The announcement that shops outside the centre of Palma will only be allowed to open ten Sundays and public holidays next year is a step backwards and will do little to protect small traders from the onslaught of their larger counterparts as the new legislation intends. Under the present legislation only shops in the centre of Palma are allowed to open every Sunday and public holiday. This year it was 16 Sundays and public holidays a year but the Balearic government, in an effort to protect small shopkeepers, decided to reduce it in 2017 to just ten.
Shopping is a key part of tourism but cruise ship passsengers who arrive in Palma on a Sunday will only be able to enjoy a handful of shops because all the big retailers and the out-of-town shopping centres will be closed. This is such a short-sighted policy. As I have said on countless occasions shops should be allowed to open when they want and not when the government tells them. Not allowing shops to open is not helping them; it is hindering their progress and future profitability.
We live from tourism on this island, the money made during the tourist season allows firms to survive the winter therefore shops should be allowed to open all hours especially during the summer season. This is the way forward. We are lucky to have a modern and forward-looking tourist industry. It is such a shame that it appears that some shopkeepers are still rooted in business practices which are decades old.