Brits may be feeling that Spain is rapidly becoming less welcoming to them, as the summer holiday season approaches. Mass protests are planned against over-tourism in the Canary Islands meanwhile the national tourist board is conducting research into local sentiment around tourism later in the year.
Last year slogans such as “tourists go home” were sprayed in the Canaries, after visitor figures skyrocketed to 12 million in 2022.
However, this tourist-sceptic trend hasn’t spread everywhere across Spain, as Granada’s Costa Tropical has recently introduced a free new service that’ll make holidaying that little bit easier.
Costa Tropical in the south of Spain, in a popular tourist area. And it’s on the streets of Almuñécar-La Herradura that tourists are able to benefit from the brand new technology that has been installed.
Along the promenades of San Cristóbal, La Caletilla, Puerta del Mar, Velilla and La Herradura, a series of ‘smart cubes’ have been put in.
These ‘smart cubes’ are solar powered, provide wi-fi connectivity, wireless phone chargers as well as USB ports. They’ll also tell those sitting on them the temperature, humidity and ultraviolet radiation levels – valuable information for staying safe in the Spanish summer sun.
What’s more, all these services are free. According to Sur in English, Mayor of Almuñécar Juanjo Ruiz Joya revealed that the new cubes are part of the town’s tourism sustainability plan, granted by the Junta de Andalucía.
It has been entirely financed with European Union Next Generation funds and is a break from the anti-tourists rhetoric emanating from Spain for the last few years.
Councillor for tourism Daniel Barbero said that the cubes are “an innovative and sustainable project” for the area. He added that the town “aspires to be technologically leading, with innovative systems that place us at the forefront of tourism in Andalucía and Spain”.
He went on to say that they “have been placed in strategic locations with privileged views”. Besides the wi-fi and charging facilities, the cubs also boast other cutting-edge technologies such as GPS software designed to stop theft, night lighting system.
Despite being solar powered, the cubes have a router for stable connectivity which can operate for 48 hours without sunlight.
