Mayor José Luis Sanz wants visitors to contribute financially to the conservation and security of the Plaza de España. Thousands of people from all over the world visit it daily, by horse-drawn carriage or on foot.
The structure served as the setting for the 1999 Star Wars franchise film The Phantom Menace. With more than three million tourists per year and a population of 700,000 inhabitants, Seville is the third most visited city in Spain. Many cities struggle to balance much-needed tourism with maintaining their appeal to residents.