Jet2 boss says he'd join Spain's tourism protests and blames 'incompetent' government

Spain is acceptable to bring successful caller restrictions successful 2025 that could impact holidaymakers, with the authorities cracking down connected short-term lets aft months of protestation implicit lodging costs

Steve Heapy, Jet2's main executive, has slammed the Spanish authorities implicit the surge of anti-tourist sentiment successful the nation's apical vacation destination. He slammed 'incompetent governments' for their nonaccomplishment to code 'deathtrap' rentals.

Spain is gearing up to present caller restrictions connected holidaymakers successful 2025, it emerged this week, with the mandatory postulation of idiosyncratic information by travel-related services. This follows months of protests crossed the state implicit sky-high rental costs arsenic a effect of "overtourism".

Heapy didn't clasp backmost astatine a Jet2 event. He said: "[They are protesting] incompetent and impotent governments that person failed to modulate unlicensed tourism. They're not stupid, they cognize tourism generates income for the economy, and tourism's been astir for decades – licensed tourism."

The Jet2 brag pointed retired that the monolithic roar successful the short-term rental marketplace is to blasted for Spain's tourer influx.

The numbers are acceptable to inflate to 95 cardinal visitors this year, reflecting a 10 per cent increase. TTG Media reports that Heapy added, "We run licensed tourism.

"We nonstop radical to hotels. It's casual to enactment retired however galore radical determination volition be. And that exemplary has worked precise good for decades. You could foretell what the request for tourism would be."

He made a staunch telephone for a ace down connected the unregulated rental market, asserting that landlords should look hefty "€200,000 fines" if their properties don't conscionable the aforesaid regulations arsenic the edifice industry.

He said: "The fig of properties volition driblet by 95 per cent overnight," adding, "That volition mean the protests stop. [Otherwise] these protests volition get bigger and bigger. They volition commencement to impact our destinations. They volition commencement to enactment radical disconnected travelling. This volition get worse and worse.

"To beryllium honest, I don't blasted radical for being upset astir it and protesting. I'd astir apt bash the aforesaid if it happened successful my area."