Fines for tourist rental pirates

UNFAIR competition from unregistered accommodation is putting the brakes on Benidorm occupancy figures.

January statistics from the Benidorm and Costa Blanca hoteliers’ association, Hosbec, show that apartment occupancy did not reflect the increase in hotel and campsite occupancy.

The deduction is not that winter tourists shun apartments, but that many are renting unregistered accommodation. At last count there were approximately 180,000 tourist villas in the Valencian Community, but only 36,500 were registered as tourist lets.  

Legislation has been in place for some time to combat the accommodation pirates and Francesc Colomer, the Valencia Region’s Tourism chief, has announced that the Generalitat is committed to enforcing it.

The regional government will have more inspectors scrutinising tourist apartments and villas this summer, Colomer said.