Sustainable Tourism Law

SUSTAINABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE REGULATION 299 SUST INABILITY AND SOCIAL RESPONSABILITY IN HOSTING Facing this situation, different municipalities have already suspended the grant of licences for establishments linked to tourist accommodation . The goal is to stop the increase of the offer of tourist places. The moratorium is based on the increase in requests for licences for tourist establishments. It is crucial to carefully consider the carrying capacity of tourist accommodations that some areas can bear, so tourism can be regulated and become a sustainable economic activity within the municipality/city while avoiding saturation and conflict with neighbours. Other goal of the moratoriums is to stop the increase in rental prices and to leave room for municipal residents. Thanks to the moratoriums, the rental prices should stabilise and make room for a conventional market where prices can be lowered. The City Council of Barcelona is the first to declare the moratorium 85, followed by those from Palma de Mallorca 86 , L¨Hospitalet de LLobregat 87 , Santiago de Compostela 88 and even snowy destinations like Vielha and Mijaran (LLeida) 89 . The main reason for the declaration of the moratorium is the rapid increase of the number of requests for licenses. The moratorium is the first step before the development of a good zoning (Palma City Council) or the development of the Special Tourist Accommodation Plan (Barcelona City Council). In fact, during the moratorium period, city councils have time to develop the zoning included in the law on holiday rental. 85 Declared in July 2015 and extended in March 2016 for a further year until July 2017. Later, another moratorium was also declared and agreed on 13 October 2016 (by the Governance Committee of the Barcelona City Council) that suspended the granting of new licenses in the District of Ciutat Vella, as well as communications of activity and other authorizations for the implementation, opening or expansion of different public audience, commercial and food activities. As established in the agreement, the aim of this suspension is to prepare prior studies for the subsequent drafting of an urban plan to manage the activities suspended in the mentioned agreement. Initial period of validity: the suspension agreed by the city council will initially be in force during 1 year from 14 October 2016. The city council expects to have the new plan of uses of the district after this period. However, if the plan is not approved, the period can be extended. 86 Approved by Full Council on 27 July 2017. Published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Barcelona (BOPB), No 96, of 5 August of 2017. Approved after the reception of 63 requests that mean a total of 2,100 places, that is, to double the number of places in the city. “Boutique” hotels that comply with some requirements, like the 5 stars designation and to have less than 20 rooms, are excluded from this suspension. 87 Approved by the city council on April 2017 for 1 year. 88 The amendment of the Special Plan for the Historic Centre approved on 29 November of 2016 by the City Council of Santiago de Compostela establishes a moratorium of two years on granting licenses for new hotels, accommodations, tourist dwellings and activities linked to community residences (except for residence halls). The moratorium established in December 2015 is now extended. 89 Approved by the city council on 14 September of 2017. The one-year moratorium, to study the impact on the tourist sector and to implement new aspects in the regulation, suspends the granting of new licenses in order to make it easy for the neighbours and temporary workers to find a temporary or annual rent, especially during the winter season, since it is now impossible to find available accommodations in Vielha (the capital of the Valle de Arán, Lleida).