Staff Reporter
From The Digital Editor
Laurence Dollimore
Dear Olive Press readers,
It’s been an action-packed week of news in Spain with multiple stories grabbing headlines around the world.
The ‘anti-tourism’ row appears to be brewing earlier than ever this year after it emerged locals are now ‘training’ people who want to take part in protests throughout 2025.
Meanwhile, regions across the country are launching crackdowns on the industry, including Alicante, where various nightclubs have been closed and bar terraces removed.
In Mallorca, new laws will bring further restrictions on guided tours in saturated areas.
It comes as figures showed bookings for tourist flat accommodations plummeted in Malaga last year, suggesting a conscious backlash against platforms like Airbnb.
Adding to the travel industry’s drama is the ongoing row between Ryanair and Spain, which was not helped this week when the airline’s CEO dressed up a cardboard cutout of a Spanish minister as a clown.
In positive travel news, the Costa del Sol train project continues to gain pace, with 15 companies competing to create a construction proposal.
And if you’re looking for a Valentine’s getaway this weekend, why not visit the gorgeous white-washed village in Andalucia that boasts St Valentine as its patron?
In other news, there has been no significant update on US cyclist Matt Opperman, who has now been missing from Jaen in Andalucia for more than 20 days.
And the search is on for another US citizen, after New York banker Grant Barr vanished from the Costa del Sol more than two weeks ago.
In politics, Donald Trump irked the EU after announcing tariffs, to which the bloc responded to by warning of ‘firm and immediate’ retaliation, setting up a potential trade row.
We also reported on the rising threat of drug mafias in the Campo de Gibraltar, after police officers warned they are simply not equipped enough to tackle the scourge of ‘narcos’.
That’s all from me this week. Have a great weekend!
Laurence
Our mailing address is:
The Olive Press
Edificio Centro Comercial El Duque, first floor, Carretera N340, km 144.5
San Luis de Sabinillas, Malaga 29692, Spain
Copyright © 2024 The Olive Press, All rights reserved.
