Latest news with #Turismo
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Shocking moment pipe explodes near Brit tourists' balconies sending torrent of water through Costa Del Sol resort and turning sea brown
This is the shocking moment a section of the Costa Del Sol sea turned brown after a pipe exploded just meters from British tourists' balconies. Footage shows water gushing from a cracked underground pipe in Benalmádena before streaming through a popular resort toward the coastline. Just seconds later, a large brown blotch begins to spread across the surf as horrified holidaymakers watch on. A Spanish-speaking tourist filmed from a beachfront balcony near the Globales Los Patos Park Hotel as the drama unfolded. She could be overheard asking a companion: 'What's that? Are they cleaning something?' before pointing out bubbles coming from the centre of the stain. Stunned lifeguards were seen frantically ushering people away from the murky water as groups of curious beachgoers tried to get a closer look. Town Hall authorities raised a yellow flag warning just after midday on Monday, shortly after the ocean near the Hotel Spa Benalmadena Palace became discolored. Officials blamed the incident on a ruptured high-pressure water pipe, claiming it spilled 'clean, drinkable water' that dragged mud and sediment into the sea. They insisted there was 'no contamination' or danger to public health. Footage shows water streaming from a cracked underground pipe in Benalmádena before gushing through a popular resort and making its way down towards the coastline Benalmadena Town Hall said in a statement: 'Public water firm Acosol reported an incident that occurred around midday yesterday in its upstream drinking water supply network in the municipality. 'After detecting the incident, the water leak was immediately stopped before the impact of the incident was studied and repair work began.' The council described the burst pipe as 'quite old and deteriorated', adding: 'It is drinking water and the image it produced is the result of the natural dragging of towards the sea, without any type of contamination.' A green flag was put up later in the day after conditions returned to normal - though not before Locals were left furious by the mishap and took to social media to share their fraustration. One resident questioned: 'How many litres of water are going to be lost before the problem is fixed?' Another fumed: 'And the council turns off the beach showers to raise awareness among people.' A third added: 'Wastewater does not have or should not have that pressure, but I disagree that it is not partly faecal water that you see in the sea. 'That water carries excrement from the road and especially the waste dog walkers leave on the beach.' The disturbing incident comes just weeks after a toxic chlorine cloud forced around 160,000 people into lockdown across parts of Spain popular with tourists. Authorities warned that a blaze at an industrial warehouse selling pool cleaning products had released the gas over the Catalonia region. The fire started at around 2:20am on May 10 in Vilanova i la Geltru, a coastal town 30 miles south of Barcelona, and caused a huge plume of chlorine smoke over the area. Locals and tourists received an urgent alert on their phones telling them to stay indoors and not their their homes as firefighters battled the flames. Around 160,000 people in five towns were affected by the lockdown on Saturday morning. 'If you are in the zone that is affected, do not leave your home or your place of work,' the Civil Protection service posted on social media site X. No one was injured in the fire, Catalan emergency services said.
The Sun
27-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Horror moment huge pipe EXPLODES near Brit tourists' balconies on Costa Del Sol before urgent beach warning
THIS is the horror moment the sea off a popular Costa Del Sol resort turned a stomach-churning brown as a huge pipe burst just metres from Brit tourists' balconies. Jaw-dropping footage shows torrents of water gushing down towards the shore from a cracked underground pipe in Benalmádena. 5 5 Moments later, a thick brown stain begins to creep across the surf in front of stunned holidaymakers. A Spanish -speaking tourist filmed the blast from a beachfront balcony near the Globales Los Patos Park Hotel. She could be heard gasping: 'What's that, are they cleaning something?' before pointing out the disturbing trail of bubbles at the centre of the discoloured water. The man with her grimly quips, 'The beach of the tourists,' as lifeguards rush to usher sunbathers away from the tide below. Town Hall authorities raised a yellow flag warning just after midday on Monday as the brown blotch spread across the shallows near the Hotel Spa Benalmadena Palace. Officials blamed the murky mess on a ruptured high-pressure water pipe, claiming it spilled "clean, drinkable water" that dragged mud and sediment into the sea - insisting there was "no contamination" or danger to public health. Benalmadena Town Hall said in a statement: 'Public water firm Acosol reported an incident that occurred around midday yesterday in its upstream drinking water supply network in the municipality. 