26 Feb, 2024 @ 08:53
1 min read

‘This is absurd!’ Outrage in Sevilla over plans to close off a major tourist attraction and begin charging an entrance fee

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STUNNING: Plaza de Espana is often the highest ranked tourist attraction in Spain (CREDIT: Laurence Dollimore)

PLANS to close off a major attraction in Sevilla and charge tourists a fee to enter have sparked a huge backlash among locals.

The conservative (PP) mayor of the Andalucian capital Jose Luis Sanz said on Sunday that the new levy for visitors would “finance its conservation” and “maintain a 24-hour surveillance service.”

The attraction in question is the historic Plaza de España, a huge semi-circle structure that is surrounded by a moat and four small bridges. The structure is dotted with mosaics that pay homage to the different autonomous communities of Spain.

The new tourist charges would also go towards the “permanent restoration” of the site, Sanz added.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Why are anti-tourism campaigns growing in Spain?

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STUNNING: Plaza de Espana is often the highest ranked tourist attraction in Spain (CREDIT: Laurence Dollimore)

Sanz said in a statement: “We are planning to close the Plaza de España and charge tourists to finance its conservation and guarantee its safety.”

“Of course, the monument will continue to be freely accessible and free for all Sevillians.”

However the plan has sparked a huge backlash from Spaniards online.

One journalist wrote on X: “What the mayor of Seville proposes to close the Plaza de España is an aberration, it is illegal…

“This is the policy of… cronies to earn dollars at the expense of all Spaniards.”

Another said: “The Seville City Council, of the PP, wants to close the Plaza de España in Sevilla.

“Not content with privatising healthcare, education… they now want to privatise the assets of the people of Sevilla. If we don’t wake up, they’re going to privatise Sevilla.”

The people who will be exempt from the tourist fee will be those born in Sevilla city or the province.

The city council predicts that the levy will “generate great income”, which would be split between the Spanish government and Sevilla city council 25% and 75% respectively.

Laurence Dollimore

Laurence Dollimore is a Spanish-speaking, NCTJ-trained journalist with almost a decade’s worth of experience.
The London native has a BA in International Relations from the University of Leeds and and an MA in the same subject from Queen Mary University London.
He earned his gold star diploma in multimedia journalism at the prestigious News Associates in London in 2016, before immediately joining the Olive Press at their offices on the Costa del Sol.
After a five-year stint, Laurence returned to the UK to work as a senior reporter at the Mail Online, where he remained for two years before coming back to the Olive Press as Digital Editor in 2023.
He continues to work for the biggest newspapers in the UK, who hire him to investigate and report on stories in Spain.
These include the Daily Mail, Telegraph, Mail Online, Mail on Sunday and The Sun and Sun Online.
He has broken world exclusives on everything from the Madeleine McCann case to the anti-tourism movement in Tenerife.

GOT A STORY? Contact newsdesk@theolivepress.es or call +34 951 273 575 Twitter: @olivepress

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