Credibility in Question: How Mallorca Should Handle Illegal Street Trading

When a Quick Sale Destroys the Business

Sooner or later every tourist stumbles upon the blankets at the Paseo Marítimo or the improvised stalls beneath the cathedral. Sunglasses for ten, bags for twenty, watches that gather dust after two days. The pattern is recognizable: For the people standing there, it's often an attempt to make ends meet somehow. For the permanently registered shopkeepers on Calle Sant Miquel or at the Plaza Mayor, it is an existential threat.

Those who pay rent, pay taxes, and employ staff lose customers to the fast, untaxed offering on the street. And that's not only an economic problem: It undermines trust in the rules that uphold our city. When two standards apply — one for street vendors, another for organized pickpockets or noise-makers — then in the end the credibility of all authorities suffers.

Selective Inspections and the Feeling of Injustice

In the early morning hours you sometimes see nimble police squads rolling up blankets and confiscating goods. Good — the laws apply. But especially in the evenings, when groups along Playa de Palma are loud or in the old town pickpocketing is reported, there is often a lack of presence. A resident in La Lonja recently told me: It feels as if you only strike where the image looks good for cameras. A sharp observation, and not entirely unfounded.

The problem is multifaceted: it concerns work and poverty, organized schemes, tourist behavior, and the island's self-image. Those who respond only with raids fail to see that the street offering has long been part of a system — with intermediaries, boat transfers, and outlets in courtyards. A morning raid is not enough against these structures.

What Would Be Credible

An effective concept would connect several levels: visible, regular checks where the problems are gravest; clear sanctions against organized structures; but also social work and legal alternatives for people who otherwise know only street selling. And very importantly: communication that explains why certain measures are necessary — instead of giving the impression that one only wants to hit a few 'easy' targets.

I'm not naive: there won't be an easy solution. But if Palma and the main locations want to stay credible, rules must apply uniformly. Otherwise the feeling remains: it's easier to take away someone's cheap sunglasses than to tackle the big problems. And that helps neither the vendors nor the shopkeepers nor the guests who expect a fair island.