In a letter allegedly sent to tour operators and foreign travel agents, the Basque separatist group ETA has threatened to target tourism in Spain “year round” rather than just during the summer months. ETA has been weakened through coordinated police work in Spain and France, but it maintains the ability to plant bombs. In July, the group detonated bombs in Alicante and Benidorm on the Costa Blanca, injuring 13, including several foreigners, and in December, authorities stopped a plan to blow up trains in Madrid. Barring a sudden surge in ETA attacks, however, the risks to travelers are low; becoming a victim would be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Two prominent European tour companies that send a lot of tourists to Spain say they have not received the ETA letter and are planning their tours without added concern.
