The Ministry of Social Rights, Consumption, and the 2030 Agenda has blocked over 65,000 listings on Airbnb that it considers “illegal.” According to a statement, the ministry, led by Pablo Bustinduy, has ordered the multinational’s Irish subsidiary to remove 65,935 listings because they violate advertising standards for this type of tourist accommodation. These listings are said to violate the rules of the autonomous communities where the Consumer Affairs Department found them. In all cases, the advertisements are for complete tourist homes; there are no listings for individual rooms.

Recently, the government claims to have issued Airbnb up to three resolutions informing it of the more than 65,000 unlawful tourist accommodation listings discovered on its platform, “resolutions in which this company was urged to block this advertising,” according to the Ministry. It should be mentioned that Airbnb filed an appeal with the courts to prevent the ban, and the High Court of Justice of Madrid has finally ruled on the initial resolution, issuing an order that supports the actions of the Consumer Affairs Department. In response to the ministry’s first order, the High Court of Justice has urged Airbnb to remove 5,800 tourist flat listings immediately.

A Benidorm fireman died in a climbing accident in the French Pyrenees on Saturday, May 17th, according to sources from the Alicante Provincial Fire Consortium.

Although they could not specify his age or place of birth, they established that the firefighter, F.Ll, worked at the Benidorm fire station and was originally from the province of Alicante.

The Consortium’s official Twitter account, which does not provide information about the accident, has stated that it greatly laments the loss of its “companion and friend Fran Llorens, in a climbing accident in the French Pyrenees.”

They also stated that he is “an example of professional behaviour and treatment of others” and that he “honoured the uniform, leaving an indelible mark on the Benidorm park and #cpba (Aicante Provincial Fire Consortium).” RIP.

On March 31st, the Benidorm City Council approved its participation in the framework agreement signed on December 13th by the Generalitat Valenciana (Generalitat Valenciana), through the Ministry of Innovation, Industry, Commerce, and Tourism, and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP), to assume the delegation of powers to inspect and sanction tourist accommodation in the city. To date, it is the only municipality in the province that has requested this from the Ministry.

At the moment, there are only four applications. Valencia City, Benidorm, Faura, and La Font d’En Carròs have only 6 and 35 registered tourist lodgings, respectively. And this despite the fact that, at the last edition of Fitur, in January, the President of the Generalitat, Carlos Mazón, signed a manifesto between the Generalitat and the Valencian Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (FVMP), which also included Alicante, Torrevieja, and Elche.

This transfer of authorities enables municipalities with local police forces to monitor and resolve disciplinary cases involving tourist accommodation. This entails collecting up to €600,000 per irregular residence in the most egregious situations, which may be a financial lifeline for municipalities.

The fundamental issue with this plan is that the Valencian Government only has 11 inspectors who can execute these functions (4 in Alicante, 4 in Valencia, and 3 in Castellón). Municipalities, through their local police forces, can conduct inspections and punishments and collect the corresponding fines.

In accordance with the time period, “the adhesion agreements will be valid for an initial five years, with the possibility of extension for another five years, and may be terminated by either party upon thirty days’ written notice.”

The Generalitat (Generalitat), which has previously set clear and severe legislation in this regard, sees this as a “key tool for improving the organisation of the tourism sector in the Valencian Community, and contributing to more effective management aligned with public interests.”

In the case of Benidorm, Councillor Lourdes Caselles stated at the municipal plenary session that “the City Council must compile a quarterly report on the complaints filed, the procedures initiated, their resolution and whether or not they result in disciplinary action, and any fines imposed that are paid into the municipal coffers.”

Similarly, in order to carry out this function in better conditions, the Councillor for Urban Planning has explained that the Department of Architecture “is working on an ordinance to regulate tourist housing and to provide security and strengthen this type of tourist accommodation as long as the regulations are complied with” and, in turn, has recalled that the City Council will reinforce the Local Police force, with the announcement of 20 positions, so that “there