CCOO de Euskadi has expressed strong opposition to the inclusion of tourist housing and short-term rental accommodations in the forthcoming tourism law for the Basque Country. The legislation is currently in the draft phase.
The union contends that the negative effects of speculative housing exploitation are fundamentally at odds with its social purpose. The significant rise in tourist accommodations in the Basque Country is a crucial factor in understanding the touristification and financialisation of housing. Since the previous law was enacted, the legal supply of tourist accommodations has increased tenfold, while the extent of illegal rentals remains difficult to quantify. Recent regulations have slowed or suspended the granting of new licenses; nevertheless, legal tourist accommodations have reportedly grown by 40% over the past five years.
CCOO de Euskadi argues that restricting this activity solely in high-pressure areas is insufficient. According to the Basque Housing Observatory, seven out of ten residents in the Basque Country live in municipalities already designated as high-pressure zones or that meet the criteria to be classified as such. Furthermore, nearly half of the tourist accommodation offerings are concentrated in Donostia and Bilbao, which are the first and fifth most expensive capitals in Spain, respectively. The union asserts that only those with vested interests could overlook the impact of this practice on housing prices in affected areas.
Additionally, CCOO de Euskadi highlights that the quantity and quality of employment generated by tourist accommodations do not yield societal benefits. The union warns of an increasingly rapid concentration of housing in the hands of a few, including investment funds and large landlords, as indicated by various studies across the country. CCOO de Euskadi also opposes the notion that student residences could serve as alternatives for tourist accommodations, a practice that was already in existence but has been reintroduced in the current draft.
The union plans to communicate its positions across all platforms where it is represented, including the Basque Economic and Social Council.
