HOTREC European Hospitality

📈 Since January, Decree 933/2021 mandates extensive data collection by travel and tourism providers in Spain, impacting competitiveness and costs. Critics, including Spanish hoteliers, claim it violates EU regulations and harms the tourism sector. The European Commission has been notified due to concerns about compliance with EU data protection laws. The decree, a response to the rise in private tourist stays, lacks clarity and enforceability, according to Ramón Estalella, General Secretary of CEHAT.

📝 HOTREC and 14 European business groups express concerns about the European Commission’s Green Claims Directive, criticizing its complexity and potential to discourage legitimate sustainability efforts. Concerns include administrative burdens, unclear pre-approval rules, and legislative overlaps, risking innovation in microenterprises and SMEs. They urge EU policymakers to reconsider the directive's scope, align it with existing legislation effective in 2026, and engage with businesses for clear, enforceable rules.

🏨 HOTREC, representing 47 associations across 36 countries, highlights key facts: The European hospitality sector includes 2 million businesses and 10 million jobs, with 90% as micro-enterprises. Tourism contributes 10% to the EU GDP. Current challenges include high EU inflation, rising food and energy costs, geopolitical tensions near Ukraine, and ongoing skill and labor shortages. HOTREC supports the Competitiveness Compass, EU Single Market Strategy, and Union of Skills initiatives to boost the sector’s resilience and competitiveness.

📊 HOTREC, representing 47 associations in 36 countries, highlights key facts: Europe’s hospitality sector comprises 2 million businesses supporting over 10 million jobs, mostly SMEs and micro-enterprises. The sector contributes 10% to the EU's GDP. Despite resilience, challenges include high EU inflation, rising food and energy costs, and geopolitical instability, particularly near Ukraine. Post-pandemic, skill and labor shortages persist. HOTREC supports the EU's Competitiveness Compass and Single Market Strategy, emphasizing subcontracting flexibility without EU-level legislation.

📃 European Parliament's IMCO Committee report on Package Travel Directive revision noted by HOTREC. Adopted today, the report allows Member States to decide on prepayment limitations; HOTREC opposes this, aligning with Council's December 2024 and TRAN Committee’s April 2025 opinions. Concerns over 24-hour package definition and broad cancellation rights were highlighted. HOTREC seeks a balanced revision to protect consumer rights while supporting European hospitality growth.

📈 Thursday, 19 June 2025, Europe: HOTREC, Euro Coop, Independent Retail Europe, and RURALTOUR, representing over 3 million companies and 20 million jobs, have issued a joint statement on the Green Claims Directive. They express concerns about excessive bureaucracy, increased costs, and legal uncertainty. The statement urges EU legislators to delay finalizing the Directive until it is simplified. HOTREC emphasizes the importance of balancing environmental communication with SME competitiveness.

🏨 National hotel associations from 25+ European countries are launching a collective action against Booking.com, supported by HOTREC. The legal move follows the ECJ ruling on 19 September 2024, declaring Booking.com's parity clauses as violations of EU competition law. Hotels can reclaim commissions paid from 2004-2024. The deadline to register is 31 July 2025. The action is coordinated by Stichting Hotel Claims Alliance, with proceedings in the Netherlands. More details at www.mybookingclaim.com.