Is Spain banning UK tourists? What new rules mean for your holiday

New restrictions are set to affect tourists visiting Spain as authorities in the popular holiday destination increase measures to curb the impacts of overtourism.

The move follows the wave of anti-tourists protests that has spread across the country and other European destinations over the past year.

Although it has been called a “tourist ban” by some, the new rules won’t stop tourists from visiting the country. It will, however, have some impact on how Britons should plan for their holidays.

Policies to prevent overtourism are already underway for places in popular destinations like Barcelona, Mallorca and Tenerife. From this year, they will also be coming to Malaga, in the country’s Costa Del Sol region.

The move has come to address locals’ concerns about overcrowding in the city, alongside property prices and rents become increasingly unaffordable for them.

As with several other locations, the plans take aim at the influx of holiday rental properties which can increasingly be found in the city’s central districts. Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez said: “It isn’t fair that those who have three, four or five apartments as short-term rentals pay less tax than hotels or workers.

“The government’s duty is to prioritise residential use of housing and prevent speculative and touristic uses from expanding in a totally uncontrolled manner at the cost of residents.”

For the next three years, new holiday rentals will not be allowed to be registered across any of Malaga’s 43 districts, matching policies in place in areas across Spain.

What do the plans mean for British tourists?

Holidaymakers will still be able to book hotels, Airbnbs and apartments as usual.

The only existing accomodation that will be affected are holiday flats which have been registered since 22 February 2024 that do not have entrances and utilities separate from those for permanent residents. The licences for these lets will reportedly be cancelled.

The change could have major implications for Airbnb’s popular ‘private room’ option, which will often see tourists residing in a separate part of the owner’s property.

The changes follow a countrywide law introduced last year which mean that anyone registering for a hotel stay or car hire will need to provide more personal information than was previously required.

What other anti-tourist measures are in place in Spain?

The new ban in Malaga follows from similar measures taken in other popular Spanish cities like Alicante and Madrid.

Authorities in Seville are also set to soon follow suit, alongside introducing a charge for those looking to enter the city’s popular Plaza de España square.

In Barcelona, short-term tourist apartments will be banned from 2028. Changes have also recently come to popular destinations, with authorities in Mallorca putting a cap on the number of cruise ships which can dock in its port, and a limit of the number of visitors to national parks being introduced in Tenerife.

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