As mechanisms around the world vary from 9 PM curfews to total lockdown, the local bid to save Valletta businesses from extinction is to encourage people to visit the capital city. Sure, Christmas in Valletta is lovely, but with a global pandemic, we’ve got some concerns.
Time for digital
As opposed to encouraging people to go outdoors in winter during a global pandemic, shouldn’t we provide reasons for people to remain indoors? Of course, businesses need to survive, but getting people through the door now only delays the inevitable. Also, we’re still stuck in the same boat with no paddle.
Instead of covering parking costs, couldn’t digital vouchers be provided to cover some part of delivery fees, for example? The idea here is to show that online shopping can be done locally, but more than that, it can be done from the safety of home. Not to mention that the parking covers three days (Black Friday, and 8th and 13th December) and this can only mean one thing: over-crowding.
Much as we support local businesses, we’re never going to stop advocating safety, and if going digital is advantageous, then we’re 100% behind that too! We keep hearing about plans to support digital initiatives, but each time the opportunity comes around, we seem to keep missing the target.
Is it too early for people to head back out into the streets for Christmas shopping, or is this the only way to save businesses? Let us know in the comments!
