Travelore News: Spanish Court Rejects Airbnb Appeal And Keeps Order To Block Nearly 66,000 Listings

A Spanish court on Thursday rejected an appeal by Airbnb and left in place an order to block almost 66,000 rental listings that the government said violated local rules.

The government has said the platform’s short-term rentals exacerbate Spain’s housing crunch while the country welcomes record numbers of tourists.

Last month, Spain’s government ordered Airbnb to block 65,935 listings in the country after the Consumer Rights Ministry flagged them for violations. It said Airbnb had to immediately take down 5,800.

An Airbnb spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment on the Madrid’s High Court’s decision.

The ministry has said the listings it flagged did not include their license number or specify whether the owner was an individual or a company. It said others listed numbers that didn’t match what authorities had.

Last month, Consumer Rights Minister Pablo Bustinduy told The Associated Press that the tourism sector could not “jeopardize the constitutional rights of the Spanish people,” including their right to housing and well-being.

Carlos Cuerpo, the economy minister, said in a separate interview that the government had to tackle the unwanted side effects of mass tourism.

AP

US Territory Demonstrating Interest To Rejoin Spain And Become 'Like The Canary Islands'

The Caribbean island of Puerto Rico, a US territory, has introduced several proposals to break away from the country and rejoin Spain.

Photo by Allen Barkus

A Caribbean island under U.S. jurisdiction is contemplating a future more akin to the Canary Islands. Puerto Rico, an American territory, has put forth several proposals aiming to sever ties with the United States and re-align with Spain, over a century since it bid farewell to its former European ruler.

With a population of 3.2 million, Puerto Rico fell under U.S. sovereignty in 1898 following the Spanish-American War, transitioning from Spanish rule established by Christopher Columbus in 1493, who christened it San Juan Bautista under a Royal decree.

Despite the change in governance, Spanish has steadfastly remained the lingua franca of Puerto Rico, spoken by over 95% of residents and serving as the mainstay language for everyday interactions, education, and commerce. It comes just ahead of a huge TSA change that will affect millions of passengers - and has been 20 years in the making.

In a surprising development, a segment of the Puerto Rican populace is showing enthusiasm for joining the European Union by reuniting with Spain. The 'Adelante Reunificacionistas' political movement, conceived in 2017, is gathering steam with its bold vision for Puerto Rico to reintegrate with Spain as its 18th autonomous community.

The movement's founders claim that around 13% of Puerto Ricans are in favor of rejoining Spain, viewing it not as a sentimental journey but as a route to a more equitable and flourishing future. "Puerto Rico never wanted to separate from Spain," declares José Lara, president of the organization.

Mr. Lara contends that Puerto Rico has been stuck in a state of stagnation since becoming a US territory, enduring over a hundred years "of subjugation" under an American administration that denies them full citizenship rights.

Despite their status as US citizens, Puerto Ricans are excluded from voting in presidential general elections and lack voting representation in the United States Congress. "We want Puerto Rico to regain the status it lost when it joined the United States," Mr. Lara insists.

Lara believes that keeping Spanish as the primary language and holding onto Hispanic cultural traditions have been crucial for convincing locals that they would be better off rejoining Spain.

Mr. Lara asserts: "We want a future of progress, and we believe that future lies in Spain."

By Maria Ortega, Lauran O'Toole, John O'Sullivan

Spain's New Three-Year 'Tourist Ban' - And What It Means For Visitors

Spain has introduced new measures to tackle the issue of overtourism and its impact on locals - including a 'tourist ban' in some of the country's most popular destinations.

There have been protests across the region about the number of tourists (Image: Europa Press via Getty Images)

Spain is taking measures to combat overtourism, with new restrictions being introduced in some of its most frequented destinations. Malaga, the capital of Costa del Sol and a beloved sunny retreat for UK holidaymakers, is among the cities implementing these changes.

The city has recently experienced an increase in anti-tourism protests, mirroring a wider trend across the country. In response, popular vacation spots are introducing new rules to mitigate the effects of overtourism.

Malaga has now rolled out its own restrictions, imposing a limit on holiday rentals. This follows similar measures implemented in Alicante and Madrid last year, with other tourist hotspots like Barcelona and Seville expected to do the same as local residents claiming that the surge in tourism is driving up housing prices and making it unaffordable for them, reports Cork Beo.

So, what does this mean for tourists planning their summer holidays in Spain? There are some changes but what will it mean for prospective holidaymakers?

What does it mean for tourists?

Malaga has prohibited the registration of holiday rentals across 43 districts. While this move has been widely dubbed a "tourist ban", it's actually aimed at those looking to rent out properties rather than those seeking to rent.

The initiative by the Malaga City Council and Costa del Sol is designed to immediately halt the growing number of rental properties appearing in the city's most densely populated districts, particularly where rental properties constitute more than 8% of residential blocks in a specific district. The ban in Malaga city is likely to be extended beyond its initial three-year duration.

Can tourists still book Airbnbs and hotels in Spain?

Tourists can continue to book Airbnbs, hotels, and other accommodations throughout Malaga and all 43 of its affected districts. This includes the already registered 13,000 holiday rentals in Malaga city.

Your preferred holiday resort or Airbnb in Malaga is probably safe. However, tourist flats registered since February 22 that lack independent access and resources separate from the residential part of buildings will have their licences revoked.

Is there anything else to be aware of in Spain this year?

Unrelated to the suspension of rental property registrations, tourists should anticipate providing more detailed personal information. This can include bank card details, family relationships, and home addresses when registering a car for hire or hotel stay.

This measure was implemented late last year amidst widespread criticism. It was introduced by Spain's interior ministry as an effort to assist police in tracking criminals operating in Spain.

https://www.lancs.live/authors/elaine-blackburne/

Spain Sets A New Record With 94 Million International Tourists Last Year

A record 94 million international travelers visited Spain in 2024 in the best year for tourism in the country since records started, the tourism minister said.

