby’s vice-president, Jose Luis Zoreda, told a press conference in Madrid.<\/p>\n
Exceltur, whose members include large hotel groups such as Melia, has called on the government and the European Union to ensure that online platforms check the short-term accommodation offered complies with local permits.<\/p>\n
The number of houses rented to tourists in Spain rose 20% in the first quarter compared to the same period in 2022, according to data compiled by Exceltur, which described it as an “uncontrolled” increase.<\/p>\n
In contrast, hotel bookings were up 2% year-on-year.<\/p>\n
In the first two months of 2023, demand for short-term tourist rentals grew by 42.6% compared to 2019 – before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted global travel – while hotel bookings rose only 3%, according to official data.<\/p>\n
Spain’s tourism sector has bounced back after the pandemic, with sales in the first quarter of this year 10.4% higher than in 2019, Exceltur said. <\/p>\n
Exceltur now sees tourism activity rising by 9.4% compared to 2019, up from the 7% increase it forecast at the beginning of the year.<\/p>\n
\n(Reporting by Corina Pons; Editing by David Latona and Christina Fincher)<\/p>\n
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