Built on a semicircular Neo-Moorish palatial structure framed with tall towers and four bridges over a moat, Seville’s Plaza de España is visited by thousands of people every day from all over the world, in horse-drawn carriage and on foot.
However, plans by the city to charge an entry fee to the square in an attempt to rein in mass tourism have resulted in a popular backlash, prompting the Spanish government to respond.
“We are planning to close the Plaza de España and charge tourists to finance its conservation and ensure its safety,” José Luis Sanz, Seville’s conservative mayor, wrote in a post on Twitter/X. The post was accompanied by a video showing missing tiles, damaged facades and street vendors occupying alcoves and stairs.
The complex, built by the architect Aníbal González for the Ibero-American Exhibition of 1929, would still be free of charge for residents of the city and the municipalities of the province.
María Jesús Montero, senior deputy prime minister of the Socialist-led government and head of the treasury ministry, which is responsible for the square, immediately criticised the plans.
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“Privatising public space cannot be the answer to the care and preservation of Seville’s Plaza de España, a cultural jewel that belongs to everyone,” she posted on X. “The ministry of finance is certainly not going to back this.”
The plan to charge an entry fee was greeted with a storm of opposition online and from tourists at the site.
“For us this is the most iconic place in the city, the one we most wanted to see, more than the cathedral,” an Italian tourist told El País. “It seems crazy, this is a public space.” He added: “They wanted to close St Mark’s Square [in Venice], but it was impossible.”
The tax has revived a debate over the sustainability of mass tourism. Many cities are struggling to find balance between much-needed tourism and maintaining their appeal to residents. Venice will introduce a trial fee from April to limit the number of visitors.
Some Seville residents suggested that instead of charging for access to the square, a tax should be levied on tourists. “A tourism tax for all visitors provokes less debate and generates more income. Listen to the people, not the hoteliers,” one wrote online.
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With more than three million tourists a year and a population of 700,000, Seville is the third most visited city in Spain, which in turn is one of the world’s most visited countries, with tourism representing 13 per cent of GDP.
