Palma Council to close city centre roads to boost shopping

PALMA
PALMA council has decided to close some roads in the centre of Palma on some weekends and public holidays in order to encourage shoppers.
Mayor Aina Calvo wants to promote Palma as a mecca for shoppers.
The councillor for Tourism Joan Borras will put together a series of measures, with the support of PIMECO (the small and medium sized businesses association) and Afedeco (the shopkeepers association).

The Tourism councillor said that Palma, despite being the capital of the leading tourist destination in the Mediterranean, had to change its image. “Most people believe that Palma at the weekend is a boring city. With the agreement of all parties, we are going to try to turn the city into a thriving place at weekends, but to do this all sectors, mainly shops and restaurants, will have to make an effort”.

Borras added that a series of shopping days will be organised and promoted in Palma, during which roads in the centre of Palma will be closed to traffic with entertainers and musicians taking the place of cars. “Promoting Palma as a tranquil shopping city at local level outside Palma and in the tourist markets, is practical,” she said.
Taking advantage of the excellent air connections and hotel offers, one of the best in Europe, “is a great advantage for Palma, but the rest of the sectors (Bars, restaurants and shops) have to get involved, and to achieve this Palma council will use all its resources to encourage small and medium sized businesses to open at weekends and on fiesta days.

The councillor confirmed that this will not be an imposition for the shops, “we have to have a balance, like the fact that all shops who take part in this campaign will have to sign up to the consumer arbitration system, which is the only system which gives the consumer a rapid solution to any problems which might arise, while at the same time it serves as a guarantee of quality for the small and medium sized shops in Palma”.

The council will try to promote Palma, through Imtur (a government promotion body), as a tourist city, “but with an unlimited view. We have to offer more so that Palma will be like a big tourist resort during the weekends. We have everything and we should take advantage of this. We are a first rate destination and it is this which we are going to promote”, said the councillor.