Heatwave in Spain: in Andalusia, tourism is worried about high heat

For three days, Spain has been experiencing temperatures of around 40 degrees. A sudden heat wave that surprised tourism professionals who had to face the constraints of high heat. For the occasion, Europe 1 went to the region of Seville where the inhabitants have deserted the city.

37 degrees in the shade

An imposing yellow cathedral suspended above small houses with white facades in the middle of olive groves: the scenery of the village of Olvera is idyllic, when it is not 37 degrees in the shade like this Saturday. On the deserted square of the Notre-Dame-de-l’Incarnation church, Paqui Carreno, director of the tourist office, notes that the heat has got the better of the tourists. “Between the sea and the mountains, people choose the coast. It is impossible for us to compete with the beaches of Cadiz, especially with these temperatures. People seek freshness at the beach and not in our mountains”.

A decline in attendance to which is added the problem of water. More than a third of tourist activities in the region have come to a halt due to the drought. “The marshes around Olvera offer a lot of activities such as canoeing, rafting or fishing. But this year the rivers are dry. Impossible to practice anything”, laments Paqui Carreno at the microphone of Europe 1. Dangerous climatic consequences for this Pueblo blanco, considered one of the most beautiful in the region. In Seville, tourism represents more than 30% of the local economy.

A drought that also affects the hotel sector

At the foot of the Sierra de Cadiz, a few kilometers from Olvera, in the middle of fields of wheat and olive trees, stands the Hacienda Las Alcabalas. An imposing 18th century building, with white and red walls, transformed into a guest room. Didier and Maud Boisson, two French people living in Andalusia, started their activity in 2016, and for the first time this year, they are worried about the water level.

Photo credit: Guillaume Dominguez

“Our Hacienda has its own well, we are too far to be connected to the general network. The problem is that the water level is lower and lower every year”, worries Didier. “For the moment, the winter rains allow us to continue to draw normally but we are already starting to be careful with the water. I avoid filling the pool too often, we collect rainwater to water the Patio, and I’m asking gardeners to save money.” But according to him, savings have their limits. “I can’t ask my clients to take just one shower a day when it’s 45 degrees in the summer,” admits Didier.

Below the Hacienda, the couple owns a stud farm and raises around ten competition horses for competition. Each horse consumes an average of forty liters of water per day. Just like its tourist activity, it was therefore necessary to find solutions. “I cannot reduce their water consumption, or stop wetting them when it is too hot. If necessary, the government authorizes us to buy water from neighboring properties, but only for our horses, for the tourist activity is prohibited”, specifies Didier at the microphone of Europe 1.

Photo credit: Guillaume Dominguez

Conscious of living with a sword of Damocles hanging over their heads, the couple decided to invest in water retention basins. The objective is to collect rainwater in large quantities to alleviate the problem of drought in the years to come.