Jakarta, hitclubapk3 Indonesia
—
Spain
imposed a fine of 64 million euros or IDR 1.25 trillion (exchange rate of IDR 19,550 per euro) on the accommodation rental company
Airbnb
because it advertises short-term rental properties
illegal
.
This step is part of the government’s efforts to suppress excessive tourism (overtourism) which is considered to have pushed up housing prices.
The Spanish government is seeking to limit short-term rentals marketed through sites such as Airbnb and Booking.com, which are seen as reducing the availability of housing for local residents and causing rental prices to soar.
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“There are thousands of families living on the edge because of housing problems, while a handful of parties profit from a business model that evicts people from their homes,” Spanish Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy said, citing
VnExpress
, Thursday (19/12).
Airbnb withdrew 65,000 listings last July that Spain’s Consumer Rights Ministry said violated regulations.Bustinduy said the fine imposed was equivalent to six times the profits Airbnb made from the illegal advertising.
The fine is also the second largest fine ever imposed by the ministry for consumer rights violations.
However, Airbnb said it would appeal.
“Airbnb believes the ministry’s actions are contrary to regulations in force in Spain, and we intend to challenge this fine in court,” a company spokesperson said.
Airbnb added that Spain’s short-term rental rules changed since July, and the company is now working with the Spanish Ministry of Housing to implement a new registration system.The company said more than 70,000 ads have added registration numbers since January.
Not only Airbnb, Spain also imposed a fine of 108 million euros on the airline Ryanair in 2024 for charging additional fees for cabin baggage.However, the European Commission considers that the fines against Ryanair and other low-cost airlines violate European Union regulations.
Spain saw a record 94 million tourists in 2024, making it the second most visited country in the world after France.
Meanwhile, during the first eight months of 2025 alone, there have been 66.8 million foreign tourists visiting Spain.That number rose 3.9 percent compared to the same period last year.
Even though tourism is the main support of the Spanish economy, a wave of protests against overtourism continues to rise in popular destinations such as Barcelona, Malaga, and the Balearic and Canary islands.
(fby/pta)