Tourists sit on a public bench at Plaza Mayor in downtown Madrid, Spain, April 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

It was Spain’s second record-breaking year since 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic that paralyzed international leisure travel, as tourism has rebounded globally. The surge in arrivals comes at a time when a housing crisis in Spain has put tourist accommodation in the spotlight.

Spain ranks as the second most popular destination globally, after France, on the U.N. World Tourism Barometer.

The number of foreign visitors in 2024 improved by 10% on the mark set in 2023, when 83.5 million people visited the country, Industry and Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said.

The income from foreign visitors reached 126 billion euros ($129.8 billion) in the past 12 months, up 16% from the 108.7 billion euros ($117 billion) spent in 2023, the minister said. Tourism accounts for 12.3% of the country’s gross domestic product.

Spain is one of the most popular sun and beach destinations, but 32% more travelers said they visited the country last year for cultural reasons and culinary travel increased by 28%, compared to 2019, according to the Tourism Ministry.

Travel outside of the summer months and a rise in popularity of inland destinations — beyond Barcelona, the Mediterranean and Canary islands — have been keys to the new mark, the ministry said.Besides its traditional European market, the Spanish tourism sector has recorded an increase in visitors from the United States, Latin America and Asia.

Many countries have set new tourism records following the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall, international arrivals have reached 98% of 2019 levels in January-September 2024, according to the U.N. barometer.

AP

Travelore News: Tourists Need To Pay Very Close Attention To Spain's Latest Travel Law

Spain offers so much variety for travelers, from its pristine coastline and beaches, vibrant cities, and world-class museums to its captivating must-visit wine regions, and that's just the tip of the iceberg. But before you jet off to the land of flamenco and paella, you should inform yourself about the country's new tourism-related regulation, Royal Decree 933/2021. This law — the first of its kind in a European country — went into effect on December 2, 2024and requires all travelers (including Spanish citizens) to share additional personal information when renting a vehicle or checking into a hotel, Airbnb, campsite, or other accommodation. Travelers aged 14 and over must now provide the following: full name, gender, nationality, passport number, date of birth, home address, landline and mobile phone number, and email address. Those traveling with minors under the age of 14 must also explain the nature of their relationship with the children.  

Travel businesses must then share this information along with their method of payment with the Spanish Ministry of the Interior and maintain a record of these details for three years.  The reason for doing all this is to enable the Secretaría de Estado de Seguridad (State Secretariat for Security) to better protect Spanish citizens from international terrorism and organized crime. By comparing traveler details with information stored in their tracking databases, the government says it can more effectively combat illicit activities, including those of transnational crime networks. 

How the new law is impacting travelers

It may be possible for travel businesses to collect the required information online during the reservation process, but if an intermediary, such as Booking.com, is used to make the reservation, privacy laws may prevent this. In this case, you may have to furnish the personal details via pen and paper when you arrive at your destination — at the car rental counter or when checking into accommodations — which may result in slower transaction times and longer lines.  As the travel industry adjusts to the new requirements, processes for collecting the additional information should become more streamlined and organized. Let's hope so, anyway. 

The sharing of sensitive personal information in this manner also raises concerns about privacy and data security issues. This is a legitimate concern for both travelers who are sharing personal information and the travel companies who will be tasked with safeguarding it for three whole years. The ways this will happen and who will bear the costs remains to be seen. However, it may be pointless to swim against the current, as collecting more detailed kinds of traveler information is becoming the new normal in the travel world. As just one example, the EU is upgrading its entry and exit system and will soon begin collecting biometric data (e.g., photographs and fingerprints) for non-EU nationals entering 29 different EU countries for short visits. 

https://www.explore.com/author/jenottolino/

JetBlue Boosts Boston Transatlantic Flying By Launching New Service To Madrid And Edinburgh

JetBlue, New England’s leading leisure airline, is elevating transatlantic travel with the launch of two exciting new routes to Madrid and Edinburgh. Starting May 22, 2025, JetBlue will introduce daily nonstop seasonal service between Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) and Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD), marking its debut in Spain and expanding its European footprint.

On the same day, JetBlue will also kick off daily seasonal flights between Boston Logan and Edinburgh Airport (EDI) in Scotland. This new route will join JetBlue’s popular summer seasonal service between New York’s JFK Airport and Edinburgh, giving travelers even more ways to experience the charm of Scotland's historic capital. Both routes, along with all of JetBlue’s European destinations, are now available for booking.

“Madrid and Edinburgh represent two of Europe’s most exciting and popular destinations, and we’re happy to offer even more transatlantic travel options for our customers from Boston and New England,” said Daniel Shurz, head of revenue, network and enterprise planning at JetBlue. “Europe continues to be part of our network strategy, as our loyal customers look for JetBlue's signature service and low fares to bring them to top leisure destinations, including across the Atlantic."

Since its entrance into the European market over three years ago, JetBlue’s reputation has quickly grown as the airline of choice for affordable, customer-focused, and premium transatlantic travel.

Optimizing JetBlue’s European Service with JetForward

JetBlue's new Boston flights to Madrid and Edinburgh support its JetForward strategy to build the best East Coast leisure network and return to sustained profitability. Edinburgh and Madrid will join JetBlue’s existing transatlantic seasonal service from Boston to Amsterdam, Dublin, and London-Gatwick, and year-round flights to London-Heathrow and Paris. In summer 2025, JetBlue will offer 7 daily nonstops from Boston to Europe.

From New York-JFK, JetBlue serves Dublin and Edinburgh seasonally, while Amsterdam, London-Heathrow, and Paris are served year-round. Based on their popularity, returning routes to Dublin and Edinburgh have been extended this year to the end of October, a month later than the previous year.

