Warning of new rule for Brits traveling to Spain: From December, holidaymakers may have to give their BANKING DETAILS to hotels and car rental companies at check-in

British tourists may soon have to share their banking details with Spanish hotels, car rental companies and travel agencies when a new law comes into force in December.

Holidaymakers will have to provide approximately 18 additional pieces of data to these operators under the planned Spanish Royal Decree 933/2021. The data will be kept for three years.

The regulations were due to come into effect on October 1, but have now been postponed until December 2 following protests from the Spanish travel industry.

So what will the new rules mean for British tourists in Spain?

Michele Massa, CEO of Ibiza summer villastells MailOnline Travel: ‘The Royal Decree 933/2021 regulates [would] means that we need to collect additional data from all our guests staying in our villas. Accommodation providers across Spain are already required to take passport and identification details – something British tourists are used to – but [if the rule comes in] we would also need to collect their bank account and card details and keep them for three years.

Holidaymakers will have to provide around 18 additional pieces of information to accommodation providers, travel agencies and car rental companies to travel to Spain under the country’s planned Royal Decree 933/2021.

‘To be honest, we’re still a bit confused about exactly how much personal data is needed and where to pass it on. The rules are still unclear and this is felt by most private accommodation providers across Spain.

‘What we do know is that this will put extra pressure on our staff, who will have extra administrative tasks to ensure data is collected, stored and managed correctly. It is virtually impossible to automate and if errors occur we fear we could face fines of up to €30,000 (£25,000).

‘There is already a lot of pressure on British tourists not to enter Spain, and if additional deterrents are now introduced as more personal information is withheld, it could encourage them to go elsewhere.

Hotels and travel agencies will have to collect tourists’ bank details when the regulations come into effect

‘It is still unclear whether tourists will be punished if they do not share details. But when they make a booking, it is expected that staff will have to introduce systems to automatically store personal details such as bank card details.

‘It may be impossible to make a booking unless they are willing to share these details, just as tourists are currently required to provide passport details to complete their stay.’

While the delay was welcomed by the travel industry, hoteliers are fighting to have the decree scrapped altogether.

The Spanish Confederation of Hotels and Tourist Accommodations (Cehat) has said the regulations could cause “chaos” for the country’s tourism sector if introduced.