“Spain ‘turns away’ British tourists and leaves them in ‘third world conditions’.” This is not an isolated complaint from a British traveler unhappy with the effects of drought in Catalonia, or a comment from a tourist family recently arrived in Andalusia. No. The previous sentence is the headline published on all pages this weekend. Daily MirrorOne of the most influential tabloids in the UK. And it’s interesting for a few reasons: first, because it does nothing more than garner criticism from Brits upset about water restrictions; Secondly, it points to the challenge the country faces in managing the drought and maintaining tourism, a sector that generates billions of euros.

Debate is currently raging on the Costa del Sol.

“Third world conditions”. The complaint, including the quotes, comes from two British tabloids: Daily Mirror And Birmingham Live, claims that citizens are disturbed by the water restrictions they face in Spain. But the criticisms of both newspapers point to a specific situation: water cuts at Sotogrande, a luxury residential complex in the southern state of Cádiz that boasts “one of Spain’s best golf courses” and a marina with more than 800 berths. row of premium villas and farmhouses for rent for tourists.

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Luxury, relaxation… and water cuts. Its private facilities did not save the Cádiz complex from the effects of drought. A few days ago, Aguas del Valle del Guadiaro, responsible for supply management in Sotogrande and Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro, issued a circular stating that it had no choice but to implement supply cuts between nine and six in the afternoon at night. seven in the morning. The reason: The persistent drought shaking the Andalusian Mediterranean basins did not allow restrictions to be relaxed even after the rains recorded during Holy Week in March.

“Urbanization in Sotogrande and Pueblo Nuevo de Guadiaro has values ​​well above the consumption values ​​determined by the La Drought Table and the Campo de Gibraltar Crisis Cabinet,” the company said in a statement on Tuesday, April 9. “The administration is forcing us to take a series of measures that no one wants but are necessary.”

Angry about water cuts. Daily Mirror He denounced that the overnight power outage left tourists and Britons living in Sotogrande “deprived of basic needs such as showering, cooking or cleaning”. And he insists that this measure “leaves them in ‘third world’ conditions.” The tabloid specifically mentions Rob Brummer, a 66-year-old Briton who blames both the outages and the way they were managed. “Communication has completely failed,” Brummer denounced, after reminding those affected had learned of the restrictions “the day before.”

“Sotogrande is a high-water-using area of ​​large villas with five golf courses. I lived in the Middle East for eight years and we never had any problems with the water supply. There is a large school here with thousands of children. Who will need to wash and brush their teeth in the morning? How can they do this?” Brummer emphasizes. MirrorAlso note that water scarcity is not a new problem in Spain. “There has been a drought since 2013, but neither the national, regional nor local authorities have taken the necessary measures. The local government is not worried about this situation. They are far away and we can only complain.”

Add and continue. Brummer’s isn’t the only criticism he’s received in the press. HE Mirror It also echoes a complaint posted by another British tourist in the Facebook group International People in Malaga, who complained about the same thing: that water shortages are in danger of making his summer difficult. “My Airbnb host just sent me a message saying that our house booked for July will not have water between 23:00 and 07:00 because it is not raining. Does this sound normal to you?”

water and tourists. Sotogrande is a special case because it has made headlines in one of the most influential tabloids in the UK, but it is not the first news story to show how complex managing drought can be when trying to control its effects. On tourism.

This happened, for example, in Catalonia, where hotels and campsites were looking for ways to limit supply restrictions for their customers. Or in Andalusia, where authorities decided to allow swimming pools in hotels to be filled while imposing restrictions on social facilities.

stretching the rope. Another example remains from the Canary Islands community. They are considering mobilizing there to demand greater control of mass tourism. This is due to the pressure the sector exerts on housing, the environment or the services offered in the archipelago, including healthcare, waste management or water supply, a resource that is not abundant here either.

“Everything is getting worse here in Fuerteventura. Even though the island is very big, too many people came in a short time and everything was done without forethought. We have no water, we import everything we eat, everything is more expensive, and this is what the organizers of the protest against mass tourism to be held this Saturday “Heritage is being destroyed,” they recently explained to elDiario.es.

Image | Instant Collector Photo and Video (Flickr)

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