'After detecting the incident, the water leak was immediately stopped before the impact of the incident was studied and repair work began.' Describing the burst pipe as "quite old and deteriorated", the council added: 'It is drinking water and the image it produced is the result of the natural dragging of earth towards the sea, without any type of contamination.' Tourists in Spanish holiday hotspot ordered to stay indoors as fire at chemical plant releases toxic cloud into air A green flag was hoisted later in the day after conditions returned to normal - though not before locals blasted the mishap on social media. One angry resident fumed: 'How many litres of water are going to be lost before the problem is fixed?' Another raged: 'And the council turns off the beach showers to raise awareness among people.' A third added: 'Wastewater does not have or should not have that pressure, but I disagree that it is not partly faecal water that you see in the sea. 'That water carries excrement from the road and especially the waste dog walkers leave on the beach.' The surreal incident has sparked outrage in a region already hit hard by drought warnings, with fears over water wastage and potential hygiene risks just as the summer tourist season kicks off. Earlier this month, tourists in a string of Spanish beach resorts were told to stay indoors after a huge fire at a chemical plant sent a toxic chlorine cloud billowing over the area. Holidaymakers in five popular towns near Barcelona were among 160,000 people ordered to shut their windows and stay inside as emergency services scrambled to contain the blaze. The fire broke out during the night at a factory storing 70 tons of swimming pool cleaning chemicals in the seaside town of Vilanova i la Geltru, just 25 miles south of the Catalan capital. The blaze caused a massive chlorine smoke plume to spread across a wide area. It triggered an emergency lockdown across Vilanova i la Geltru, Cubelles, Les Roquetes de Sant Pere de Ribes, Cunit and Calafell. In a stark warning on social media, Spain 's Civil Protection service said: "If you are in the affected area, don't leave your house or your place or work. "An alert will be sent to mobile phones to inform people about the lockdown." They added: "Don't travel to the affected areas." The fire was later brought under control but Catalan president Salvador Illa warned the stay-at-home order would remain in place until there was "no risk to the population". 5 5
The Independent
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Spain Airbnb prices could soar as tourism hotspot brings in new tax
Spain's government has proposed a new 21 per cent value-added tax (VAT) on short-term tourist rentals, doubling the rate for hotel rooms, in a bid to tackle the country's housing crisis. The move aims to address growing concerns over the availability and affordability of housing for residents, as landlords increasingly favour more profitable short-term lets. The proposed tax, which would apply to all rentals under 30 days, would impact a significant portion of Spain's tourism sector. Last year, approximately a third of the 94 million visitors to Spain chose to rent homes instead of hotel rooms, which are currently subject to a 10 per cent VAT. No VAT is currently levied on short-term rentals in mainland Spain. This measure forms part of a broader housing bill presented by the Socialist-led minority government. However, navigating the bill through a deeply divided parliament presents a significant challenge. Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez emphasised the intent behind the legislation, stating, "Homes are for living in (...) the measures seek to guarantee the right to rental housing for families." The Spanish government faces the delicate task of balancing the economic benefits of tourism, a key driver of the nation's economy, with the pressing need to address public anxieties over escalating housing costs. The increasing shift towards tourist rentals has exacerbated the housing shortage, making it more difficult for residents to find affordable accommodation. A Bank of Spain report this week said the country has a deficit of 450,000 homes. Half the housing stock in the Canary and Balearic islands is either tourist accommodation or homes owned by non-residents, it said. Apartur, an association of tourism apartment owners in Spain's second city Barcelona, argues that shorter-term rentals should pay the same VAT as hotels and calls the proposed 21 per cent VAT rate discriminatory. The bill under consideration also includes a controversial measure first announced in January to tax non-European Union citizens up to 100 per cent on property purchases unless it will be their primary home, as well as increasing taxes payable by owners of empty properties, including second homes. "The sole objective is to put an end to these activities and leave (tourism) in the hands of hoteliers," said Javier Peñate, legal advisor to a holiday homeowners association in the Canary Islands, where short-term rentals already pay 7 per cent VAT, as do hotels. Local and regional authorities are also capping new licences for tourist rentals in Malaga and Madrid, while banning them entirely in Barcelona by 2028.
