In future, Seville will charge tourists to visit the impressive Plaza de España. The introduction of the controversial entrance fee of “three to four euros” has already been “decided,” said the mayor of the southern Spanish metropolis, José Luis Sanz, in an interview with the radio station Cadena Cope. However, the conservative politician did not yet give a possible date for the introduction of the fee.
The Plaza de España will be closed off and tourists will be charged a fee, explained Sanz. The revenue will be used to finance the maintenance of the square and to guarantee security with 24-hour surveillance. However, access will remain free for residents of Seville and for anyone born in the province of the same name.
Central government complains about “privatization of public space”
The mayor first announced his plans on social media a few months ago. This sparked criticism and outrage not only online but also among political opponents. The left-wing central government, for example, said the plan amounted to a “privatization of public space.” However, since the square belongs to the city, Madrid cannot prevent the plan.
The Plaza de España is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the Andalusian capital, which is characterized by Moorish, Roman and Christian influences. The imposing, approximately 50,000 square meter semicircular square was built for the Ibero-American Exhibition in 1929 and is intended, among other things, to symbolize Spain’s embrace of the former Latin American colonies.
Increasing mass tourism is causing problems for more and more cities and regions. There have already been several protests in Spain this year, including in Barcelona, Mallorca and the Canary Islands. The authorities are now increasingly pulling the “emergency brake” and introducing or increasing overnight taxes and other charges for cruise ship passengers, for example. This year, Venice was the first city in the world to charge day visitors admission on certain days as a test.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240918-930-236324/1
This is a message directly from the dpa news channel.
