https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Spain in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Spanish airlines Iberia, Vueling and Air Europa have all said they are maintaining their regular flight schedules with no changes to their flights or prices, despite rising fuel costs caused by the war in Iran. https://www.thelocal.es/20260507/spanish-airlines-freeze-prices-despite-jet-fuel-shortages Thu, 07 May 2026 10:29:36 +0200 spanish-airlines-freeze-prices-despite-jet-fuel-shortages This year, Spain is once again the world leader when it comes to the number of Blue Flag beaches. Find out which new beaches have been given this award in 2026. https://www.thelocal.es/20260506/spain-crowned-country-with-most-blue-flag-beaches-in-2026 Wed, 06 May 2026 14:45:28 +0200 spain-crowned-country-with-most-blue-flag-beaches-in-2026 Thinking of setting up a tourism business in Spain? Barcelona-based travel journalist Esme Fox gives us the lowdown on which enterprises can be successful in Spain, as well as adding value to the tourism industry rather than contributing to overtourism. https://www.thelocal.es/20250820/11-tourism-business-ideas-to-start-in-spain Wed, 20 Aug 2025 10:57:38 +0200 11-tourism-business-ideas-to-start-in-spain Planning on flying to or from Spain this summer? Now's the time to book your tickets before prices increase even further, the country's Tourism Minister has advised. https://www.thelocal.es/20260428/spain-urges-travellers-to-buy-summer-flights-now-to-avoid-price-hikes Tue, 28 Apr 2026 16:30:59 +0200 spain-urges-travellers-to-buy-summer-flights-now-to-avoid-price-hikes The ruling partially overturns a ban on certain types of licences for new tourist accommodation in the Mediterranean city. https://www.thelocal.es/20260417/valencia-court-overturns-tourist-flat-licence-suspension Fri, 17 Apr 2026 10:57:18 +0200 valencia-court-overturns-tourist-flat-licence-suspension The Catalan capital will redesign terraces along the famous La Rambla boulevard, emphasising space, aesthetic uniformity and quality tourism. https://www.thelocal.es/20260415/barcelona-to-redesign-la-rambla-terraces-in-tourism-pivot Wed, 15 Apr 2026 11:04:40 +0200 barcelona-to-redesign-la-rambla-terraces-in-tourism-pivot The southern Spanish city of Granada is currently in a battle against graffiti tags and poetic messages plastered all over its white walls, particularly by tourists in the city's historic Albaicín neighbourhood. https://www.thelocal.es/20260413/spains-granada-struggles-to-stamp-out-poetic-vandalism-by-tourists Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:12:33 +0200 spains-granada-struggles-to-stamp-out-poetic-vandalism-by-tourists A new report by Spain's tourism alliance predicts that more international visitors will choose Spain this year due to concerns over travelling to or via the Middle East, even though the Iran conflict is set to make the cost of Spanish holidays higher. https://www.thelocal.es/20260410/iran-war-to-draw-more-tourists-to-refuge-spain-despite-higher-holiday-costs Fri, 10 Apr 2026 10:42:28 +0200 iran-war-to-draw-more-tourists-to-refuge-spain-despite-higher-holiday-costs Spain's government said Tuesday it expected the Middle East war to contribute to a bumper tourist season, but warned that the crisis could also drag down a key driver for the Spanish economy. https://www.thelocal.es/20260401/spain-sees-surge-in-last-minute-bookings-by-tourists-avoiding-middle-east-war Wed, 01 Apr 2026 09:30:46 +0200 spain-sees-surge-in-last-minute-bookings-by-tourists-avoiding-middle-east-war This year, Barcelona is paying homage to its most iconic architect - Antoni Gaudí - and commemorating the centenary of his death with a whole host of events. Long-time Barcelona resident and travel writer Esme Fox picks out the best. https://www.thelocal.es/20260325/everything-you-need-to-know-about-barcelonas-gaudi-year-2026 Wed, 25 Mar 2026 