British tourists visiting Spain will be “roasted” with new energy-saving measures banning air conditioning from being set below 27C in summer, a tourism chief has warned.
The country has approved a new set of rules that will also allow heating above 19ºC in winter.
The measures will apply to offices, shops, bars and restaurants, as well as public transport systems and transport hubs. Stores will have to keep their doors closed to maintain the temperature.
They are part of Spain’s drive to reduce its gas consumption by 7% under a recent European Union deal to reduce dependence on Russian gas.
Lights in storefronts and empty government offices will also have to be switched off after 10pm, according to the new rules.
However, Spain is currently experiencing a very hot summer, with temperatures above 40ºC in many places, and the president of the tourism board of the Costa del Sol has criticized the measures.
“We want satisfied tourists, not roasted tourists or those who are afraid to walk the dark streets,” said Francisco Salado.
He has asked the government “to spend mental energy on more effective measures”.
He added: “It is as if this decree was written by a Martian, someone who is profoundly ignorant of our country and who has not consulted with anyone.”
He added that it “makes no sense” to force hotels, restaurants, bars, museums, cinemas, shops, train and bus stations and airports to raise the thermostat in the summer to 27 degrees “precisely in the middle of a heat wave” .
It was revealed earlier this week that tourists can continue to keep their hotel rooms chilled, because they are considered “private spaces”, but all other public areas will have to comply with the new laws.
Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the new package last week, saying: “You only have to walk into a shopping center to realize that maybe the temperature is too low.”
Spanish public institutions already have similar energy saving regulations.
The government says the measures will not only save energy, but also reduce household and business bills.
Spain is one of the hottest European countries in summer. The country has already experienced two heatwaves this year with temperatures expected to soar again in the first weeks of August.