“Unreasonable”opening hours: the reaction

Spain’s Minister of Employment, Yolanda Díaz has said that, “It is unreasonable for a country to have its restaurants open at one o’clock in the morning”, and highlighted the differences in the opening hours of the hotel and catering industry between Spain and the rest of Europe.

EWN posted her remarks on our website and social media and the reaction from readers was unanimously in favour of the status quo with one reader commenting, “if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it”.

And, in a complete rejection of the Minister’s remarks, the tourism sector in the province of Malaga has said they are totally opposed to the possibility of cutting the opening hours of restaurants and terraces on the Costa del Sol and in the rest of Andalucia.

The hospitality businesses consider themselves the economic engine for Andalucia, and a spokesperson said of the Minister, “She should be more responsible when she makes public statements representing the position she holds within the Spanish government”.

“The regulation of opening hours in the autonomous community is the responsibility of both the Junta de Andalucía and the different municipalities, so it is not up to the State to control them”, concluded the spokesperson.