The Spanish government has officially declared war on illegal holiday accommodation “to eradicate the scourge” of scam artists plotting against unsuspecting tourists.
Booking.com is reportedly the giant which has agreed to join the Balearic ministers in combating scam artists who place false advertisements to encourage tourists, mainly Brits, to book a private property to stay in – sometimes at a reduced rate.
But the move will also serve to allow the government to regulate the sheer number of accommodation listed not only on Booking.com, but it’s reportedly also looking to sign the same agreement with the likes of Airbnb.
Jaume Bauzá, the Balearic Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, made the stark admission that he does not know exactly how many illegal properties there are on the island.
He believes the agreement with Booking will shed more light “to eradicate this scourge” of people offering up accommodation without the relevant licences.
“It is a common problem that we suffer in different areas and we have to try to combat it,” Bauzá told Spanish title, El Confidencial.
Although in the Balearic Islands the powers of tourism inspection have been transferred to the island councils, the government has announced that it will have the necessary means to make the measure effective.
The aim of the agreement will be to increase transparency in the field of short-term accommodation rental and to help public authorities regulate it, and provide assurances for both residents and visitors to the islands.
It will place the responsibility of cross-referencing data to detect what is being advertised onto the island’s councils, who will be able to action illegal properties more quickly.
Booking.com currently has a whopping 29 million properties listed, with more than 7.2 million being houses, flats and other “unique” places to stay.
The agreement itself is not new. Booking.com has already partnered up with Seville City Council on the Spanish mainland and Ibiza, where the same issue is rife.
Carlos Pérez-Lanzac, member of the board of directors of Fevitur (Federation of Tourist Accommodation Associations) and president of the Andalusian Association of Tourist Accommodation is reported to have said: “Illegal supply is our main enemy and is non-negotiable, but we also say that there are hotels without opening licences, clandestine guides and taxis.”#
The deal struck between big name booking firms could just be the tip of the iceberg, as both Andalusia and the Balearics are preparing its own law to regulate holiday homes, and put a stop to tourist saturation.
