On World Tourism Day, I wanted to go local this time and talk about a paradox I see in Seville’s tourism strategy. We say we want to attract high-value tourism. Five-star hotels open, fine dining restaurants pop up and the city is full of Mercedes vans. But when it comes to tours and experiences, Seville has a tendency to sell itself at low prices. A ...

When I guide in the Alcázar, I seem to talk about everything except the Alcázar. This is, of course, an exaggeration. Or not, really. But I do try to avoid exact dates, and I am unlikely to spend much time telling you whether an arch is horseshoe-shaped or polylobed. And although plenty of kings have left their mark on the Alcázar over the centuries, I have no ...

I picked them up early, the way I always do for day trips. Already seated in the mini van, after I'd introduced the driver, I did the same thing I always do: I told them what the day was going to look like. "So today, Arcos de la Frontera..." "Sorry — what?" The woman in the back seat was already pulling up her phone. "We have ...