The Independent
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Holiday home prices could soar as tourism hotspot brings in new tax
Spain's government has proposed a new 21 per cent value-added tax (VAT) on short-term tourist rentals, doubling the rate for hotel rooms, in a bid to tackle the country's housing crisis. The move aims to address growing concerns over the availability and affordability of housing for residents, as landlords increasingly favour more profitable short-term lets. The proposed tax, which would apply to all rentals under 30 days, would impact a significant portion of Spain's tourism sector. Last year, approximately a third of the 94 million visitors to Spain chose to rent homes instead of hotel rooms, which are currently subject to a 10 per cent VAT. No VAT is currently levied on short-term rentals in mainland Spain. This measure forms part of a broader housing bill presented by the Socialist-led minority government. However, navigating the bill through a deeply divided parliament presents a significant challenge. Housing Minister Isabel Rodriguez emphasised the intent behind the legislation, stating, "Homes are for living in (...) the measures seek to guarantee the right to rental housing for families." The Spanish government faces the delicate task of balancing the economic benefits of tourism, a key driver of the nation's economy, with the pressing need to address public anxieties over escalating housing costs. The increasing shift towards tourist rentals has exacerbated the housing shortage, making it more difficult for residents to find affordable accommodation. A Bank of Spain report this week said the country has a deficit of 450,000 homes. Half the housing stock in the Canary and Balearic islands is either tourist accommodation or homes owned by non-residents, it said. Apartur, an association of tourism apartment owners in Spain's second city Barcelona, argues that shorter-term rentals should pay the same VAT as hotels and calls the proposed 21 per cent VAT rate discriminatory. The bill under consideration also includes a controversial measure first announced in January to tax non-European Union citizens up to 100 per cent on property purchases unless it will be their primary home, as well as increasing taxes payable by owners of empty properties, including second homes. "The sole objective is to put an end to these activities and leave (tourism) in the hands of hoteliers," said Javier Peñate, legal advisor to a holiday homeowners association in the Canary Islands, where short-term rentals already pay 7 per cent VAT, as do hotels. Malaga and Madrid, while banning them entirely in Barcelona by 2028.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Save up to $4,500 on a Porsche EV by trading in a Tesla
With an increasingly intense spotlight on Tesla CEO Elon Musk, current Tesla drivers are finding themselves caught in a political whirlwind regardless of where their convictions lie. Coupled with a depreciation curve that's hard to predict and some seriously competent competition, many Tesla owners are looking outside the brand for their next car. As it turns out, Porsche is more than willing to take your leased Tesla off your hands. View the 3 images of this gallery on the original article While Porsche has some pretty strict criteria if you want to get the full $4,500, it might be the perfect way to save a few bucks while getting out from under your existing lease. According to intel gathered by CarsDirect, the Welcome to Porsche Conquest Lease Program will pay out credits in $1,500 increments toward your new vehicle's payments. How much you'll get determines how far away the end of your existing, current lease is; for example, if you trade in a vehicle with between 31 and 60 days remaining on the lease, you'll only get one $1,500 payout. For the maximum payout (3 installments of $1,500, for a total of up to $4,500), you'll need to trade in a lease with over 90 days remaining. Essentially, the offer is a more convoluted version of a traditional 'pull-ahead' leasing incentive. As such, the deal isn't limited to Tesla models, although that seems to be pretty clearly who Porsche is looking to help out (or take advantage of). The stipulations get even more complicated when you realize that Porsche claims a trade-in isn't even technically required if your lease doesn't end for more than 180 days. In a nutshell, Porsche wants to sell more EVs, and this is the perfect way to do it. The CarsDirect bulletin claims that the offer is only good until the end of March, but you may be in luck. This isn't the first time Porsche has offered a competitive pull-ahead offer. Sources indicate that last June, Porsche ran an identical promotion. So, we're fairly certain that this advantageous program will make a comeback in the impending months. That said, if one of Porsche's electrified offerings look good to you today, there's no better time to shop if you're in a lease you want out of. As a reminder, Porsche's current electrified offerings are limited to the Taycan, which is available as a sedan or Turismo (wagon), and the Macan small SUV. View the 2 images of this gallery on the original article Porsche is working hard to expand their market share of the electrified segment. Chiefly by making products people actually want to own, but also with the occasional 'too good to refuse' offer like this. Making the jump from a Tesla to a Porsche—and saving some money while doing it—is an enticing prospect. Even when compared to brilliant competitors like the BMW i4 and iX, warm critical reception of the Taycan and Macan electric is hard to ignore.
