The bylaw amendment in Calvia by which the display of alcoholic drink is restricted came into force yesterday. It will no longer be possible to display any type of container with alcohol in shop windows. Displays outside shops that are on counters, on pallets or in cabinets are prohibited.
The new regulation, which also prohibits recreational machines such as kickboxer being on terraces, is the latest town hall measure designed to tackle drunken tourism. Retailers disagree with it, maintaining that they (and their displays) are not the cause of drunkenness and anti-social behaviour. They put the blame squarely on all-inclusive hotels. One of the shop owners who spoke out last week, Toni Homar, said that the town hall wants to benefit the hoteliers and not the non-hotel sector, such as the shops.
Shop interiors will also have to be reorganised. From the end of the year it will be necessary to have a separate section for alcohol that can be closed off and hidden during the hours when the sale of alcohol is not allowed, i.e. from midnight to eight in the morning. Notices will have to be put up inside shops, informing customers of the hours when the sale of alcohol is permitted.
A town hall statement yesterday explained that this measure follows the start of a process of closing down establishments offering prostitution. The statement added that the town hall has asked the regional government for regulation of alcohol in all-inclusives and also for a ban on bar promotions such as two for one and happy hours.