SHOUT OUT TO ALL THE TOURISTS WANTING TO VISIT SPAIN!

     As most people know, tradition is not an excuse for animal cruelty. However, Spain seems to proudly ignore this statement. Each year, approximately 10.000 bulls are brutally killed in bullfights or bullfighting events (Toro de la Vega, Sanfermines, Toro Embolado, etc.) in the name of entertainment. The Spanish Government claims bullfighting to be Spain’s national sport or “fiesta nacional”, and thus, supports it financially.

     In 2007, there were 3,651 bullfighting events and each year the number has been decreasing. In 2014, there were 1,868, which indicates that in the last 8 years there have been 1,783 less bullfighting events. This data shows the decline of the bullfighting industry and implies that this business does not generate employment for the Spanish population as bullfighting events are significantly decreasing over time.

     Interestingly, the number of bullfighting professionals is increasing over time: in 2007 there were 7,397 professionals, while in 2014 there were 10,194 (“AVATMA”, 2015). Logically, this situation does not make sense; if the bullfighting industry is in recession, then, the number of professionals should decrease as well. The only reason why the number of professionals is increasing lies behind the fact that the Spanish Government heavily subsidizes bullfighting activities. The Spanish newspaper El Diario estimates that over 500 million euros of taxpayers are donated to the bullfighting industry per year. (“El Diario”, 2013, p.1). Therefore, the bullfighting industry not only doesn’t generate money but also needs subsidies from the government to ensure its existence. In other words, because bullfighting can’t stand on its own and because it needs subsidies from the government, it is not a sustainable employment generator.

     The Spanish economy relies heavily on tourism. This Mediterranean country has much more to offer to foreign tourists than just a barbaric tradition such as bullfighting; Spain has wonderful gastronomy, amazing monuments, incredible history and culture, great weather, beautiful destinations, affordable lifestyle, and a very fun nightlife. For these reasons, all those against bullfighting believe that foreign tourists should enjoy Spain without attending bullfighting events, because bullfighting is just one aspect of Spain’s culture that many Spaniards want to abolish.

     Without your help, many Spaniards will not be able to save bulls from being brutally killed. We ask all the tourists that come to Spain to not attend any bullfights or any festivities involving bulls. In the same way, we ask them to boycott travel agents, tour operators, hotels, restaurants and any companies that promote bullfighting, and explain why they are not purchasing their services. Those Spaniards against bullfighting believe that if every tourist did this, each of these businesses would start to lose money. If this happened, these businesses would stop promoting bullfighting, and this barbaric tradition would finally end. Many people like us, and many animals, would highly appreciate if you joined this battle with us.

     Please sign our petition to the Prime Minister of Spain calling for a national ban on bullfights and bull runs in Spain. The more we sign, the closer we are to ending this cruel tradition! Help us save the bulls!

Thank you,

Raquel