“Since launching flights to London in 2021, we’ve thoughtfully adjusted our European service to maximize value for our customers and our business,” said Shurz. “By aligning our schedule with peak seasonal demand and flying our aircraft to other destinations in the off-season, we’re capitalizing from a business perspective while delivering the destinations and experiences our customers love. This approach is driving meaningful results.”

Customers across JetBlue’s network can connect through Boston and New York as gateways to their next European adventure or, via Europe, both focus cities serve as a gateway to JetBlue’s many destinations throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Latin America.

Destination- Frequency- Dates of Service

London-Heathrow (LHR) 1x daily Year-round

Paris (CDG) 1x daily Year-round

Amsterdam (AMS) 1x daily March 29 – October 24

Dublin (DUB) 1x daily April 17 – October 24

London-Gatwick (LGW) 1x daily May 22 – October 24

Edinburgh (EDI) 1x daily May 22 – October 24

Madrid (MAD) 1x daily May 22 – October 24

New York-JFK Transatlantic 2025 Service:

Destination- Frequency- Dates of Service

London-Heathrow (LHR) 2x daily Year-round

Paris (CDG) 1x daily Year-round

Amsterdam (AMS) 1x daily Year-round

Dublin (DUB) 1x daily April 17 – October 24

Edinburgh (EDI) 1x daily May 8 – October 24

Madrid: Culture and Cuisine - ¡Qué Guay! (How cool!)

Madrid is a city that never sleeps and provides travelers with endless cultural and gastronomical offerings. Visitors fall in love with its energy, from the historic streets in the city center to the modern style of Gran Vía. It’s a foodie paradise, whether you’re having tapas in La Latina, sipping sangria in a century-old taberna or indulging in chocolate-dipped churros.

Art enthusiasts flock to the world-famous Prado Museum, while sports fans cheer on legendary soccer teams. And when the sun sets, Madrid’s nightlife lights up with rooftop bars, flamenco shows, and bustling plazas. It’s no wonder travelers keep coming back for a dose of Spain’s vibrant capital.

Edinburgh: ‘Bonny’ in the Summer, Brimming with History

Many visitors to Edinburgh agree, it is a city directly out of a storybook, where medieval charm meets modern comforts. The city, a gateway to the Scottish Highlands, features cobblestone streets, the iconic Edinburgh Castle perched high on its rocky throne, and the mysterious allure of the historic Royal Mile. It is a paradise for festival lovers, with JetBlue being a proud recent sponsor of the world-famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Whisky enjoyers can toast to the city’s rich distilling heritage, while nature seekers are rewarded with awesome views from Arthur’s Seat. That’s not to mention world-class golf courses, in the country where the sport was born. From its literary history to its cozy pubs, Edinburgh is a magical blend of culture, adventure, and a wee bit of Scottish charm.

Schedule between Boston (BOS) and Madrid (MAD)

Daily seasonal service beginning May 22, 2025 (Eastbound) & May 23, 2025 (Westbound) (Through October 24, 2025)

All times local

BOS-MAD Flight #2261

MAD-BOS Flight #2260

10:25 p.m. – 11:30 a.m. ( +1)

1:30 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.

Schedule between Boston (BOS) and Edinburgh (EDI)

Daily seasonal service beginning May 22, 2025 (Eastbound) & May 23, 2025 (Westbound) (Through October 24, 2025)

All times local

BOS-EDI Flight #1079

EDI-BOS Flight #1080

10:30 p.m. – 10:10 a.m. ( +1)

12:10 p.m. – 2:22 p.m.

The JetBlue Experience

Flights to Madrid and Edinburgh will operate on JetBlue’s A321-series aircraft. These aircraft feature JetBlue’s Mint premium experience, with fully lie-flat private suite, restaurant-style small plates curated by Delicious Hospitality Group’s (DHG) popular New York City restaurants Charlie Bird, Pasquale Jones and Legacy Records.

The airline’s award-winning core experience offers a new level of service to customers who generally fly “coach” but still want a great experience at an attractive fare. Core customers enjoy a boutique-style experience no matter where they sit with a free selection of brand-name snacks, soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer, wine and liquor and a high-quality complimentary meal from JetBlue’s culinary partner, DIG.

Customers in both Core and Mint stay connected throughout the flight with fast, free and unlimited high-speed Fly-Fi 2 . Additionally, customers have access to a robust selection of inflight entertainment, including exclusive content from JetBlue’s streaming partner, Peacock, on seatback screens at every seat. All customers are able to enjoy a multi-screen experience onboard – just like they do at home.

For more details on JetBlue’s transatlantic service, visit: https://www.jetblue.com/flying-with-us/uk-and-europe.

Spain Heats Up Under 1st Heatwave Of The Year As Southern Europe Swelters

Spain sweated under its first official heatwave of the year with temperatures expected to reach 40 degrees Celcius (104 Fahrenheit) in a large swathe of the country on Thursday, while Italy, Greece and other areas of southern Europe also struggled to stay cool.

After a relatively bearable spring compared to record heat in 2023 and 2022, millions of Spaniards will be sweltering at least through Saturday before feeling any relief. The nation’s weather authority said the only areas to be spared will be the northwest and northern Atlantic coasts.

Weather forecasters said a large mass of hot air travelling across the Mediterranean from northern Africa will settle over central and southern Spain. That, combined with the typical harsh summer sun, will make cities like the beautiful medieval cites of Sevilla, Toledo, and Granada bake.

The hottest area will be the southern Guadalquivir River basin where thermometers could reach 44C (111F). Six regions are under alerts for high temperatures.

2022 was the hottest year for Spain since it started keeping records in 1961. 2023 came in as the second hottest year. The first heatwave for last year arrived in June.

