TOURIST ACCOMMODATION IN SPAIN, 2026: COEXISTENCE HOTELS – LEGALIZED APARTMENTS.

By José Aleixandre Caballero :

Recently the problems of coexistence “created according to certain opinions”… by tourism have taken on relevance, because for some time now residents and workers of certain resorts blame their housing problems and cost of living on the Apartment sector used as “tourist” Accommodation and its overcrowding, (a sector that is singled out as the culprit of all ills…) and it is blamed for the “negative effects it causes” caused by high prices in the housing market due to the demand created, which means a shortage of housing, excessive overcrowding generating a great increase in the cost of housing, food, healthcare, groceries, public transport, fuel, services, consumables etc. 

And of course… of the inconveniences created for the natives derived from their existence, demand for services and their sometimes uncivil behavior. 

I think the problem really exists, and that it is: serious in terms of housing…., unsustainable due to the great consumption of resources,…. and unbearable due to the increased cost created in our daily life… 

Up to this point it is possible that we mostly agree on the seriousness of the situations; although given what we have seen, our rulers of the past ignored it and those of the present perhaps take it as a… collateral… harm without going deeper due to pure complexity, ignorance? Submission to wild capitalism? (I don’t think so), or perhaps fear of the consequences resulting from the solutions that must be adopted… 

Be that as it may… they still do not accept that in reality they are the ones to blame for the situation…. for not having known… wanted… nor foreseen the situations arising from sustained growth at the Spanish national level and for not having been able to face their obligations to maintain the balance: economy – (wages) housing – services – demand – structures… Well it is evident that infrastructures, housing and services are very deficient because they have not been dimensioned according to the growth of towns and the demands created. 

Let us remember that “complete buildings with services” dedicated to the accommodation of holiday tourists have not only existed since tourism began visiting us… they have moreover coexisted and complemented our global offer as a Country of holiday accommodation together with hotels… and they had never posed a problem of either competition or coexistence. 

However it is true that problems do exist…. today at alarming levels and it is highly worrying for natives, but we do ourselves a disservice if we blame a sector in such a frivolous and mistaken way. 

Let us not forget that at present, in addition to the problem of affordable limited-rent housing… we have a great shortage of professionally trained personnel, specialized for each department, task, trained to accept their role and responsibilities in the hotel tourism sector…. 

We lack many professional schools specialized in specific training that provide official accreditations of their specialty and that guarantee the aptitude of the title that identifies them…. It is quite common to hear it said that people do not want to work, and that staff is lacking… others that the sector enslaves them, pays them poorly and it is not worth working in the sector… Once again all the situations are real however the problems persist, worsen and remain without answer and solution. 

Perhaps if we start by creating housing, balancing wages in tourism, paying overtime, balancing staff levels, task execution times, staffing to cover holidays, vacations, sick leave etc. 

Let us accept that making a profit at the expense of “everything” (because the end justifies the means,) identifies us as the guilty “creators of stress and pressure on the employee” for demanding irrational times, for impossible execution of tasks, or a number of room units finished per shift.., let’s return dignity to our work teams and we will see how the “lost passion” and enthusiasm in individuals to work in tourism returns.

Build protected housing in the real necessary quantities, more than enough in each Spanish City… let’s take for example Barcelona, where it is believed that in 5 years building 25 thousand homes will solve the problem…. !! How? can you conceive such a challenge as a milestone that will solve the serious housing problems when we know that 83% just counting our “children” are about 825,000 people who cannot become independent due to lack of affordable housing!!! Isn’t that just a bad patch…? gentlemen no, do not let the magnitude create blindness or powerlessness in you!! … it is ONE MILLION homes that would be needed in Barcelona right now!… get informed… And if we take another example, Ibiza they tell us it needs about 4,500 homes… neither!! Gentlemen, neither… it is actually 220,000 that are needed… That yes, totally protected and out of the reach of the vultures of speculation…. and yes of course we must abolish tourist operating licenses for individuals and for those who do not dedicate the entire building to hotel operation with tourist services…. we will not solve nor sufficiently alleviate the seriousness of the chaotic situation with “fear” of the speculative investor… Be truly aware and act accordingly being aware and responsible for reality… you will see how people and their attitudes change in the face of future possibilities. 

It would be good for Spaniards to recover their dignity in the jobs and employment produced by tourism, and their happy coexistence with those who visit us… travelers who with their stays among us bring wealth to Spain and it is time for Spain to take responsibility for the credibility and dignity of the “actors” of our tourism universe. 

Let us urgently recover the best level of our services, through the labor dignity of tourism sector workers, who are after all the creators of the level of services and components as a basic element of its quality.

José Aleixandre Caballero
Technical Director Consultant for Tourism businesses and companies 

M.Z.I. Dalton Zahir | Editor +351938707061,

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