11:44:45 +0100 everything-you-need-to-know-about-barcelonas-gaudi-year-2026 If eating and drinking what the locals have and paying the right price for it matters to you, there are several tell tale signs that certain restaurants in Spain are tourist traps and only in it for the money. https://www.thelocal.es/20240708/how-to-spot-restaurants-in-spain-that-are-tourist-traps Mon, 08 Jul 2024 09:46:00 +0200 how-to-spot-restaurants-in-spain-that-are-tourist-traps The start of Easter in Spain is just two weeks away. For anyone planning on travelling here during the holidays, here's what you need to know about how much it will cost you. https://www.thelocal.es/20260316/how-much-will-it-cost-to-travel-in-and-around-spain-this-easter Mon, 16 Mar 2026 16:26:30 +0100 how-much-will-it-cost-to-travel-in-and-around-spain-this-easter Hundreds of access boxes to tourist flats in the southern city of Granada have been vandalised and covered in anti-tourism messaging, the latest in a series of activist measures in Spain in recent years. https://www.thelocal.es/20260227/hundreds-of-tourist-flat-lockboxes-vandalised-in-spains-granada Fri, 27 Feb 2026 09:46:11 +0100 hundreds-of-tourist-flat-lockboxes-vandalised-in-spains-granada Here's how one previously abandoned village in Spain managed to reinvent itself by making English its official language. https://www.thelocal.es/20260225/the-spanish-village-which-made-english-its-official-language Wed, 25 Feb 2026 10:16:20 +0100 the-spanish-village-which-made-english-its-official-language The northern Spanish region of the Basque Country, home to popular cities such as San Sebastián and Bilbao, is to introduce a tourist tax of up to €7.50 per night, likely to be implemented this year. https://www.thelocal.es/20260213/spains-basque-country-to-introduce-daily-e7-50-tourist-tax Fri, 13 Feb 2026 07:38:18 +0100 spains-basque-country-to-introduce-daily-e7-50-tourist-tax British pub chain Wetherspoons has opened its first establishment outside the UK and Ireland, and the Costa Blanca is the chosen spot. Find out how much you'll have to pay for a pint. https://www.thelocal.es/20260210/wetherspoons-opens-its-first-pub-in-spain-at-alicante-airport Tue, 10 Feb 2026 11:07:40 +0100 wetherspoons-opens-its-first-pub-in-spain-at-alicante-airport The number of short-term accommodation for tourists in Spain has fallen dramatically, according to the latest official data, coinciding with a government clampdown on illegally listed properties. https://www.thelocal.es/20260209/number-of-tourist-apartments-in-spain-falls-by-12-percent-in-a-year Mon, 09 Feb 2026 16:40:39 +0100 number-of-tourist-apartments-in-spain-falls-by-12-percent-in-a-year Spain's Housing Ministry has ordered a further batch of short-term rental adverts be taken down, citing the 'mandatory removal' of illegally listed properties that fail to meet the requirements for the new tourist property register. https://www.thelocal.es/20260204/spain-orders-removal-of-80000-more-illegally-listed-short-term-rentals Wed, 04 Feb 2026 10:19:19 +0100 spain-orders-removal-of-80000-more-illegally-listed-short-term-rentals This February, those who own tourist or other short-term rental accommodation in Spain will have to submit a new declaration form to Spanish authorities, providing details of their business corresponding to 2025. https://www.thelocal.es/20260128/short-term-let-owners-in-spain-must-complete-new-form-in-february Wed, 28 Jan 2026 09:43:38 +0100 short-term-let-owners-in-spain-must-complete-new-form-in-february Home exchanges are becoming an increasingly popular way of having a cheap holiday in Spain, but what are the rules and regulations surrounding the practice, and are there any tax implications? https://www.thelocal.es/20260129/what-are-the-rules-and-tax-implications-of-house-swapping-in-spain Thu, 29 Jan 2026 10:49:34 +0100 what-are-the-rules-and-tax-implications-of-house-swapping-in-spain