Spain's major new travel rules sparks chaos as tourists issued with urgent warnings
New laws that require tourists travelling to Spain to register extensive personal information for each guest descended into chaos on the first day when the system crashed.
The new system, which came into force at the start of December, is said to have already had an "international impact" after it crashed on day one, according to the President of the Aviba Balearic Association of Travel Agencies, Pedro Fiol.
The new data collection rules have been compare to 'Big Brother' and requires hotels, travel agencies and car rental companies to collect the extra information, by Royal decree. That information is then to be uploaded onto a platform for sharing with Spanish security forces.
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Individuals over the age of 14 have to provide a comprehensive set of personal details to hotels, rentals, taxis, and campsites including passport info, mobile numbers, dates of birth, nationalities, email addresses and more. Under 14s don't have to provide the information, but adults travelling with kids must explain the relationship they have with them.
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Before the legislation was enacted, tourists only had to show their ID cards or passports.
Fiol, who said the impact of the new system has already caused significant issues for the travel agency sector, said: "It was chaos. It hardly ever worked during the test period.
"It is disproportionate and has already had an international impact. We cannot upload data that we don't know," reports the Mirror.
He criticised the plans, which were implemented to "fight terrorism and organised crime" saying will "neither prevent nor deter any possible attack". He added: "Terrorists with names and surnames will not be staying with their faces uncovered in any hotel surrounded by tourists."
Fines for non-compliance can reach up to €30,000 (£24,790) and Aviba is now advising members to take screenshots of website errors as evidence.
Tourism expert Fiol said: "It is very important that we can prove that the system has not been working and that we have therefore not been able to load the data."
Javier Hernández, executive vice president of the Costa del Sol hotel association (Aehcos), has previoulsy told news outlets that some guests are refusing to provide hotels with the data. He said many argued that the extensive information requested is unnecessary and therefore goes against the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation.
A representative for the Interior Ministry has previously defended the policy, saying: "It is justified for the general interest for the security of citizens against the threat of terrorism and other serious offences committed by criminal organisations."
Despite these justifications, there's rising concern among local business proprietors and hoteliers who fear they'll face the brunt of public dissatisfaction.
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