...shopkeepers on the Rock are struggling this summer

With the epidemic rebound in the middle of the summer season, the shops and restaurants of Monaco-Ville continue to suffer. 

The glaring absence of cruises and tourist buses is being felt.
The clock is almost 12 o'clock on the Rock. The square in front of the Prince's Palace is buzzing with people as the changing of the guard begins.

A few minutes later, once the well-oiled ceremonial of the Prince's carabinieri has been completed, the tourists disperse into the narrow streets of Monaco-Ville.

Is the Rock, which is heavily dependent on mass tourism, coming back to life? It has been experiencing dark times since the unexpected appearance of Covid-19.

Traders are still suffering, and souvenir shops even more so, as they can hardly count on local customers to limit the damage. "Last summer, there were more people because people, in the excitement, thought the pandemic was over. They were liberated, the variants didn't exist," says Maria Bidault, a saleswoman at "En Provence". This summer, all countries are putting restrictions back on."