Meliá Hotels CEO - "We must put limits on the growth in tourist numbers"

Escarrer stressed the urgent need for a strategic plan for tourism development in Spain to address the problem of tourismphobia and the saturation of certain destinations, especially in high season. "I don't believe that a 10% growth in the number of tourists is realistic or sustainable. We must put limits on this growth to prevent saturation from harming the quality of tourism and the image of Spain." The only positive thing, he added, is that spending per tourist has increased by 16%.

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Jet2 boss blames unlicensed holiday properties for tourism protests in Mallorca

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Not for the first time, the boss of the Mallorcan hotel group, Spain's largest, identified the part that holiday rentals have played in overcrowding. In this regard, he expressed his support for the Spanish Government's proposal to regulate the supply of tourist accommodation in Spain, equating it to the regulations that govern the hotel sector. It is necessary to limit the "chaos" of holiday rentals.

Referring to a key role for the Tax Agency, Escarrer argued that holiday rentals should be considered an economic activity and that through taxation "certain limits" will be placed. He made specific reference to Airbnb, which hosts 90% of unlicensed offers, according to his figures. He was also critical of the fact that pressure is only put on owners of properties and not on the websites. “I can't imagine that a hotel company would dare to market hotels without a licence, so we have asked for the same rules of the game for everyone, which would contribute to stopping this chaos."

"The current situation is unsustainable. In cities like Madrid, more than 95% of the offer on tourist accommodation websites is illegal." While he was satisfied with the government's initiative, he regretted the fact that it had taken more than seven years. “The hotel sector has long denounced the harmful impact of the illegal proliferation of this product."