Tourism and Hotels

  • Another look at tourism land use: In Andalucía and the Canary Islands

    Growing pressure on the housing market has made regions such as Andalucía and the Canary Islands review their land use rules. This article looks at the latest measures adopted to change from tourism to residential use and vice versa, in an attempt to adapt urban planning to the current needs of society and the market.

  • How to turn the new AI Act into a competitive edge in the tourism industry

    The EU Artificial Intelligence Act brings both a challenge and an opportunity for the tourism and hospitality industry. Companies that understand and adopt these new legal obligations correctly will both avoid legal and economic risks and position themselves as leaders, as well as differentiating themselves to consumers with growing concerns about privacy and the ethics of technology.

  • What happened to the metaverse and NFTs in the fashion industry?

    The fashion industry was one of the first industries to enthusiastically explore the opportunities afforded by the metaverse and NFTs (non-fungible tokens). However, the technological limitations, the lack of interest among the adult audience and the economic downturn have led the initial euphoria to peter out. Nonetheless, brands have evolved and now adopt a more pragmatic approach, seeking to improve the client experience and linking NFTs to the traceability of the items of clothing.

  • Soft branding contracts in the hotel industry: a complex and innovative contractual arrangement

    Three unstoppable processes have influenced the hotel industry in recent decades: globalization, digitalization, and innovation. The combination of these three factors has prompted the appearance of new forms of affiliation between market actors seeking to adapt to the demands and preferences of customers, to optimize their resources and to take advantage of opportunities for international development and expansion. Added to this, the hospitality industry has for years played a leading role in intense growth and is driving new affiliation mechanisms among its various actors, soft branding being one of them.

  • Timeshare: this is how the legislation has changed in 2025

    Organic Law 1/2025 of January 2, 2025, on efficiency in the public justice system, has amended the timeshare regulations to increase legal certainty. The changes concern both the defined rights and action for invalidity by purchasers of the assets.

  • Is hotel furniture protected by copyright?

    Furniture design can enjoy the same protection as a work of art, even without prior registration. Ensuring the transfer of such copyright is essential in order to avoid legal disputes and safeguard the future use of furniture designed ad hoc.

  • Short-term accommodation rental services: how they have to comply with the new register and the digital entry point

    Royal Decree 1312/2024 establishes a new registration procedure for short-term leases and creates the single digital entry point (Ventanilla Unica Digital) for Leases. This regulation, which shall apply from 1ST July 2025, seeks to comply with European requirements and to address the impact of short-term rentals on the housing market, prices and the habitability of urban and tourist areas.

  • Revisiting the prohibition on tourism rentals by condominium law

    The popularity in Spain of vacation rentals has been accompanied by a rise in litigation between the owners of tourist apartments and the condominium law of the buildings where those apartments are located. This litigation, initially concentrated in courts of first instance and appeal courts, has ended up in the hands of the Supreme Court.

  • The economic activity of leasing in hotel SOCIMIS

    Recently, the General Directorate of Taxes has issued several binding resolutions reiterating that real estate leasing is an economic activity, even if its management is contracted with a third party, when the complexity of the activity justifies such outsourcing. This criterion is applicable, among others, to SOCIMIs dedicated to hotel leasing.

  • Countdown for traveler registration by tourism companies: key points and privacy challenges of the regulation

    It is expected that, from December 2, Royal Decree 933/2021 will be fully applicable, which obliges lodging and vehicle rental companies, as well as tour operators and digital platforms acting as intermediaries in these activities, to document and transmit their clients’ data to the authorities. This regulation presents certain challenges from a privacy perspective.