Málaga must have Sunday opening to expand
Opening on Sundays and Bank Holidays is restricted by regional legislation in Andalucía
The consensus amongst British tour operators attending the World Travel Market, Diario Sur reports, is that the Costa del Sol must solve the problem of Sunday opening if Málaga hopes to expand as a destination for weekend breaks. They say more tourists will choose to visit the province for a short break away from home if Sunday and Bank Holiday opening is allowed, giving them a greater range of activities to enjoy.
Andalucía’s trading law only permits opening on eight Sundays and Bank Holidays throughout the year, with exceptions only during the tourist season for municipalities which are considered by the regional government as tourist areas. The Junta de Andalucía has had an ongoing battle with the Vialia shopping centre over trading outside those parameters ever since the complex opened at the Renfe railway station in Málaga in 2006, where shops continued to open in defiance of the legislation.
A recent ruling from the Andalucía High Court has now supported the business owners in their claim that they should be treated as an exception, owing to their location in a railway station, allowing them to open on every day of the year.
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