Spaniards should explore Spain

Spaniards should fight the recession by being tourists at home, Industry, Tourism and Energy Minister Jose Manuel Soria told private news agency Europa Press on Thursday. ''57 million tourists a year can't be wrong,'' the minister said. ''Maybe we're the ones making a mistake, going to far-flung places in the world instead of being tourists in our own country.'' While many Spaniards prefer the beach, the minister urged his people to explore the marvels of their country's landlocked regions, which are beautiful and cheap. International tourism rose 5% in the first semester over the same period last year, and tourist spending rose 5.6%, Soria said, adding that the government had ''no alternative'' but to raise the VAT tax from 4% to 10% beginning in September, an unpopular move with tourist operators. This will be ''a good year'' for tourism, Soria said, following on a ''very good'' 2011, when 57 million foreigners visited Spain, up 8% over the previous year.