Authorities and experts agree that climate change is behind the rise in temperatures that is also feeding prolonged droughts and wildfires in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world.

In Spain, a heat wave is a minimum of three consecutive days during which at least 10% of weather stations register highs above the 95% percentile of average maximum temperatures for July and August.

Hot, dry winds scorched Greece, where a prolonged heatwave was at its peak on Wednesday and Thursday. Temperatures touched 43C (109F) in several parts of the country, while night-time temperatures in parts of Athens remained above 30C (86F) for the past 10 days.

Firefighters were fighting two large blazes on Thursday, one near a village on the outskirts of the northern city of Thessaloniki, and a brush fire on the island of Kea, near Athens. Emergency services ordered the evacuation of two areas on Kea, while local media said the fire near Thessaloniki had damaged several homes.

“We appeal to the public to be particularly careful as over the next few days there is a very high risk of the outbreak of serious wildfires,” government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis said. “Even one spark can cause a major catastrophe.”

Italy put 14 cities put under the highest level of alert and temperatures are expected to climb above 40C, especially in the central and southern regions. The health ministry said it will further extend the red alert to 17 Italian cities on Friday, as the intense heat was forecast to continue until Sunday.

On Tuesday, Serbia’s state power company reported record consumption due to the use of air conditioning.

BY JOSEPH WILSON, AP

Barcelona To Get Floating Desalination Plant To Help Fight Drought In Northeastern Spain

Spain’s drought-stricken region of Catalonia will install a floating desalination plant to help the city of Barcelona guarantee its drinking water supply, regional authorities said.

Barcelona already relies on Europe’s largest desalination plant for domestic use to compensate over three years of below average rainfall that have led to a historic drought made worse by climate change.

Now Spain’s second-largest city will get a temporary second desalination plant in its port later this year.

David Mascort, who heads the regional environmental authority, said the plant is scheduled to start working in October. It will produce the equivalent of 6% of the city’s consumption, compared to almost a quarter of the city’s water now produced by Barcelona’s permanent desalination plant.

Barcelona uses desalination and water purification systems to meet its water needs. The reservoirs that serve 6 million people in central and northern Catalonia, including Barcelona, are at 18% of their capacity.

Despite some relief from spring rains, Catalonia has kept in place restrictions under a water emergency declared in February. Those limitations include a daily limit of 200 liters (about 53 gallons) per person for domestic use, and reductions in average water use by 80% for crop irrigation, 50% for herd animals and 25% for industry.

Mascort said the additional drinking water should help avoid — or at least push back the need for tighter water restrictions in the fall. He added that the floating desalination plant will make it unnecessary to bring in extra supplies of water by boat as had been initially considered.

AP

Spain's Biggest Tourist Hotspot Bans Bikinis And Going Topless In Public Places As Tourists Warned They Risk $600+ Fines

Vacationers are being warned to put it away as some could face hefty fines for donning swimwear in Spain.

The destination popular for sunseekers is enforcing new dress code rules which could result in penalties of over $600 for those flouting them in bikinis or swim shorts. The new laws dictate what people can wear in public, with the risk of penalties if they don't follow the rules.

As the summer season is around the corner and many families plan their getaways, they're being urged to bear these new rules in mind. These rules apply not just in Barcelona, but in other places throughout Spain, and they concern wearing bikinis and roaming about without a shirt in public areas.

It's absolutely fine for visitors to strut around in their beachwear at the beach or by the hotel pool. But, when strolling about town, they might want to think about swapping their swimsuits for regular clothes.

But, experts in travel warn that local authorities won't take too kindly to such attire, Birmingham Live reports. As Henry Sunley, the boss at Travel Republic put it, "The announcements from The Foreign Office of various new rules that will be coming into effect in some popular holiday destinations might be overwhelming news for people who have already booked their holidays."

"Understanding the new rules and how they could affect you should be a priority to make sure that nothing takes you by surprise during your trip. With these announcements strict laws could also see travellers handed a fine for wearing a bikini or going shirtless in Spain."

"The Foreign Office has issued warnings that if people are caught without being properly clothed in some areas near to beaches they will be stopped by the police. Tourists are fine to wear bikinis and swimwear on the beach or poolside - but if you head to local shops and restaurants, you could end up being fined if dressed inappropriately."

https://www.mirror.co.uk/

Spanish Airports Schedule 8% More Summer Seats

Spanish airport operator Aena opens new tab said on Tuesday the airlines in its network have scheduled nearly 8% more seats for this summer than last year, as a rebound in tourism continues since pandemic-related curbs ended.

Airlines have planned 243 million seats at Aena airports, including for both departures and arrivals, for the summer season from March 31 through Oct. 26, Aena said.

European airlines have so far reported strong summer forward bookings, keeping a positive outlook for 2024 as they benefit from a continuing post-pandemic travel boom.

Aena increased its seating schedule by more than 10% in the European market from the past summer, boosted by the UK, Germany and Italy.

The Spanish market saw a rise of about 3%.

Aena's passenger numbers are recovering more rapidly from the pandemic slump than those of other European operators. It expects to manage around one million passengers each day at its airports by 2026.

Reporting by Matteo Allievi, Editing by Bernadette Baum, Reuters

Spain’s 85.1 Million Foreign Visitors Last Year Set A Tourism Record

Spain received a record 85.1 million international tourists last year, 19% more than the year before, the National Statistics Institute reported Friday.

The number of foreign visitors in 2023 surpassed the 83.5 million who went to Spain in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic ruled out most leisure travel.

The U.K., France and Germany sent the highest number of tourists to Spain last year.

The National Statistics Institute said Spain’s income from foreign tourists reached 108.7 billion euros ($117 billion) in 2023, an increase of 25% from the previous year. Tourism accounts for 12% of the country’s gross domestic product.

