The Esquerra Unida Podem Municipal Group condemned what it called an “unjustifiable” policy after learning that the Popular Party government is considering putting an entry fee on Santa Bárbara Castle for both tourists and Alicante residents.
The party reminded them that the report presented at the Finance Committee meeting last Friday reveals that the City Council is considering introducing this tax, which they claim would constitute “a further attack on the cultural rights of Alicante citizens.”
According to the municipal group, Santa Bárbara Castle is the city’s primary heritage and cultural icon, “A space that belongs to the people of Alicante and must continue to be freely enjoyed.” They have warned that converting it into a company through indiscriminate taxation is “A profoundly unfair decision and contrary to the right to access culture and the common heritage.”
Furthermore, they have emphasised that the measure represents double taxation, as households already pay municipal taxes to maintain the property. In 2025, the City Council will allocate €780,000 to Esatur for the Castle’s opening and management, and in 2026, this sum will rise by another €85,910, totalling €866,466.46. In addition, lift access presently costs €2.70 per trip, which is five times the cost of a bus ticket.
The organisation has positioned this suggestion within what it calls the People’s Party’s (PP) global goal of “privatisation and revenue-raising,” noting instances such as the upcoming privatisation of the Babel market parking lot, the extension of the blue zone, and now the price for access to the Castle. All of this, they commented, “while dismissing as fiscal hell the proposed tourist tax, which would actually offload costs to citizens and make visitors contribute.”
They also stated that for eight years, the People’s Party (PP) “has been unable to approve the Master Plan for Santa Bárbara Castle,” a commitment made “when the cultural value of the monument was degraded, shifting its management from Culture to Tourism and transforming a symbol of the city’s history into a mere tourist attraction.”
They recalled in their address that other Spanish towns, such as Seville, have an exemption from payment in their tax ordinances for those born or resident in the municipality to ensure that public revenues remain accessible to the local community. “The People’s Party (PP) in Alicante, on the other hand, is once again turning its back on its people and putting tax revenue before cultural rights,” they told me.
Manolo Copé, spokesperson for Esquerra Unida Podem, remarked that “Santa Bárbara Castle is part of our daily lives and the memory of the entire city.” It is ludicrous to try to impose a toll on the residents of Alicante. The Castle does not belong to the mayor or the PP; it is a shared legacy that should remain open and free for the people of Alicante.”
Author: Derek Appleton
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