Freedom! Anyone who was in possession of a pair of trainers and a T-shirt was out exercising in Palma today! After 50 days of lockdown it was rather lovely to see and the general consensus of opinion was the worst is now over.
Full marks to local residents who have stayed at home for 50 days and yesterday took their first stroll outside! It was the first pleasure walk because going to the supermarket or the chemist doesn´t really count. From Monday thousands of people will start returning to work and now the new challenge starts. Getting the economy moving in lockdown is not going to be easy especially as we are not out of the woods yet. Eventhough life is slowly returning to normal in Majorca and Minorca, the islands depend heavily on Britain and Germany. In the case of Britain the lockdown hasn´t even been slightly lifted yet and in Germany it is unclear whether the Germans will be travelling this year at all.
To be honest I can´t see many northern Europeans coming to our shores this summer. So now is the time for local businesses to use their imagination. In the same way that some restaurants adapted themselves into home delivery specialists the tourist industry must look at their options.
They are pretty limited to be honest especially at this moment in time when restrictions have only now been eased. There is the home market; Majorcans holiday on Majorca. There is mainland tourism. The same spirit and fight for survival which kept us at home for 50 days must now be used to get the economy going. One battle has been fought and now it is the time for the next.