Mayor Eneko Goia and councillor of Urbanismo Nekane Arzallus have appeared at the City Hall to present a measure of “regulation” of the city’s tourist offer. In fact, the municipal government has suspended authorizations for the opening of new hotels, as well as for the implementation of other hotel uses in various areas of the city.

The measure will be approved by the Local Government Board next Tuesday and will enter into force after its adoption at the end of March. In this regard, the City Council will not grant new licenses for one year or until the final approval of the modification of the General Plan.

Licences granted

The latest licenses for opening new hotels were granted by the municipal government in 2021. In addition, Arzallus points out that last year and this year the Urban Planning Department had no new requests. On the contrary, he adds that the unopened hotels are about five. One of them is the Hilton Hotel that will be installed on the site of the Fine Arts Building. Regarding the current offer of accommodation, Goia says there are 18,000 places, and in the last six years Arzallus has increased by 40%.

Regarding homes for tourist use and tourist rooms with private housing, San Sebastian has experienced significant growth in the last decade. In February, the census of dwellings for municipal tourist use recorded 1,352 dwellings of this type, offering 5,700 places.

Goia stressed that the decision not to grant new authorizations is part of the city council’s strategy for “sustainable and rational tourism”. It also recalls that the 2030 Strategic Plan and the Tourism Master Plan 2023-2027 promote a number of measures to achieve sustainable tourism.

“In Donostia tourism is important and is an activity that we must take care of and want to take care of. But we cannot lose the north: our priority is Donostiarras. And that’s why we’re going to push a number of measures to set limits, so that those of us who live in it are satisfied and avoid the negative consequences of significant growth,” Goia said.

Two areas

The measure presented today distinguishes two areas of the city. On the one hand, in all urban areas of Old-Ondarreta, Ategorrieta-Ulia, Centro, Gros and Ibaeta authorizations will be suspended in general regardless of the rating of the buildings. Moreover, it will apply to buildings intended exclusively for residential use in the rest of the city. In other words, hotels and tourist homes may be authorised in tertiary buildings.

As a result of the prohibition, the introduction of new uses of establishment and accommodation, the completion of the works necessary for their establishment or the extension of the existing ones, shall not be authorised.

The Old Party is outside the ban as it is a saturated zone. Remember that since 2020 the implementation of new hotel uses has been regulated. Likewise, this measure will not affect campsites, agritourism and rural houses that can be implanted in non-urbanizable land.

No plot shall be authorised in the following areas:

• Old Ondarreta: Old, Seminary, Txantxa Erreka, Lizarriturri, Benta Berri, Ensantxea de Ondarreta, Ciudad Jardín de Ondarreta (I and II), Miranda Alde, Erregenea, Torre Satrustegi, Carretera del Faro, Amusement Park.
• Ategorrieta-Ulia: Manteo, Ulia-Barren, Mitxelene, Tokieder, Ategorrieta, Ategorrieta Watch.
• Centre: Kaia, Ensantxea, San Bartolomé, Amara Zaharra, Paseo de Miraconcha, Aldapeta, San Roque (excluding the Old Part as a saturated area).
• Gros: Gros (I and II), Sagüés.
• Ibaeta: Lorea, Igara.