There is no destination that does not consider the souvenir shop as a mandatory stop. Logic would say that Murcia was not going to be less, with its shop windows full of items that reproduce the most characteristic sympathies of the city: magnets with the silhouette of the Cathedral, aprons stamped with Murcian gastronomy or paparajote pins. Normally, tourists would spend part of their budget on a ‘souvenir’ to immortalize their time in the capital. But despite the fact that hotel occupancy is close to full this summer in the Region, it is the towns on the Costa Cálida that monopolize this transfer, relegating Murcia to the background and leaving it with hardly any visitors.
This shortage of tourists is especially noticeable in businesses dedicated to the sale of souvenirs, which see their profits limited as soon as the heat appears. «This is one of the worst times of the year; there are few tourists and most arrive with a very small budget. Before I sold five to eight magnets, now they buy me one, and giving thanks”, says Sara Noguera, owner of the La Vitrina store, located on Trapería street for six years. It is the only store of this type, along with the El Azahar store, run by Daniel Cartagena on Eulogio Soriano street, which survive in the historic center. “The lack of competition already demonstrates the reality of the sector,” confesses the woman.
The bulk of the income is concentrated in Easter and the Spring Festival, from then on “the die is cast.” Exchange students take a breather in the face of the summer months, since at the end of the course they return home in June “loaded with gifts for the whole family, such as mugs, key rings or lighters,” says the merchant. Even so, the purchasing trend has also changed and they are spending less and less: their ticket ranges between five and ten euros.
The British, German or French profile, which is so abundant on the seashore, hardly leaves a mark on the establishment. “You can see some walking down the street, but it is not very common for them to go in to buy,” says Noguera, who has the theory that “after the large outlay for the flight and accommodation, they prefer to allocate their savings to drink something cool on the terraces ». For his part, Daniel Cartagena, from the El Azahar store, emphasizes the pull of cruise ships, since “those that dock in the port city early in the day and remain anchored until late at night, offer excursions to the capital”. Their purchase is reduced to small pieces or postcards, “and they even pay for them with a card,” jokes the owner, who points out the Portuguese client as one “much more generous.”
Those who do spend more are Latin American tourists, especially Mexicans and Colombians, which Daniel describes as an inexplicable ‘boom’. In addition to classic products, this clientele favors cloth bags, flamenco figures or bulls, although as the merchant argues, “each one belongs to a father and a mother, it is difficult to establish a pattern”. The national ones increase the average, since they have a deep-rooted desire to collect snowballs or thimbles.
The natives also contribute their grain of sand, but in a different way. They go to La Vitrina for a bracelet with the Our Father and during the Spring Festival they are a hit with the sailor-shaped brooches for the orchard vest. Once the mercury descends and autumn enters the scene, it is the stage of the Imserso. Like the rest, they only invest a few coins to take home a souvenir: 1.80 euros on average. “The period from September to November is one of the best,” says Daniel, who considers the months of January, February and May to be the worst.
The biggest handicap
Despite the return to life without restrictions, it seems that the pandemic continues to take its toll. “The coronavirus completely sank us. I thought that with the return to normality the sale of a few years ago would recover, but it has not been like that, ”Noguera acknowledges, glancing towards the door, through which customers enter by the dropper. Despite the fact that every morning he raises the blind at 10:30 a.m., it is not until noon when the establishment begins to have “more movement” and makes “some more cash”, since “tourists dedicate the first part of the day to take a tour of the center and once they have visited the monuments is when they come to buy”.
This year is when El Azahar is beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel: «What saved me at that time is that by being a souvenir manufacturer in Spain, France and Portugal, I reinvented myself and started making merchandising for companies ». Now it has recovered its usual production and is dedicated to the store that has been in operation for 20 years: «It is clear that the number of travelers has increased compared to decades ago, but Murcia does not have the drive of other cities such as Granada, where the center is full of stores like mine ».
Survival kit
The pressure of the rent, the changes in the habits of consumption and the lack of tourism drown these small businesses. “There are many hours, and in the bad months it is possible that you are not going to get a salary,” says Daniel. Both owners agree that employing someone is “complicated” and at some times of the year even “unthinkable.”
Faced with this situation, La Vitrina opted to incorporate stainless steel jewelry into its line-up, since “the accessories tend to be quite popular, especially those with the Murcian distinctive, and allow them to make ends meet.” And it is that, although it is located in one of the main arteries of the city, the narrowness of its façade is camouflaged among the rest of the businesses, which means that “many people do not realize what is inside and pass by ».
Meanwhile, El Azahar remains afloat thanks to the extra income from its store in Cartagena, where the sale is “infinitely higher”, and its production of pieces for other countries. All this enables you to overcome the challenge and even afford the luxury of hiring a person in high season. In addition, it has the advantage of being able to install displays at street level, which helps increase the visibility of the premises and, with it, profits.
Both merchants point directly to tourism promotion as a “key” aspect to reverse the situation, especially at a time when the flow of visitors is recovering after the dry stoppage of Covid-19. After a long period of inactivity, Murcia once again welcomes tourists who upon arrival find only two shops where they can buy a souvenir of their city break.
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