Latest news with #PabloBustinduy
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First Post
a day ago
- Business
- First Post
Booking.com deletes 4,000+ listings amid Spain's rental crackdown
Spain's tourism growth has supported the national economy but has also raised concerns over housing availability and affordability, issues that remain a key focus for the current coalition government. read more A general view shows tourists dance inside a discotheque near Playa d'en Bossa beach, during a housing crisis that many locals blame on overtourism in Ibiza, Spain. Reuters a major online hotel booking platform, announced on Friday that it had removed thousands of listings in Spain following a request from the country's consumer ministry. The move comes as part of the government's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term tourist rentals. Spain's tourism growth has supported the national economy but has also raised concerns over housing availability and affordability, issues that remain a key focus for the current coalition government. In a statement, said it had taken down a limited number of listings for not providing valid licences, as requested by the ministry. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Amsterdam-based company noted that the removed listings accounted for 'less than two percent' of its 200,000 properties in Spain, and emphasized its continued cooperation with authorities to regulate the sector. On Thursday, the consumer rights ministry reported that 4,093 non-compliant listings had been removed, with most located in the Canary Islands, a popular tourist region. Spain has also ordered online tourist accommodation giant Airbnb to take down more than 65,000 adverts for violating licence rules and has been in a legal battle with the US-based company. The world's second most-visited country hosted a record 94 million foreign tourists in 2024, but residents of hotspots such as Barcelona blame short-term rentals for the housing crisis and changing their neighbourhoods. 'We're making progress in the fight against a speculative model that expels people from their neighbourhoods and violates the right to a home,' far-left consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy wrote on social network Bluesky.
Malaysian Reserve
a day ago
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
Spain makes Booking.com scrap 4,000 tourist rental ads
MADRID — Online hotel booking giant on Friday said it had taken down thousands of advertisements in Spain in the leftist government's latest crackdown on illegal short-term tourist rentals. A tourism boom has driven the buoyant Spanish economy but fuelled local concern about increasingly scarce and unaffordable housing, a top priority for the minority coalition government. 'We have deleted a very small number of adverts in Spain at the request of the consumer ministry for supplying valid licences,' said in a statement. The Amsterdam-based platform said the non-compliant adverts represented 'less than two percent' of its 200,000 properties in Spain and that it had always collaborated with the authorities to regulate the short-term rental sector. The consumer rights ministry on Thursday announced had scrapped 4,093 illegal ads, most of them located in the Atlantic Ocean's Canary Islands, a top tourist destination. Spain has also ordered online tourist accommodation giant Airbnb to take down more than 65,000 adverts for violating licence rules and has been in a legal battle with the US-based company. The world's second most-visited country hosted a record 94 million foreign tourists in 2024, but residents of hotspots such as Barcelona blame short-term rentals for the housing crisis and changing their neighbourhoods. 'We're making progress in the fight against a speculative model that expels people from their neighbourhoods and violates the right to a home,' far-left consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy wrote on social network Bluesky. — AFP
France 24
a day ago
- Business
- France 24
Spain makes Booking.com scrap 4,000 tourist rental ads
A tourism boom has driven the buoyant Spanish economy but fuelled local concern about increasingly scarce and unaffordable housing, a top priority for the minority coalition government. "We have deleted a very small number of adverts in Spain at the request of the consumer ministry for supplying valid licences," said in a statement. The Amsterdam-based platform said the non-compliant adverts represented "less than two percent" of its 200,000 properties in Spain and that it had always collaborated with the authorities to regulate the short-term rental sector. The consumer rights ministry on Thursday announced had scrapped 4,093 illegal ads, most of them located in the Atlantic Ocean's Canary Islands, a top tourist destination. Spain has also ordered online tourist accommodation giant Airbnb to take down more than 65,000 adverts for violating licence rules and has been in a legal battle with the US-based company. The world's second most-visited country hosted a record 94 million foreign tourists in 2024, but residents of hotspots such as Barcelona blame short-term rentals for the housing crisis and changing their neighbourhoods. "We're making progress in the fight against a speculative model that expels people from their neighbourhoods and violates the right to a home," far-left consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy wrote on social network Bluesky.
Local Spain
a day ago
- Business
- Local Spain
Spain court shelves Ryanair's €107 million fine for 'abusive practices'
The Madrid court said it accepted their appeals against the respective fines of €107 million ($125 million) and €1.6 million while the basis of the case was still being resolved. The court also justified its decision by the costliness of the fines which would "cause a mismatch and difficulties for the treasury" of the companies. The airlines will meanwhile have to pay guarantees collectively totalling almost €112 million. The consumer ministry announced fines against five companies in November for what it identified as "abusive practices", including charging for hand luggage, providing misleading information and a lack of price transparency. Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair was specifically fined for charging passengers a "disproportionate amount" for printing their boarding passes at terminals when they did not have them. EasyJet and Spanish airlines Volotea and Vueling were also among the punished firms. Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary slammed the "political" fines at the time as "illegal and baseless". Far-left consumer rights minister Pablo Bustinduy, who has become embroiled in a spat with Ryanair over his policies, conceded the practices would continue until the courts decided the affair. The successful appeals were "normal and predictable under the rule of law", but "charging for hand luggage is illegal", he insisted on social network Bluesky. The European Parliament's transport commission has proposed allowing passengers to bring a personal object such as a handbag or backpack on board, as well as another piece of luggage weighing seven kilograms at most. But the sector association Airlines for Europe says the move would increase the cost of tickets for passengers who choose to travel light.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Spain becomes first country to ban petrol advertisements
Spain will become the first country in the world to ban petrol advertisements under a law soon to be passed by its Left-wing government. Petrol or diesel adverts will not be allowed unless the product contains some non-fossil ingredient such as biofuel, according to a draft bill announced on Tuesday by consumer affairs minister, Pablo Bustinduy. The new legislative package is aimed at tackling 'greenwashing', with a ban on any type of advertising for energy products from companies in the oil and gas sector composed exclusively of fossil fuel derivatives, without the use of renewable components. There will be no minimum requirement for the amount of green petrol or diesel that will allow companies to avoid the advertising ban, The Telegraph understands. The draft sustainable consumption Bill will also transpose into Spanish law an EU directive on empowering consumers faced by confusing and ambiguous green claims by companies. At the start of this year The Hague became the first city in the world to ban billboard advertisements for fossil fuels and related products, including combustion-engine cars, air travel and cruise ship holidays. The Dutch city's ban responded to a call by UN secretary-general António Guterres to ban advertising by fossil fuel companies, just as ads for tobacco have been prohibited almost everywhere in the world. A Dutch trade association for travel companies and tourism company TUI mounted a legal challenge against The Hague city council's ban but it was upheld by a court. The argument against the ban was that it infringed on freedom of speech and entrepreneurship, but a court in The Hague ruled that citizens' right to health is more important than the commercial interests of advertisers. The Spanish government's draft legislation also takes aim at generic environmental claims in advertising, meaning companies will have to justify the use of slogans such as 'environmentally-friendly', 'green', 'climate-friendly' and 'energy-efficient'. Sustainability labels will have to be based on certification systems and companies will not be able to make carbon emissions claims based solely on the supposed impact of offset programmes. Consumer minister, Pablo Bustinduy, said on Tuesday that the law would also 'put an end to built-in obsolescence by giving consumers the right to have electrical goods repaired and extending the length of guarantees'.
