Jet2 denounces Spanish tourists' protests as result of 'incompetent' visit | Travel News

Jet2 CEO Steve Heapy has blasted “incompetent governments” for their failure to respond to escalating anti-tourism protests in Spain, as the country prepares to introduce tougher rules affecting travelers in 2025.

Amid growing controversy over the cost of accommodation and protests, new regulations require vacationers’ personal information, such as their home address, to be collected by travel agencies, hotels and platforms, including Airbnb.

Speaking at a Jet2 conference, Heapy said: “(They are protesting) against incompetent and powerless governments who have failed to regulate unlicensed tourism. They are not stupid, they know that tourism generates revenue for the economy, and tourism has been around for decades – approved tourism.”

Popular tourist destinations from Barcelona to the Canary Islands have seen waves of protests this year as local residents grapple with endless rent increases and a lack of affordable housing. This year alone, a 10 percent increase in visitor numbers is expected, with 95 million tourists arriving in the country, leading Spain to crack down on short-term rentals that have replaced residential housing.

TTG Media reports that Heapy said: “We operate licensed tourism. We send people to hotels. It’s easy to determine how many people there will be. And that model has worked very well for decades. You can predict what would be the demand for tourism.

He attacked the unregulated rental market, suggesting massive penalties of €200,000 for landlords who fail to comply with hotel sector regulations. “The number of properties will fall by 95 per cent overnight,” he warned.

“It will mean that the protests will stop. (Otherwise) these protests will get bigger and bigger. They will start to affect our destinations. They will start to dissuade people from traveling. It will get worse and worse,” he said. he declared.

“To be honest, I don’t blame people for being upset and protesting. I would probably do the same thing if this happened in my area.”