CHRISTMAS HITS PALMA

PALMA
ATTRACTING people to the streets of Palma for Christmas shopping is the main aim tomorrow of the Majorcan Chamber of Commerce who will be launching a campaign promoting the capital as “A Centre of Seasonal Activity.” This is the sixth consecutive year that small to medium-sized business associations - Afedeco and Pimeco - will be giving a boost to Christmas trade in collaboration with the Balearic Foundation for Commerce. Tomorrow, the Chamber of Commerce, the Foundation and Palma City Council are to sign an agreement which will seal their cooperation in fostering trade throughout the streets of the capital between 30th November and 11th January, 2008.

The occasion will be attended by representatives of organisations who are sponsoring the campaign including the regional ministry for Commerce, Industry and Energy and the Sa Nostra banking foundation. Local authorities will be funding the campaign to the tune of 240'000 euros which will go to financing a wide variety of activities to attract all sectors of the public into the centre of the capital: games and workshops for children; cultural attractions; product discounts and promotions; and even competitions on how best to get shoppers to patronise the shopping streets of the city. The campaign therefore is not just an economic one but also an encouragement for people to enjoy the pre-Christmas atmosphere and to look forward to New Year sales. The smaller traders see themselves as being in competition with the larger, out-of-town hypermarkets not just in terms of pricing but also of accessibility in terms of car parking. In an energy saving drive this year, the Christmas lights in Palma are being switched on later than normal. Already, the new Balearic government has announced that environmental controls will play a part in the budgets of all ministries in an effort to tackle global warming - an economic report yesterday claimed that the Balearics is one of the highest contributors in Spain to carbon emissions.