The northeastern region of Catalonia, including Barcelona, followed by the Balearic Islands in the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands off North Africa were the top destinations.

France, Spain and the United States have been the world’s three top tourist destinations for many years.

Spanish Police Arrest 14 Airport Workers After Items Go Missing From Checked-In Luggage

Fourteen workers at one of Spain’s main airports for tourists were arrested on suspicion of stealing items from checked-in luggage, police said Friday.

Police seized allegedly stolen items worth almost 2 million euros ($2.2 million), including around 13,000 euros ($14,000) in cash, from the group of employees at the largest airport in Tenerife, in Spain’s Canary Islands, a statement said. Another 20 airport employees are under investigation in the same case.

The Tenerife South airport handles about 11 million passengers a year, most of them European tourists seeking the pleasant climate of the islands off the coast of northwest Africa.

The investigation began after an increase in passenger complaints about items missing from their luggage, the police statement said.

The thefts occurred as baggage was being placed in the aircrafts’ hold, police said. Inside the hold, the alleged thieves forced open suitcases, took out valuables and shut them again.

Authorities seized 29 luxury wristwatches, 120 items of jewelry, 22 high-end cellphones and assorted electronic devices. The suspects had sold many other items online or in local stores, police believe.

AP

Spain’s Andalusia Region Will Expand The Doñana Wetlands Park. Critics Applaud But Want More Action

The government of Spain’s southern Andalusia region plans to expand a prized national park that is home to one of Europe’s largest wetlands but is in danger of drying up.

Andalusia’s regional president Juan Moreno announced his administration’s plan to allow the Doñana park to annex some 7,500 hectares (18,500 acres) that it plans to purchase from a private owner for 70 million euros ($75 million).

Doñana currently covers 74,000 hectares (182,000 acres) on an estuary where the Guadalquivir River meets the Atlantic Ocean on Spain’s southern coast. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and Biosphere Reserve, Doñana is a wintering site for half a million waterfowl and a stopover spot for millions more birds that migrate from Africa to northern Europe.

Ecologists working in and near the park have alerted that its ecosystem made up of marshes and lagoons is at risk due to the strain on its underlying aquifer caused by agriculture and tourism. That has been made worse by climate change and a long drought, along with record-high temperatures.

However, Andalusia’s regional government also has plans in the works since last year to extend irrigation rights for farmers near the park, a move that UNESCO, Spain’s central government and ecologists have criticized for putting more pressure on the aquifer.

Spain’s Ecological Transition Minister Teresa Ribera applauded the planned expansion of the park, but she said that adding more land wouldn’t solve the problem of water scarcity in the area. She also insisted that Andalusia drop its plans to expand irrigation near Doñana.

“(The expansion) is a move in the right direction and will favor the park’s biodiversity,” Ribera said Tuesday. “(But) it will do nothing to reduce the stress on the aquifer and the water available for the park.”

BY JOSEPH WILSON, AP

Archaeologists Have Discovered Exceptional Find In Mérida, Spain

In Mérida, Spain, archaeologists recently discovered an “enormous” Roman bath. But it is that inside these baths, in the area of the apodyterium or changing room, archaeologists have discovered yet another surprise: an almost intact iron bars on a window.

Mérida is home to a UNESCO World Heritage site that contains the remarkably well-preserved remains of an ancient Roman colony, Augusta Emerita.

According to the Roman historian Cassius Dio, the emperor Augustus, (27 BCE – 14 CE) founded Augusta Emerita after the end of the Cantabrian War, in 25 BCE and was the capital of Lusitania.

It soon became one of the largest cities in Hispania, with a territory of some 20.000 square kilometers, to which the emperor Otho added even more in 69. The well-preserved remains of the old city include a large bridge over the Guadiana River, an amphitheater, a theater, a vast circus, and an “exceptional” water-supply system.

Now, within these baths, archaeologists have found a crisscrossed set of iron bars that are “practically intact”, the Consortium of the Monumental City of Mérida said in a statement.

“Another exceptional find,” the consortium said.

The iron bars, which would once have covered a window, were found in the apodyterium or changing room of the baths.

The researchers reported that these bars were part of the deployment of the walls and the roof of the structure, hence the presence of other materials such as bricks, tégulas, and tiles. A similar iron grill was found during the work of the archaeologist García Sandoval, between 1962 and 1963, in the kitchen of the Casa del Anfiteatro.

The house of the amphitheater, dating from the 1st century AD. It is located outside the walls of Augusta Emerita, very close to the space used for gladiator combat and the theater.

“There is still a lot of archaeological heritage under the subsoil of our two-thousand-year-old Mérida that… awaits to be excavated,” the consortium said.

The Casa del Anfiteatro had a courtyard, a kitchen, and a mosaic floor depicting scenes of the grape harvest.

The iron bars will now be cleaned and restored so that they can be put on public display.

Source: https://arkeonews.net/

Spain Sweats Out Sultry Nights As Heat Wave Bakes Southern Europe

Spain sweltered under an unrelenting heat wave Wednesday as temperatures started to build toward what is forecast to be a torrid weekend across southern Europe.

Spain’s weather service said thermometers could potentially hit 45 C (113 F) in southeastern areas of the Iberian Peninsula, which are under alert for extreme heat. That mark was reached Monday in the village of Loja near Granada at the start of the heat wave that is causing restless nights across the country.

More than 100 weather stations registered temperatures of at least 35 C (95 F) as early as 6 a.m. Wednesday, according to meteorologist Rubén del Campo of Spain’s national weather agency.

“On Wednesday, we expect temperatures to fall overall with the arrival of cool winds from the North and East, with the exception of the southeast and southern Andalusia, where hot winds blowing from the interior will cause temperatures to soar,” Del Campo said.

