thorny

The World Cup is much more than football. Each ‘La Roja’ match is also an event capable of paralyzing the country and a lifeline (wink, wink) for a sector, the hospitality sector, that deals with changes in consumption of alcohol and the growing competition from the merchants. However, bars do not have it equally easy in all cities when it comes to exploiting the World Cup gold medal. Although in much of Spain it is allowed to take TVs out to terraces to broadcast matches, the requirements of the town councils do not always coincide. In fact there are consistories that prohibit the use of screens outdoors. One figure: 30%. Spain is a football country. That is not debatable. When we talk about hospitality, however, football is much more than a sport or a passion: it is above all a powerful economic lever. The employers’ association of the sector calculates that the businesses that broadcast the World Cup will skyrocket their cash between 25 and 30% on match days. What’s more, Hospitality of Spain estimates that if ‘la Roja’ reaches the final it will inject 130 million extra to your billing. Terrace slopes. In view of these figures and in the midst of the dog days, it is easier to understand why bars in a good part of Spain have asked for permission to, exceptionally, put televisions on their terraces. Their proposal is very simple: given the interest aroused by the tournament and how overwhelming crowds in closed venues can be, they want to install screens outside to broadcast ‘La Roja’ matches. More comfort, more income. It’s nothing exceptional. What is striking is that this request has not received the same response in all city councils in Spain. While some councils They have given the green light to the installation of TVs on terraces, imposing only some restrictions, others they have closed in band to that possibility arguing that it would go against noise regulations. There are also town councils that allow the installation of screens outside the bars, but require that all matches be broadcast. no sound. The case of Asturias. Although the topic has generated headlines throughout the country, probably the most interesting case is that of Asturias. There the hotel management association OTEA headed to the town councils requesting permission so that customers of bars and restaurants could follow the World Cup matches from the terraces, through TVs. In cities like Oviedo either Gijon The restaurateurs received the green light (with certain conditions), but other councils have told them no. It is the case of Aviles and Langreowho have decided that the bars’ request clashes with other prioritiessuch as the “right to rest” of the neighbors. “It is not possible to authorize non-compliance with the Law 37/2003of November 17, of noise, since the exemption from compliance with the acoustic emission and reception indicators on terraces (…) would be an action null and void,” states a resolution published by the town of the Nalón region. Click on the image to go to the tweet. The law is made… cheated, as the saying goes. That the local authorities are not convinced by the installation of screens on the terraces does not mean that the hoteliers of Langreo or Avilés have not looked for a way for their clientele to enjoy the games from the terraces without breaking the regulations. So reveals it The New Spainwhich tells how yesterday in Avilés there were bars that placed their screens strategically, next to their windows and facing the street, so that customers sitting on the terraces could follow the game. “We always meet at this bar. What seems incredible to me is the City Council’s rule of not playing loudly,” commented one of the clients who followed the meeting of Spain and Saudi Arabia from outside a bar in Avilés. It is not the first time that an international football tournament is accompanied by controversy in the Asturian hospitality industry. It happened two years agowhen OTEA disgraced the Avilés and Gijón City Councils for their decision to install giant screens in public spaces to follow the Euro Cup final. Beyond the criticism for the loss of customers, in the case of Avilés the hoteliers recalled that shortly before the City Council had prohibited them from doing something similar on their terraces. One dilemma, several answers. The most curious thing is that, although the laws on noise pollution are common to the entire country, not all councils have responded in the same way to the hoteliers’ request. In Toledo, for example, they has given the green lightbut on condition that the equipment works without sound. The only exception is venues licensed for music installations. In Albacete, the City Council has also authorized outdoor screens during ‘la Roja’ matches, the semi-finals and the final on July 19, but with an important fine print: whether or not the matches have ended, the TVs must be silent at midnight and in the Special Acoustic Protection Zone (ZPAE) the devices will not be able to emit sound even in the afternoons. Something similar happens in Salamanca. In any case, for hoteliers these are better conditions than those imposed by Teruel. Over there, COPE chain advancesrestaurants have found a response similar to that of Avilés. World yes, but with control. In general, even the most permissive city councils impose limits on match broadcasts: screens on terraces are usually allowed only for ‘special’ events, such as matches played by Spain, the semi-finals or the final in July, and even in those cases limits on noise and time restrictions apply. In the case of the capital, Hostelería Madrid assures that article 11 of the evening terrace ordinance prevents the installation of televisions outside the premises, which makes it difficult for bars and cafes to make the tournament profitable. Image | Jorge Franganillo-Flickr (Image taken in Lisbon in 2024) In Xataka | 24 years ago Oliver Kahn sued EA and won. Then a new goalkeeper appeared in football games: Jens … Read more