Specialist Tourism Law Solicitors in Spain
Spanish tourism law has changed more in the last five years than in the previous two decades. The Digital Markets Act, the Package Travel Directive, the Data Act, the P2B Platform Regulation and new fiscal frameworks for intermediaries have fundamentally transformed the legal environment in which every travel business operates.
At Mylegalinbox, we are the only law firm in Spain dedicated 100 % to the TravelTech sector. We are not a general practice firm with a tourism department. We are solicitors and tax advisers who work exclusively with travel businesses: tour operators, travel agencies, hotel groups, bedbanks, OTAs and startups.
That distinction is not a marketing claim. It is the difference between a solicitor who understands what a rate parity clause means in the context of a CNMC investigation, and one who needs you to explain it from scratch.
What is tourism law and why does it require specialisation?
Tourism law is the body of rules governing economic activities linked to travel: commercial contracts between sector businesses, consumer-facing obligations, European and national regulatory compliance, sector-specific taxation, and the liability framework applicable to each business model.
Its complexity arises from three factors that do not exist with the same intensity in other sectors:
- Regulatory overlap: an OTA may simultaneously be subject to the P2B Regulation, the Package Travel Directive, the GDPR, the DMA and the VAT margin scheme (TOMS). Each framework has its own logic and its own consequences for non-compliance.
- International dimension: most TravelTech businesses operate across multiple countries or work with partners in different jurisdictions. A contract between a Spanish bedbank and a Thai hotel for distributing rooms to German travellers involves three distinct legal frameworks.
- Regulatory velocity: the EU legislature has been producing regulation that directly affects digital travel at a pace that few general practice firms follow with the necessary depth.
Our tourism law advisory services
Commercial contracts and B2B relationships
We draft, review and negotiate all contracts typical of the sector: hotel distribution agreements, allotment contracts, agency agreements, OTA contracts, system interconnection agreements (APIs, GDS, XML), software licences and hotel management contracts. We know the industry standards, the common pressure points and how to protect our clients’ interests in each type of relationship.
European regulatory compliance
We audit your compliance with the European regulatory framework applicable to digital travel: P2B Regulation, DMA, DSA, Data Act, GDPR and PSD2. We design compliance programmes tailored to each business model — not generic templates.
Travel sector taxation
The Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme (TOMS), transfer pricing within international groups, and tax planning for international expansion are areas where we have been advising for years. We combine legal and tax expertise, which allows us to offer integrated solutions that most firms cannot provide.
International expansion
We support Spanish travel businesses expanding into new markets, and international businesses seeking to operate in Spain. We have direct experience of operations in the USA, Colombia, Dubai, Singapore and China.
Due diligence and corporate transactions
We conduct legal and tax audits of TravelTech businesses in investment, acquisition and merger processes. We work with investment funds active in the sector and with startups preparing funding rounds.
Why Mylegalinbox and not a general practice firm?
There are firms with decades of experience in traditional tourism law: hotel management contracts, package travel regulations, administrative licences. They do excellent work for that profile of client.
But the TravelTech ecosystem — bedbanks, OTAs, distribution platforms, travel software startups — has a different legal logic. The contracts are more complex, the business models more hybrid, the regulatory exposure broader and the pace of change faster.
Borja Rivas led the legal department of Hotelbeds Group in Singapore before founding Mylegalinbox. That means we do not need you to explain what a bedbank is, how an allotment contract works or what the risks of a parity agreement are. We already know.
Current clients include: Amadeus, Viajes El Corte Inglés, TBO, DidaTravel, Logitravel and Nexustours.
Frequently asked questions about tourism law in Spain
Do travel businesses have a special VAT regime in Spain?
Yes. Travel agencies and tour operators are taxed under the Tour Operators’ Margin Scheme (TOMS), based on profit margin rather than selling price. Bedbanks have additional particularities, especially when operating across multiple EU countries.
Does the DMA affect mid-sized OTAs and travel platforms?
The DMA directly affects large designated gatekeepers, but it generates indirect obligations for businesses that work with them. Mid-sized OTAs should review their commercial terms to ensure they meet the transparency standards required of gatekeeper partners.
When do I need a specialist tourism solicitor rather than a general practice firm?
Whenever the issue is specifically TravelTech in nature: a hotel distribution contract, a dispute with an OTA, a TOMS compliance audit, expansion into a new market or a funding round. In all these cases, specialisation reduces time, errors and cost.
📩 Free 30-minute initial consultation. No obligation. → information@mylegalinbox.com