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The mayor of the Spanish city of Seville, José Luis Sanz, wants to make tourists pay to enter the famous Plaza de España square.
“We plan to close the Plaza de España and charge tourists to finance its maintenance and ensure safety,” Sanz said on Twitter. He did not announce how much Sevilla would charge and when the measure could come into effect.
The conservative politician’s measure immediately received a lot of criticism from citizens and the opposition. The socialists in the Spanish city, among others, “reject the privatization of public space,” spokesman Antonio Muñoz said. “Nobody would think of blocking St. Mark’s Square in Venice or Plaza Mayor in Madrid.” An overnight tax for tourists could be more useful, it was said. Spokespeople for the left-wing government in Madrid said they would like to prevent the square’s cordoning off.
Sanz already defended himself against the criticism. With video footage of the square showing street vendors, waste and damage, he emphasized that the current municipal budget is not sufficient to “preserve our heritage”. He also clarified that entry for Sevillians would remain free, and that only tourists would have to pay a tax, “as happens in most cities in the world.”
The Plaza de España is one of the biggest tourist attractions in the capital of Andalusia. The semi-circular square of approximately 50,000 square meters was constructed in 1929 for the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition.
