The removal of 3,550 Airbnb listings and adverts on other online platforms has been an initial step towards eradicating the illegal supply of tourist accommodation, but there is still a long way to go, according to Alejandro Sancho, president of Fomento del Turismo de Ibiza. Speaking at the tourism fair in Madrid, FITUR, which opened on Wednesday, Sancho warned: “This problem will not be solved in just one or two years. It will take one or two decades”.
“The conflict has eased because, clearly, more resources have been put in place, which is what the sector has been calling for in recent years”, Sancho acknowledged. “Above all, efforts have been made to improve the administrative bureaucracy involved in processing cases, which used to be extremely complex. It still is, but some procedures and stages have been improved and streamlined. And this becomes evident when sanctions begin to be imposed. The media impact of these penalties ultimately leads to a reduction in illegal supply”.
Nevertheless, he believes that “there are not enough resources to tackle all areas” affected by illegal activity, noting that the problem extends beyond tourist accommodation to other sectors, such as nautical activities, private hire services and the taxi industry in Ibiza.
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