Weeks before some of the biggest bullfights are to take place in the Andalusian capital of Seville, the tickets for the majority of them have sold out. Organisers of the Feria de Abril 2010 – the annual April Fair of Seville – claim that this year they are expecting a massive surge in tourists.

Bullfighting is the national sport of Spain, and its popularity across the world has been on the rise in the past decade. In the Mediterranean, the practice of sacrificing bulls dates back to prehistoric times. The bullfights of Seville are world famous, with matadors from across Spain and even from foreign shores descending on this Mediterranean holiday spot. The April Fair, the biggest draw of Seville’s tourist calendar, is renowned as the showcase for some of the finest bullfighting traditions in Spain. “The April Fair is traditionally held two weeks after Easter Sunday, and gives tourists a taste of Spanish hospitality at its best. We are normally booked months in advance, and there is hardly a single room available during this time”, says Sevillan hotelier Pablo Casteillos.

The bullfights have for centuries been the main attraction of the Feria de Abril. “If you have a choice of where to see bullfights in Spain, make sure it is in either Seville or Madrid. The Sevillanos are among the most passionate in the country”, claims Jesus Chavez, a bullfighting enthusiast from Mexico.

The Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza, one of the oldest buildings in Sevilla, continues the venue for some of the most epic bullfights of the Spanish matador’s lore. The construction of this building is said to have begun as far back as the mid eighteenth century, and is one of the most popular landmarks in Seville. Unusally for a bullring, however, the Plaza de Toros de la Maestranza is oval shaped, instead of the traditional circular ring. Along with Ronda, Seville is considered as the “nursery” where modern bullfighting as it is performed today was developed. In earlier centuries, bullfighting was undertaken by matadors on horseback.

Hotel registers show that its not just Spaniards who will be attending the April Fair – many tourists are travelling in from as far as Japan and Australia. Some of them are already in Spain to study Spanish abroad and grasp the flavour and flow of the language well in time for the April Fair. The popularity of bullfights have ensured that Spanish study abroad has become all the rage.

Via EPR Network
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