In deep water

The EU has already re ‐quested clarification from the Spanish government about the law change, but no for‐mal response has been given yet.

According to technical esti‐mates by the European Par‐liament, the fine for non ‐compliance could be as much as €300m. Spain has previ‐ously faced environmental fines in the Basque Country.

Doñana in southern An‐

REYES MAROTO has caused controver ‐sy by suggesting introducing a tourist tax to Madrid, something that local hoteliers are already getting steamed up about, according to a news source on Monday, April 17.

For five years, Maroto was in charge of Spain’s tourism. Now she is standing for mayor of Madrid, which every year attracts millions of visitors, including lots of British holidaymakers.

A tourist tax was first proposed for Madrid in 2015 and 2018 but was never implemented.

“The most important thing is to know why,” Maroto said.

Speaking during a breakfast meeting dalucia has been suffering from water shortages due to the expansion of irrigated agriculture in surrounding ar‐eas. A local ecological re ‐search centre, reports that 59 per cent of the major lagoons in Doñana have not been filled with water since 2013.

The situation has been at‐tributed to the increase in ir‐rigated land, which has ex‐panded by 30 per cent in the last decade.

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.