While some relief is in store in the coming days for the Iberian Peninsula, other European countries will sweat through the weekend.

In Italy, 10 cities were put on high heat alert for older people and other vulnerable populations from Bolzano in the north extending southward to Bologna, Florence and Rome. Temperatures are expected to reach 40 C (104 F) in the Sardinian inland Wednesday.
But storms in Italy’s populous northern Lombardy region caused flooding, felled trees and ripped roofs off buildings. More than 200 firefighters responded to emergencies in the regional capital of Milan, Varese, near the Malpensa airport, Lecco, near Lake Como, Sondrio, located in the Alps, and Bergamo.

Temperatures were also starting to tick up in Greece, where a heat wave was forecast to reach up to 44 C (111 F) in some parts of the country in the coming days. Authorities banned access to nature reserves and forests to reduce the risk of wildfires, while municipalities were opening air-conditioned areas in public buildings for people to shelter from the heat.

Greece’s agriculture ministry issued restrictions on the transportation and working hours of animals such as horses and donkeys offering rides in tourist areas during the heat wave. Working animals won’t be allowed to work between noon and 5 p.m. on days where temperatures are between 35-39 C (95-102 F) in the shade, while they won’t be allowed to work at any time of the day when temperatures exceed that range.

Scientists report that heat-related deaths soared in 2022 in Europe, when Spain had a record-hot year. The Mediterranean region is expected to see temperatures rise faster than many other areas of the globe because of climate change.

BY JOSEPH WILSON, AP

Travelore News: New Madrid Museum Set To Unveil Five Centuries Of Spain’s Royal Collections

It’s not as if Madrid was short on world-ranking galleries with the likes of the Prado Museum, the Thyssen-Bornemisza and the Reina Sofía, among others.

But next month, Spain is set to unveil what is touted as one of Europe’s cultural highlights of the year with the opening in the Spanish capital of The Royal Collections Gallery. The swanky new museum will feature master paintings, tapestries, sculptures, decorative art pieces, armory and sumptuous royal furniture collected by Spanish monarchs over five centuries, spanning the empire’s Hapsburg and Bourbon dynasties.

“This is the biggest museum project in Spain in decades, and also in Europe”, says Ana de la Cueva, President of the Patrimonio Nacional, a government body that runs the Gallery.

Unlike many other monarchies, Spain’s Royal Collections do not belong to the crown but to the public, thanks to a historical twist nearly a century ago. Now, Patrimonio Nacional oversees palaces, monasteries, convents, and royal gardens across the country.

For Gallery director Leticia Ruiz, bringing together such a variety of extraordinary pieces makes it something of “a museum of museums.”

The inaugural exhibition will feature 650 of the more than 150,000 pieces Patrimonio Nacional manages, including works from Velázquez, Goya, Caravaggio, Titian and Tintoretto. Also featured will be some pieces from the world’s best tapestries collection as well as ancient carriages and royal furniture. A third of the works will be replaced with new exhibitions each year.

Ruiz says the Gallery will offer visitors a unique vantage point of “the history of the Royal Palaces that are fundamental to the history of Spain and the world.”

One standout piece is Velázquez’s “White Horse,” rearing up and without a rider, suggesting the court painter was just waiting to be told which king to put in the saddle.

Nearby, the light and facial expressions in Caravaggio’s 1607 “Salome with the Head of John the Baptist” are equally captivating. The painting is one of the just four Caravaggios in Spain.

Then there is the multicolored cedar wood sculpture of Saint Michael slaying the Devil, a 1692 work by Spain’s first female court sculptor Luisa Roldán. It is known that she carved the devil in the likeness of her husband and that she, herself may have been the model for Michael.

On the same floor is the first edition of Cervantes’ “Don Quijote.”

“For many centuries, the Spanish monarchs were the best collectors in history,” said De la Cueva. Being able to buy and order from the best artists in the world “was a way of showing their power.”

Built on the steep hillside opposite the Madrid’s Royal palace and the Almudena Cathedral, the Gallery building itself is an impressive work of art.

Designed by Luis Mansilla and Emilio Tuñón, its unimposing vertical linear structure has won 10 architectural awards, including the 2017 American Architecture Prize.

Unseen from street level, it descends seven floors. In the Hapsburg rooms you are greeted by four gigantic baroque Solomonic faux marble wooden columns with gilded vines that once belonged to a Madrid church.

What makes the Gallery particularly special is its incorporation of Madrid’s ninth century Islamic foundation after archeologists came across part of the city’s Moorish wall during construction.

Madrid was originally called Mayrit in Arabic and its Islamic rulers built a fortress to protect the nearby center of power, Toledo. Following the reconquest of Spain by the Catholic monarchs, Madrid was converted into Spain’s royal court and capital in 1561 by Felipe II.

Álvaro Soler Del Campo, archaeologist and Chief Curator of the Royal Armory, says Madrid “is the only current capital of the European Union that preserves a fragment of its first (founding) walls” as well as being the only European capital city that has Islamic origins.

The initial idea of building a museum to house the Crown’s collections arose during Spain’s anti-monarchy Second Republic between 1931 and 1939. The leftist government seized the royal properties but protected them under a new agency that preceded the Patrimonio Nacional.

The republic was flattened during a rebellion by late dictator Gen. Francisco Franco and other Catholic Nationalist officers that started the three-year Spanish Civil War and heralded in some four decades of dictatorship at its end in 1939.

Two decades after Franco’s death and the return to democracy, the initiative for a museum was taken up again in 1998. But it took another 25 years, 172 million euros ($186 million) and several government changes before the ambitious project could be finished.

Ruiz says the novelty of seeing such artistic beauty in such a modernist building will appeal to visitors.

“What we want to do is capture them as soon as they enter, and I think we are going to do that,” she said.

