Visitors to Seville, Spain will soon be asked to pay a fee to enter one of the city’s great outdoor attractions, the Plaza de Espana, a grand square with fanciful buildings, water features and amazing tilework.
Built as a centerpiece of the 1929 Ibero-American Exposition, it features neo-Mudéjar Moorish architecture, Venice-style bridges and detailed ceramic tile collections honoring each of Spain’s autonomous regions. Rowboats can be rented to tour its canals.
It is popular with locals and visitors alike—too popular, according to Mayor José Luis Sánz, who tweeted that “We are planning to enclose the Plaza de España and charge tourists to finance its conservation and guarantee its safety. The monument will of course continue to be freely accessible and cost-free for all Sevillians.” Even visitors from the rest of Spain’s Andalusia are not exempt.
I am surprised about the claims that there is a need to reduce the crowds here. When we were there – admittedly a few years ago – we were surprised by how quiet the area was.I wonder whether the real reason for seeking to charge visitors is simply the usual one – to squeeze more money out of them.
I’m inclined to agree with you; I’ve been there three times, once in late winter and twice in early summer; there were quite a few people there on all occasions, but nothing you’d call a crowd.
Charges like this are becoming quite the thing in many places, possibly on a copycat basis. Hawaii is just now considering becoming the only U.S. state to charge a visitor fee.
Beyond charges like that, the general creep of admission charges is concerning; here in Brooklyn the Botanic Garden, which used to be free most of the time, now has only a few free hours; admission for two adults and two children totals $60, which puts it out of range for many families, and our museums—all operating in city-owned buildings with city funds contributed—are no better.