Bullfighting involves horrendous cruelty to animals. Bulls are painfully tortured with lances and spiked spears before the bleeding and wounded creatures are killed with a sword into the heart. As a grisly trophy for the matador, the ears and tail are cut off (sometimes when the bull is still conscious). This barbarism should have no place in modern Spain.

By trying to lure holidaymakers into the blood-soaked bullrings, the Spanish Government's tourism body is complicit in the continuation of this cruelty. As a majority of Spaniards no longer have any interest in bullfighting, it is in many cases the tourists who keep bullrings afloat. If tourism authorities and travel agents stopped pushing tickets on tourists, it would surely spell the end for many bullrings.

On the Spain.info website, Spanish Tourism states: "Come to Spain and discover the world of bullfighting - you are sure to have fun." It is not only encouraging people to attend bullfights but to also participate in the barbarity, saying "there are many companies in Spain that prepare everything necessary for you to bullfight young cows and bulls".

In a world where most people oppose cruelty to animals, it is unwise of Spain's national tourism body to present it as a holiday attraction. By doing so, they risk alienating many potential visitors who view bullfighting as the abhorrent and unacceptable obscenity that it is.

ACTION ALERT

Contact your local Spanish Tourism Office and make it clear that, as one of the majority opposed to animal cruelty, you find it very offensive that they are actively promoting bullfighting and bullrunning. If their promotion of animal cruelty would make you chose an alternative holiday destination, please point this out in your correspondence.

Gonzalo Ceballos, Director
Spanish Tourism Office in Ireland
1-3 Westmoreland Street, Dublin

Tel: 01-6350200

Email: dublin@tourspain.es, munich@tourspain.es, frankfurt@tourspain.es, berlin@tourspain.es, guangzhou@tourspain.es, beijing@tourspain.es, londres@tourspain.es, nuevayork@tourspain.es, milan@tourspain.es, prensa@tourspain.es, roma@tourspain.es, viena@tourspain.es, spaininfo@tourspain.es, duesseldorf@tourspain.es, losangeles@tourspain.es, chicago@tourspain.es, oetmiami@tourspain.es, copenhague@tourspain.es, paris@tourspain.es, info.tokio@tourspain.es

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