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Andalucía has begun the countdown to create the new legal framework for all tourism activity in the region. Arturo Bernal, regional tourism minister at the Junta de Andalucía, announced the approval of the draft bill of the sustainable tourism law. This new law will replace the current legislation dating from 2012, aimed at addressing the new realities and challenges of what is still the main industry for the region. Tourism accounts for more than 15% of the economic activity of the region. The draft bill was approved by the governing council of regional ministers on Tuesday.
"With this law Andalucía must lead the way for this new tourism model that we want", said Bernal. The model has certain cornerstones and objectives, including taking more account of local residents, a more rigorous inspection process and more severe sanctions for any infringements of the law. The sanction could be a fine of up to 600,000 euros for anyone committing very serious offences such as the clandestine provision of a tourist service (unlicensed letting) or the alteration or falsification of data submitted to the regional tourism register for Andalucía (the licensing authority for tourist accommodation). The maximum fine is currently 150,000 euros. The regional minister emphasised that the regulation aims to ensure that tourism continues to move ahead, but is founded on values of respect, moderation and dialogue and he pointed out that "it is a law that puts people, coexistence and the principle of hospitality at the centre."
The legislation, which is expected to be approved in regional parliament in the fourth quarter of this year, is based on four pillars: sustainability, digitalisation, quality as the ability to meet the expectations of all parties involved, and business intelligence, including artificial intelligence (AI). "It is a brave, ambitious and at the same time simple law, which aims to simplify the administrative processes for the parties involved in this tourism equation. A regulation that takes employment, training and talent into account and understands this activity as a way to connect and build a more promising future."
Bernal was keen to stress that "this law is also municipalist in that it gives great importance to the municipalities so that they have the capacity, opportunity and right to decide their tourism model, and, furthermore, it is Europeanist because it follows the guidelines of European instructions, some of them originating in Andalucía." Along these lines the new law aims to strengthen inland, rural tourism by establishing new local tourism plans.
15%
This is the direct contribution of tourism to the regional economy of Andalucía.
Bernal went on to outline the ten objectives of the new law. Firstly to organise, plan and promote sustainable tourism in Andalucía. Secondly, to continue with the challenges of boosting this industry as a key sector for the Andalusian economy. Also, to promote the region as a global, market-leading destination for sustainability. Next to coordinate and pull together all the competences of the different governing bodies. Other objectives are to protect resources, to promote competitiveness, to support the training, prestige and qualification of the industry's professionals and to defend users. The final two are to facilitate universal accessibility and to promote the Andalusian brand and its values at a global level.
In short, this is a regulation that defines the basic elements of the tourism industry going forward and includes the regulating of new types of accommodation services such as tourist rentals that were not previously considered. "In this new law we spell it out in black and white and focus on quality as the ability to meet the expectations of all elements of this ecosystem, from tourists, workers, businesses, citizens and municipalities. It is a demanding law with 100 worthy elements for the future that lies ahead of us, and which has had the consensus of, and perusal by, employers and trade unions alike in this preliminary draft."
In addition, Bernal announced that a network of sustainable and intelligent tourism will be established with a classification of municipalities according to different parameters, which will be one of the first studies resulting from the work of the Observatory for Sustainable Tourism. His final comment was that, in the coming weeks, there will be new developments for holiday rental properties in a new decree on housing.
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