Opinion: Are three days off a year too much to ask?

Crowds enjoying last year's Jazz Festival. Photo/file

Tauranga shops, unlike Rotorua's, will not be able to open legally this Easter Sunday.

The news will come as a blow to many Tauranga retailers hoping to cash in on an influx of visitors over the long weekend - not to mention the thousands of people keen to enjoy the National Jazz Festival.

Rotorua Lakes Council gave Easter trading the green light on Monday, becoming the first region in the country to take advantage of a law change allowing councils to make the final call on whether shops can allow trading over Easter.

Tauranga City Council is yet to consult and make its decision, meaning retailers will have to keep their doors shut for at least another Easter.

This one is a conundrum for me - Tauranga, in particular Mount Maunganui, absolutely hums over long weekends, and it seems bizarre that local retailers have to flout the law if they want to open for the thousands of visitors coming to our city.

Rotorua's many visitor attractions will no doubt be pumping this Easter.

I remember attending the Jazz Festival at The Strand last year, when the weather wasn't the greatest. I thought I'd pop down the road and grab a cheap cardie, forgetting the stores were all closed.

Devonport Rd was like a ghost town - unbelievable on a long weekend with thousands of visitors looking for something to do on a wet day.

But on the other hand, as someone who spent years working in retail, the luxury of having a guaranteed day off three-and-a-half days a year is not something to turn your nose up at.

I remember being in my early 20s and jealously watching all my friends with 9-5 jobs packing their bags for a weekend away.

Are three-and-a-half days off a year really too much of an ask?