Toledo: the latest European city to limit tourism accommodation

The proliferation of short-term rentals in the UNESCO-protected medieval town will end in favour of attracting the settling of families

The city of Toledo, a popular Spanish tourist destination, has decided to limit the availability of short-term rental accommodation in its UNESCO-protected old quarter. The idea of the local government is to instead focus on diversifying tourism development and to move away from turning the central area into a living museum.

With the proposed plan, the administration is joining the ranks of other destinations in Iberia, such as Mallorca, Lanzarote and Portugal, which have announced plans to curtail tourism flows in favour of providing better living conditions for the local residents.

Bring in more families, rather than tourists

The old town of Toledo features attractions, such as the Cathedral or the Alcazar, as well as a general atmosphere that transports a visitor to the times of Cervantes and Don Quixote. All of that means that the capital of Castille-La Mancha is a popular getaway for many who want to sample the traditional Spanish lifestyle.

This, however, has led to a proliferation of flats and houses being rented out to tourists rather than to locals, causing a surge in prices on the property market. What’s more, tourists cause overcrowding as they congregate through the main thoroughfare – Comercio Street.

Tourism flats will now be limited to 20% of the whole property stock in the medieval town, known as Casco in Spanish. Likewise, they will only be allowed on the ground floor, or on the first floor if there is a shop below.

The measure will not be retroactive, though, meaning it will affect the issuance of new licenses for short-term rentals. According to Spanish News Today, in some of the Toledo districts tourist accommodation already exceeds 20%, which means no new permits will be granted there.

In addition to the Tourism Sustainability Plan, several lines of action have been launched as the Urban Regeneration Plan for the Casco. There is rehabilitation work with new aid for residential housing and businesses so that "new families will come to live and so that those who are here do not have to leave," in the words of Toledo’s mayor Milagros Tolón.

The Food Market is undergoing an important rehabilitation project carried out through European funds, as part of this plan to make the centre more livable for the locals. Another initiative is the implementation of fibre optics to provide residents and companies with facilities when carrying out their work.