Today in Spain: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday

Spanish tourists turn their backs on the US

The recent incarceration of numerous European tourists in the US, combined with the Trump administration's overall ill treatment of foreigners and its attitude towards the EU is resulting in Spanish holidaymakers snubbing the United States in greater numbers than ever.

Spanish travel agencies have revealed that there is decline in Spaniards interested in the United States as a tourist destination.

A total of 46 percent of travel agents said they have seen a contraction in tourist demand to the United States from their clients, according to a survey of 400 companies by the Corporate Association of Specialised Travel Agencies (ACAVE).

It's too early to say exactly what impact it will have on the summer travel season, but they claim that it's "sufficiently significant".

Chinese restaurant in Madrid served street pigeons as ‘Peking duck’

A Chinese restaurant in the Spanish capital of Madrid has been closed down after police found 300 kilos of rotten food, meat hanging to dry on a clothesline, cockroaches, rat traps, and pigeons being served like roast duck.

Restaurant Jin Gu located in the district of Usera was investigated after many customers left reviews saying that they felt ill after eating there.

Authorities have now closed the establishment, and the owner is being investigated for crimes against public health, wildlife, and consumer rights. It is believed they hunted pigeons in the street and kicked them to death, before plucking them and offering them up as the classic Peking duck dish.

They also broke other rules such as fire safety and hygiene.

Woman who’s lived in Spain for 13 years denied citizenship

The National Court has denied Spanish nationality to a woman who had been living here for 13 years, due to the fact that there were several months between 2012 and 2013 when she didn't have an official residence permit.

The court ruled that this broke the ten-year continuity requirement set out in Article 22.3 of the Civil Code. Residence must be "legal, continuous, and immediately prior to the request", they stated.

According to the ruling, the woman applied for a residence permit in 2007, which was not granted until April 2008 and it remained valid until 2011. Once this permit expired, she reapplied for one, which she received in 2012 - this is the one she currently uses. This small gap between these years means that she was not living in Spain legally the whole time.

Galicia wants to handle residency and work permits for its foreigners

Galician regional president Alfonso Rueda stated this Tuesday that he "does not rule out" asking the central government to transfer work and residence permits to facilitate the arrival of foreign workers to Galicia, given the "need" to fill positions due to "demographic decline" of the region. This comes after similar powers have been ceded to Catalonia and the Basque Country.

Rueda's announcement comes 24 hours after the Galician government and Madrid agreed to transfer of coastal management to Galicia on Wednesday .