King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia will inaugurate the Gallery June 28, after which it will be open to the public, free of charge for the first few days.

By CIARÁN GILES

Pent-Up Demand Promises Record Tourist Season For Southern Europe

After three years of pandemic travel restrictions and rocketing energy costs, tourism is back with a vengeance to boost the economies of southern Europe as sun-seekers make up for lost time.

Early bookings suggest Italy, Spain, Greece and Portugal could receive record tourism revenues this year, helping replenish state coffers depleted by rising debt interest payments and the cost of living crisis.

What's more, there appears to be growing demand for the luxury end of the spectrum.

"Today in Italy, we have this boom in terms of tourism that is unbelievable," Carlo Messina, CEO of Italy's biggest bank Intesa SanPaolo told investment analysts in a call.

"It is impossible to find a place in a 5-star hotel if you want to make a vacation."

Tourism is vital to southern Europe's economies.

The travel industry was worth 100 billion euros ($110.08 billion) or 6.2% of Italian output in 2019 before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the sector into its knees. Add the wider income generated by tourist-related business and the figure more than doubles to 13%.

In Greece, tourism accounts for no less than one-fifth of gross domestic product.

The number of foreign tourists visiting Italy was up 70.5% in the first two months of the year compared to the same period in 2022, according to the national statistics agency. It added that if the trend continues, Italy could match or surpass pre-pandemic levels.

In April, Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said summer bookings already pointed to a new record.

Portugal registered more than 2.8 million of foreign visitors from January to March, the best first quarter on record, according to official data.

In Spain, the flow of international tourists in the first quarter increased by 41.2% over the same period in 2022 and exceeded 13.7 million visitors, albeit still 3.5% below the same quarter in 2019.

The tourist industry is already benefiting. Airlines such as Lufthansa, easyJet and Ryanair have confirmed robust summer bookings while Ryanair, in anticipation of strong demand, has just ordered 150 new 737 Max-10s and optioned another 150.
German travel firm TUI expects strong revenue and higher profit in 2023. Italian travel and tourism company Alpitour forecasts turnover 30% higher this year.

"We already see a very strong demand to book Christmas holidays in 2023. We do 30 to 35,000 quotations a day, numbers never seen before," Alpitour CEO Gabriele Burgio said.

Against a background of stubbornly high inflation and interest rate hikes from the European Central Bank, the tourism boom could not come at a better time.

While manufacturers are seeing demand declining, in Italy and Spain the service sectors grew respectively for the fourth and sixth month running in April driven also by tourism, HCOB Global's Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) showed.

Fitch cited the "strong rebound" in tourism last week as it maintained its credit rating on Italy.

Portugal's central bank meanwhile raised its 2023 economic growth forecast to 1.8% from 1.5% mainly due to expected "favourable developments" in the tourism sector and despite a near-stagnation in private consumption expected this year.

The Bank of Greece predicts the local economy will grow by 2.2% in 2023 - far above the euro area average - backed by the "favourable" tourism outlook.

The boost in tourism comes despite headwinds ranging from strikes that have disrupted travel to concern about extreme weather events, such as last year's heat-wave in southwest Europe and the current flooding in parts of Italy.

"Travel is the only discretionary expense people are prepared to maintain or increase," easyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said last month.

Consumers who had little choice but to buy goods rather than services during the pandemic are now keen to catch up on lost time, some in the industry say.

"There seems to be a significant shift in consumer behaviour, with holidays taking centre stage in consumption priorities, surpassing traditional purchases such as cars, mobile phones and watches," Alpitour’s Burgio told a hotel trade event in Milan.

As China lifts restrictions on travel, some 6 million Chinese tourists are expected to head to Europe by the end of the year, according to projections by the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute released by the European Travel Commission.

Moreover, Italian tourist agency ENIT is confident that a new, younger profile of Chinese tourist is emerging who wants "in-depth travel experiences" that go beyond the quick tour of urban cultural centres.

"The Chinese are now looking at previously overlooked destinations such as Sicily, the Cinque Terre (Italian Riviera) and seaside destinations that were previously neglected," it said.

($1 = 0.9084 euros)

By Giselda Vagnoni

Travelore Environmental News: Spain’s Barcelona Faces Drought ‘Emergency’ In September

Authorities in Spain’s parched northeast warned Tuesday that Barcelona and a wide surrounding area that’s home to some 6 million people could face even tighter restrictions of water use in the coming months.

Samuel Reyes, head of Catalonia’s Water Agency that manages water resources for the area encompassing Barcelona and other smaller cities in Spain’s northeastern corner, said the area would likely be declared in a “drought emergency” by September unless forecasts for scant rain prove incorrect.

“Unless it rains in the spring and summer, there won’t be any increases in the reservoirs and we will enter a stage of emergency for the Llobregat river system sometime around September,” Reyes said.
The Ter-Llobregat river system provides the main water supply for Barcelona, Girona and other smaller towns and villages. Spain’s government said Tuesday that its reservoirs, along with others in northern Catalonia, have shrunk to 27% of capacity. Only the reservoirs connected to the Guadalquivir river basin in southern Andalusia are worse off, at 26% of capacity.
Reyes said many of Catalonia’s rivers are at historic lows after a drought that has broken all records for the region and forced authorities to start limiting water use for agriculture and industry last year. Town halls have also been asked to stop filling public fountains, and limits on other uses are in place. There is an open debate now about whether or not to fill swimming pools in the summer, with many cities saying they are ideal “climate shelters.”

In an extraordinary effort to save every last drop of water, authorities successfully moved some 13 cubic hectometers of water from Catalonia’s Sau reservoir in recent weeks. In order to ensure the quality of water and avoid a massive die-off of fish, authorities culled 4,000 fish belonging to invasive species. Reyes’ agency said on Tuesday that that process had concluded.

