Costa News Spain Breaking News | English News in Spain.
When it comes into force in October, the new digital entry systems of the European Union could cause unwelcome delays and headaches for non EU travellers.
This is the warning from the Costa del Sol’s hotel association, who fear poor planning could hurt the region by affecting Brits, Americans and Canadians – who make up a third of all tourists to the region.
The Association of Hotel Entrepreneurs of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos) has raised urgent concerns about two new EU systems – the Entry Exit System (EES) launching in October 2025, and the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) following in late 2026.
The changes will have a particularly negative impact on British tourists who represent 27% of visitors to Costa del Sol.
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Malaga airport alone processed 5.7 million British tourists in 2024, with an average of 2,500 British visitors arriving every hour – rising to 6,000 per hour during peak season.
“We are especially concerned about the British market, which will be severely affected by these new requirements,” said José Luque, president of Aehcos.
When you include the affected visitors from Canada and the US, this represents 32% of our market.
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The EES will replace the traditional passport stamping system with electronic monitoring that tracks entry, exit and length of stay. This applies to all non-EU citizens visiting Schengen for short stays, up to 90days.
British passport holders are required to provide biometric information, such as fingerprints and facial scanning.
ETIAS will, on the other hand, require British tourists to get a prior travel authorization before visiting Spain. This is similar to US ESTA.
While not a visa, the authorisation will be mandatory and cost around €7 for adults.
Aehcos established a committee to coordinate with Malaga Airport, Malaga Port, Tourism Authorities and Government Representatives in order to deal with potential problems.
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Luque, however, revealed that there has been little progress since the April meeting.
He said that at the moment, “there are no specific instructions, procedures or forms” which would allow all affected parties to plan ahead.
If we do not act with foresight and implement these new systems, it could result in queues and long waiting times that would negatively impact customer satisfaction.
The hotel association has called for sufficient staffing in airports and cruise terminals, as they fear that the lack of staffing will create bottlenecks which could harm the Costa del Sol’s reputation with British tourists.
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This timing is especially concerning, given that the Costa del Sol heavily relies on the UK market.
British tourists may choose alternative destinations with less bureaucratic obstacles if they experience significant delays at entry points or have negative experiences.
Industry insiders are worried that, without proper coordination and preparation, the new system could reverse the years of effort to make Spain an inviting and easy destination for British travelers, especially in light of the complexity already introduced by Brexit.
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