Proliferation and diversification of the Catalan countryside’s accommodation supply: Adaptation and contradictions of the pertinent regulations

Abstract

Tourism is one of the leading economic sectors in our country. Specifically, tourist accommodation has been a key factor in the touristic development of rural areas and it has helped to increase business, to stabilise the local population and to supplement the economic activity driven by agriculture, livestock and forestry. In the accommodation sector, the number of touristic short-term rentals has increased exponentially throughout Catalonia. Although such short-term rentals started out as an eminently urban and coastal phenomenon, during the past few years they have also become increasingly common in rural areas.

The emergence of digital touristic rental platforms and the regulatory context of the European Union regarding the free provision of services – which led to the substitution of the previous authorisation or license to exercise activities under the preceding communication – have triggered this expansion. The debate between the various stakeholders on the advantages and disadvantages of this boom has been marked by controversy. Moreover, the measures adopted by the competent public administrations to regulate this touristic activity in the previous legal framework have also generated legal tensions.

This article discusses the experience up to now of the various modalities of rural accommodation and examines the evolution of the legal system applying to the tourism sector within the regulatory context.