Sau is now one of three reservoirs that Catalonia’s firefighters have said they will no longer be able to use to reload water to fight wildfires. Most of Spain is bracing for a difficult wildfire season with forests dry and temperatures expected to remain high after a record-hot 2022.

“Drought has become the principle concern of this country,” said Patrícia Plaja, spokeswoman for the Catalan government.

Under current restrictions, Catalonia’s cities are limited to using 230 liters of water per person per day, including personal use as well as what the town hall uses per inhabitant for services like street cleaning. That would drop to 200 liters per day under the “emergency” phase of Catalonia’s drought plan. The water agency says that the average person consumes some 116 liters per day for domestic use.

Catalonia’s government is proposing regional legislation that would allow it to impose fines on cities that use too much water.

Catalonia faced a severe drought in 2008 and used tankers to ship in water for Barcelona. Reyes told The Associated Press recently that his agency would not recommend for that method to be used again, nor would it back a possible rerouting of water from the much larger basin of the Ebro river in Catalonia’s south.

By JOSEPH WILSON

Spain’s ‘Tomatina’ Battle Returns After Pandemic Hiatus

BUNOL, Spain (AP) — People from around the world pasted each other with tomatoes Wednesday as Spain’s famous “Tomatina” street tomato fight took place once again Wednesday following a two-year suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Workers on trucks unloaded 130 tons of over-ripe tomatoes along the main street of the eastern town of Bunol for participants to throw, leaving the area drenched in red pulp.

Up to 20,000 people were to take part in the festival, paying 12 euros ($12) a ticket for the privilege. The town’s streets are hosed down and the revelers showered off within minutes of the hour-long noon battle ending.

The event, held on the last Wednesday of August, was inspired by a food fight between local children in 1945 in the town, located in a tomato-producing region.

Media attention in the 1980s turned it into a national and international event, drawing participants from every corner of the world.

Local officials said they expected fewer foreign visitors this year mainly because of continuing fears over COVID-19 in Asian countries.

Participants don swimming goggles to protect their eyes while their clothes, typically T-shirts and shorts, are left covered in pulp.

Besides being the first battle since before the pandemic started in 2020 in Spain, this year’s celebration had the added incentive of being the event’s 75th anniversary and 20 years since the festival was declared by Spain as an international tourism attraction.

Europe Broils In Heat Wave That Fuels Fires In France, Spain

LA TESTE-DE-BUCH, France (AP) — A heat wave broiling Europe spilled northward Monday to Britain, where authorities warned of possible record temperatures, and fueled ferocious wildfires in France, which scrambled water-bombing planes and hundreds of firefighters to battle flames spreading through tinder-dry forests.

In Spain, two people were killed in blazes that the country’s prime minister linked to global warming, saying: “Climate change kills.”

In both France and Spain, fierce heat fueled the fires — part of a wall of high temperatures moving across Europe, touching even places like Britain, where officials have issued the first-ever extreme heat warning. The country’s weather service forecast that the record high of 38.7 degrees Celsius (101.7 degrees Fahrenheit), set in 2019, could be shattered.

“Forty-one isn’t off the cards,” said Met Office CEO Penelope Endersby. “We’ve even got some 43s in the model, but we’re hoping it won’t be as high as that.”

French forecasters also warned of possible record temperatures as swirling hot winds complicated firefighting efforts in the country’s southwest.

Authorities there started evacuating more towns, moving out another 3,500 people at risk of finding themselves in the path of the raging flames that have already seared 140 square kilometers (54 square miles) of pine forests and other vegetation. That will take the number who have been forced out of their homes in the Gironde region to around 20,000 since the wildfires began July 12.

The regional fire service chief, Marc Vermeulen, described the burning forests as “a powder keg” and said tree trunks were shattering as flames consumed them, sending burning embers into the air and further spreading the blazes.

“The fire is literally exploding,” he said. “We’re facing extreme and exceptional circumstances.”

Three additional planes were sent to join six others already fighting the fires, scooping up seawater into their tanks and making repeated runs through dense clouds of smoke, the Interior Ministry said Sunday night.

More than 200 reinforcements headed to join the 1,500-strong force of firefighters battling night and day to contain the blazes in the Gironde, where flames neared prized vineyards and the Arcachon maritime basin famed for its oysters and beaches.

Spain, meanwhile, reported a second fatality in two days as it battled its own blazes. The body of a 69-year-old sheep farmer was found Monday in the same hilly area where a 62-year-old firefighter died a day earlier when he was trapped by flames in the northwestern Zamora province. More than 30 forest fires around Spain have forced the evacuation of thousands of people and blackened 220 square kilometers (85 square miles) of forest and scrub.

Heat waves and drought tied to climate change have made wildfires harder to fight. Scientists say climate change will continue to make weather more extreme and wildfires more frequent and destructive.

“Climate change kills,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Monday during a visit to the Extremadura region, where firefighters tackled three major blazes. “It kills people, it kills our ecosystems and biodiversity.”

Teresa Ribera, Spain’s minister for ecological transition, described her country as “literally under fire” as she attended talks on climate change in Berlin.

She warned of “terrifying prospects still for the days to come” — after more than 10 days of temperatures over 40 C (104 F), cooling only moderately at night.

According to Spain’s Carlos III Institute, which records daily temperature-related fatalities, 237 deaths were attributed to high temperatures from July 10 to 14. That was compared to 25 heat-related deaths the previous week.

The heat wave in Spain is forecast to ease on Tuesday, but the respite will be brief as temperatures rise again on Wednesday, especially in the dry western Extremadura region.

In Portugal, much cooler weather Monday helped fire crews make progress against blazes. More than 600 firefighters attended four major fires in northern Portugal.