Jason MoorePalma30/10/2018 18:18
TW

A wet and pretty horrible day in Palma on Sunday. But there was a giant cruise ship in port and many of the passengers headed into town to do some shopping. The few shops which were open must have enjoyed some great takings, those which were closed missed all the fun. I am afraid to say that only a handful of shops were actually open in Palma on Sunday, all in the Jaime III area, which is the only street allowed to open for Sunday trading.

You would have thought that after a rather average summer season all shops which could open would do so. But no. I understand that if you own a small shop it is difficult to get staff to work at the weekends, but remember we have a long, cold winter ahead, and the rather inferior holiday season will be noticed on the high street because Majorcans will have less spending power. When is the Palma city council going to allow all shops to open when they want rather than when the council legislates?

I said in this space earlier this year that in Gibraltar shops open when there is a big cruise ship in port. Why can't Palma do the same? It is not rocket science. This island is now facing heavy competition from resorts in the eastern Mediterranean and no opportunity should be missed. Unfortunately, hundreds of cruise ship passengers left empty-handed on Sunday simply because there was nowhere open for them to spend their cash. An opportunity missed? Certainly so, it is time for Majorca to wake up.