Missed the boat

AT last the Balearic government appears to have seen the light and is planning to introduce legislation which will allow shopkeepers to have more flexible opening hours. Regular readers of this space will now that I have been boring readers on this topic for more than a decade!

But what concerns me now is; has the legislation come to late and has Palma as a getaway weekend holiday destination missed the boat? I think so. The airlines have cut back on their flights and they have no plans to introduce more winter flights in the near future. Five years ago, if shops had opened on Sunday and had more flexible opening hours I believe that Palma would now rival Barcelona as the top weekend getaway destination. If only Palma had copied Barcelona. Extended opening hours is a start but now the airlines, tour firms and hoteliers have to be convinced that it will be worth their while to bring tourists here during the winter. Watch this space but don´t hold your breath.