A rather cloudy and humid Sunday in Palma. Tourists had decided not to go to the beach and headed into the city while there were two cruise ships moored in the port. Unbelievably, there were just a handful of shops open in the small area in the city centre where shops can open on a Sunday (around the Borne and Jaime III).
The department stores were packed and I am sure that if more shops had been open then they would have enjoyed similar great takings. Much is being said about the need to curb visits by cruise ships but what is not being said is that Palma is still falling short and not taking full advantage of the cruise ship boom. All shops in the designated “Sunday Shopping Area” should be open on a Sunday; not only will it persuade more people to come into the city centre it will also increase takings. It is not rocket science.
A recent poll suggests that 70 percent of shop takings in Palma were from tourists, so why don't more shops make an effort on a Sunday? Let’s face it, Palma is a tourist city and needs the holiday euros. We can't really complain about cruise ships when a sizeable number of passengers stay on board when their vessel is in port because they do not think it is worthwhile going ashore.
I am sure that if the shops were open this wouldn't be the case. Perhaps it is a good idea to curb the big mega-cruise ships but at the same time the city has got to get its act together and ensure that it makes the most of this lucrative market.