Briefing
On 1 October 2026, the parliamentary body of the Parlamento de La Rioja rejected a Proposición no de ley submitted by Izquierda Unida , calling for stricter regulation of viviendas de uso turístico and a move away from so-called turismo de borrachera . Izquierda Unida justified the motion by citing the social consequences of the rapid growth of holiday lets: pressure on rents, displacement in historic centres and neighbourhood disputes. Carlos Ollero, an Izquierda Unida MP, warned that an increase in visitor numbers does not automatically benefit the majority of the population.
The PSOE indicated support for much of the initiative, but chose not to propose a tourism tax and instead called for a detailed inventory and time-limited restrictions in the worst-affected areas. Social Democratic representatives pointed to recent cases in Logroño, where the city council had criticised the temporary suspension of new licences as a way to ease pressure on the Casco Antiguo.
The MP Víctor Visairas rejected the motion as the Partido Popular’s spokesperson with an emphatic “no rotundo”. He stressed that La Rioja stood for enoturismo, cultural heritage and regional employment; strict intervention could put investment and jobs at risk. In the governing party’s view, there was a danger of creating a distorted, negative image of the sector.
Key points in the debate remain calls for transparency on the number of pisos turísticos, the introduction of registration and monitoring requirements, and differentiated licensing rules to limit concentrations in sensitive areas. No specific official figures were given in the plenary session; IU and PSOE are therefore both calling for a reliable inventory and clear criteria for municipalities.
The dispute reflects a nationwide tension between protecting housing and promoting tourism. Whether the region and town councils such as Logroño will introduce binding rules remains unclear and will depend on further parliamentary initiatives and municipal decisions.
Editor: Phillipe Schmidt-Araguin (Article created with AI assistance).