A majority on Bergen’s city council voted on Wednesday to request a national designation as a “typical tourist destination.” The scenic city on Norway’s west coast has been flooded with tourists for years, but the official designation is needed in order for shops to be allowed to open on Sundays, and then only in certain areas.
Oslo, which recently has been attracting almost as many cruiseships as Bergen, has also sought a tourism designation that could allow Sunday store openings. Even though store opening hours were extended into the evening around 30 years ago, state law has kept most all stores shuttered on Sundays.
Liberalizing the law could make shopping more flexible for residents and perhaps create new jobs in Oslo and Bergen, both of which have large student populations. Not everyone is happy about Sunday openings, though. Many Norwegians still like having a traditional “day off” on Sundays, and not just for religious reasons. There have been several demonstrations against the Sunday opening proposal in Bergen, and labour unions are skeptical. Now it’s up to regionally based state officials to decide.
NewsinEnglish.no staff
