Bars and restaurants in Spanish city to close due to lack of tourists

UNDER THREAT: A lack of tourism is taking its toll on city businesses. CREDIT: Twitter

Many bars and restaurants in the centre of Valencia say they will have to close in August due to a lack of tourists.

MEANWHILE, others intend to reduce opening hours in the afternoon and scrap dishes popular with tourists such as paella.

For the people of the city, it seems incomprehensible that bars, restaurants and cafes in the normally bustling Plaza de la Virgen would close their doors in August, but this is the case with many saying they will then sit it out and wait for the economy to revive.

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Fani Zhu is the owner of Aromas del Espresso and told Las Provincias that "merchants of Chinese origin do not usually close for vacations and are always there to serve the public", but added that "when that limit is reached, it is because something is wrong".

She told the Spanish newspaper: "In August we will close because income is low and the effort does not compensate."

She has already begun reducing opening hours "because few meals were being served."

Meanwhile, Juan Tamarit of Vintara Tavern, said he "won't close because it is difficult to re-enter an ERTE, but the billing is only 30 per cent and I have had to remove 20 products from the menu".

He said he has drawn up a new menu and has "removed paella because there are no tourists".

The only meats offered are steak and tapas, "because I have had to send the food to a soup kitchen".

Raquel Rodríguez from the Bretonne Annaper creperie told the newspaper "for the first time in 15 years I will have to partially open in August. I will close during the day and open from 7pm." 

Source: euroweeklynews.com