Pepe Tirado, president of the Acotur association of tourist services businesses, has been denouncing illegal street selling for years. Despite announcements of various crackdowns, he says that the selling has increased this summer. "We're worse off than ever. There are areas that are condemned to death."
He highlights the situation in Playa de Palma, Arenal and Magaluf, where illegal selling is "rampant" and is carried out with "total impunity". He points out that sales can even be made using dataphones. "It's unacceptable. We traders pay our taxes but see how the mafias steal our customers."
Tirado reckons that legitimate businesses have suffered a 20% fall in sales this summer, attributing this decline at least in part to illegal sales activity. "We are tired of calling the police, only for them to not come. In fact, they would have to arrive with trucks to be able to take away the vast quantities of counterfeit goods they sell."
Tirado notes that this season has not been as good as previous ones, which has further aggravated retailers' financial woes. There are a lot of tourists, "but they spend little".
The greatest publicity this year has been given to Palma's new civic ordinance and the fines for both sellers and buyers, even though these were already covered by the city's bylaws. In effect since May, Tirado believes "it isn't helping at all." Calvia and Llucmajor town halls have also sought to implement measures to put an end to illegal street vending, but "none of them have worked".
In his view, the only useful measure would be to increase police presence and to provide the police with the appropriate tools to act. "Illegal street vending has taken over resort areas such as Playa de Palma. For example, cars can't even pass along 'Schinkenstrasse' because they've filled it with blankets displaying their counterfeit products." The situation is unsustainable. "We can't take it anymore."
Ten days ago, Palma Police stated that they had issued 51 reports against illegal street selling. Only some of these related to Playa de Palma. Twenty-three people had been fined between 450 and 750 euros for buying from an illegal seller.
Calvia Town Hall says reports are issued against illegal street vending every day. Last year, there were nearly 900. "However, no matter how many reports are issued, if the root problem, the organised crime, is not eradicated, street selling will continue."
Llucmajor reports that the police have seized more than 200 counterfeit products and are regularly conducting operations in the beach area to sanction activities that lack a licence."