Spain: Hoteliers criticize CNMC for “releasing” Airbnb from obligations

The Spanish government has approved new regulations requiring those who rent rooms for tourist use (eg through platforms such as Airbnb, HomeAway and others) to provide authorities with tax information about their guests. In response, the country’s market regulator, the CNMC, announced it has requested the Council of Ministers to modify or eliminate this obligation, as it considers this data request “unnecessary and disproportionate.”

The European association of hoteliers and restaurateurs, Hotrec, issued a statement criticizing the Spanish regulator and accusing the agency of “showing a tendency beyond all logic to free digital platforms from their responsibilities.”

“It is time to stop overprotecting both unregulated business activities and the gigantic online platforms that facilitate such activities,” says Ramón Estalella, president of the Working Group on Collaborative Economics of Hotrec.

Full Content: El Independiente

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