New tourist tax

in Madrid, the Ex ‐ Minister of Industry, Commerce and Tourism said she liked the idea of introducing a tourist tax, which visitors to the city would have to pay per night, but added, “The tourist tax does not have to be merely a tax, it has to be a tax that reverts to the tourism industry.”

On hearing her comments the Madrid Hotel Business Association (MHBA) made clear its opposition to the idea without any hesitation, claiming that it would have a detrimental effect on the hotel sector and visitors.

AS well as low rainfall, Spanish farmers are also struggling to pro‐tect crops from a ‘plague’ of rabbits starved of fresh grass

As well as dealing with the ex‐ceptionally dry winter, farmers in Catalonia are facing a second prob‐lem, a plague of rabbits, who, starved of water, are beginning to destroy crops, especially wheat and