San Sebastian has limited the licensing of hotels and tourist accommodation as much as possible

The City Council of Donostia-San Sebastián has finally approved the amendment of the General Urban Management Plan to minimize the licensing of hotels, apartments and dwellings for tourist use in the city.

Mayor Jon Insausti has explained that the measure responds to "public unease about the right to housing" and is based on the principle that "housing is for living" and that the current tourist offer is "enough already". The reform limits the creation of new tourist places within the legal framework and protects residential land, preventing the establishment of accommodation in places where housing is planned.

In certain neighbourhoods (Antigua Ondarreta, Ategorrieta-Ulia, Centro, Gros and Ibaeta), the regulation provides for the general suspension of new uses of accommodation. In the rest of the city, only 10% of tertiary plots will be permitted, which will be a minimum exception to avoid legal problems.

The Old Town is excluded from this amendment because it is considered a saturated area and the regulations in force since 2020 are maintained. It does not affect campsites, agrocars and rural houses on non-urbanisable land either. The text will be finally approved by the Municipal Assembly in January.