INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF TOURISM, TRAVEL AND HOSPITALITY LAW once again, without stopping to think about the possible consequences, which we already knew, on the other hand. What is needed, however, are courageous policies to control access to the market in order to prevent further damage. Equipping public administrations with the appropriate digital tools to control demand and, if necessary, restrict supply. Complying, of course, with the principles set out in the Services Directive and its national transposition rules. Keywords: Overtourism, Gentrification, Tourism-phobia, Digital Tourism, Smart Tourism, Administrative Law, Tourism control. 1. INTRODUCTION According to economic estimates, the consequences of the pandemic in Spain have been particularly negative. Even worse than initially expected2. Nor have the forecasts immediately after confinement been fulfilled, which has led many public administrations to adopt policies aimed at increasing the number of visitors and tourists, so as to compensate for the negative statistics, but without taking into account other circumstances. It should be borne in mind that these forecasts are made on the assumption that the restrictions on activity would be lifted in the last quarters of 2021, so that the fall in GDP was more intense and the expected recovery started later, given that the restrictions have been maintained and even increased in the autumn, winter and the following spring, despite the fact that economic activity has not come to a complete standstill. In the latter part of 2021, uncertainty remained or even increased as, despite the high number of people vaccinated and immunized by the disease itself, cases continued to increase. In the summer of 2022, when these lines are being written, cases are still increasing, especially after the relaxation of certain measures such as the use of masks or the 2 European Economic Forecast, Summer 2020, Institutional Paper 132 | July 2020, p., 22. “Thus, according to the European Commission’s forecast for this year 2020 and early 2021, and at the expense of what is set out in the report on the economy for autumn 2020 and 2021, “The economic impact of confinement in the first half of 2020 is likely to be worse than expected in the spring forecast. This will not be fully offset by the expected rebound in the second half of 2020 as most of the activity restrictions are removed. As a result, annual GDP growth in 2020 is now forecast at nearly -11%, about 1½ pps. lower than projected in the spring. Activity should continue to recover during the first half of 2021 and then gradually moderate in the second half. This, together with a positive carryover from the last quarters of 2020, would bring annual GDP growth to around 7% in 2021 (virtually unchanged from the spring), leaving output volume in 2021 about 4½% below its 2019 level.”
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