The Valencian Community has a Tourism Law, which establishes the rights of users of tourist services and products.
LAW 15/2018, of June 7, on tourism, leisure and hospitality of the Valencian Community contemplates the promotion of hospitality as a basic element in the relationship between residents and tourists.
This Law defines Hospitality as the “attention and treatment provided to the users of tourist services from the respect of their language, habits, traditions, beliefs and freedom of conscience, in order to provide the greatest possible satisfaction of their expectations in accordance with the values that identify us as an open, tolerant and Mediterranean society.”
Articles 16 and 17 of the aforementioned Law develop the rights and duties of users of tourist services to preserve this central pillar of the relationship between tourists who visit us and our destination:
OBLIGATIONS OF THE USERS OF TOURIST SERVICES
- Users of tourist services, without prejudice to the established in the applicable sectoral regulations, will have the following obligations:
- Respect the traditions and sociocultural customs of the tourist destinations, as well as their wealth and value.
- Respect the environment, the historical and cultural heritage and tourist resources.
- Pay for the contracted services, either at the time the invoice is presented or at the agreed time, place and form, in any case being the fact of filing a claim or complaint, cause of exemption of payment.
- In case of the tourist accommodation services, respect the agreed date and time of departure from the establishment, letting the occupied accommodation unit free.
- Observe the rules of respect, education, social coexistence, clothing and hygiene for the proper use of tourist establishments and services.
- Respect the facilities and equipment of the tourist establishments and companies.
- Respect the internal policies of the tourist establishments, the schedules and the rules of behaviour in the places to visit and the execution of the tourist activities.
RIGHTS OF USERS OF TOURIST SERVICES
- Users of tourist services, without prejudice to the established in the general consumer defense and protection legislation, shall have the right to:
- Receive objective, truthful and understandable information, from the tourist companies about the services offered, complete and prior to hiring, as well as the final price, including taxes. And to be protected against misleading information or advertising, in accordance with current regulations.
- Obtain the documents that prove the terms of their contract.
- Receive tourist services in the offered or agreed conditions and, in any case, that the nature and quality of the services they provide are directly proportional to the category of the company or tourist establishment.
- Enjoy accessible spaces, infrastructures and tourist services.
- Free access to tourist establishments and services, in the terms established in the laws.
- That tourist establishments comply with the regulations on the safety and fire protection, of their facilities as well as the specific regulations on tourism.
- Be informed, clearly, about the facilities or services that may pose a risk and the security measures adopted in this regard.
- Receive an invoice or receipt of payment for the tourist service provided, with the data that current legislation requires.
- Formulate complaints and claims and obtain accessible and truthful information about the procedure for submitting them and their treatment, being able to resort to an out-of-court dispute resolution system, through mediation and arbitration. Likewise, they have the right to get the maximum efficiency in the attention and processing of their complaints or claims, from the competent public administration.
- Go to arbitration formulas, for the extrajudicial resolution of their conflicts, with economic consequences.
- Require that, in a place of high visibility, the accrediting signs of the establishment’s classification, the capacity, the prices of the services offered and any other activity variable, as well as the corresponding quality symbols, are publicly displayed.
