British holidaymakers confused by smoking bans in parts of Spain

British tourists going to Spain are being warned to watch where they light up a cigarette as even though the smoking ban during the Covid pandemic has been lifted, some holiday hotspots have decided to keep it.

According to the country's smoking laws, holidaymakers can smoke on restaurant or bar terraces now the pandemic is over but NOT in the Valencia region, which includes Benidorm, and until a few days ago, the Balearic Islands which include Mallorca, Ibiza and Menorca.

Spanish newspaper Informacion.es says the continued ban is causing conflict between clients who smoke and those who don't, and for waiting staff who are the ones that have to tell people to stub them out. Business owners in these areas say the regulations should be the same throughout Spain and say it’s not fair as "we are not police officers!"

The Valencian community, which is on the Costa Blanca, is now the only region of Spain that continues to maintain this restriction which was introduced in 2020 due to the pandemic. Hoteliers say it should be the same as the rest of the country, that is, either you can smoke throughout the territory or the same rule is imposed for everyone.

Benidorm is one of the areas where smoking on terraces is still not allowed but tourists are ignoring the warning signs and that there are no ashtrays. "The problem lies in the fact that Benidorm receives thousands of tourists from other areas of Spain during the summer where these regulations have stopped, meaning they don’t realise that smoking isn’t allowed when they get here.”

"It is also happening with foreign visitors. So, as they would back home, they light up a cigarette or vape while on the terrace of a bar or restaurant, despite the ‘no smoking’ signs that have been put up."

Alex Fratini, a representative of the Benidorm Association of Bars, Restaurants, Cafes and Nightlife (ABRECA) said: "It is a problem. The law should be the same for everyone and for all of Spain. Because the current situation generates conflicts with customers, we have to deal with tourists and we are not and should not act as police officers."

ABRECA has asked the Valencia regional council to look at the issue and is calling for police surveillance to avoid conflicts that are already erupting on terraces, either between customers or clients and for waiting staff who have to remind them of the rules.