Editorial

Malta can at least double the number of conference visitors to the island through membership of the European Union. Does the figure sound too high? Not to Winston Zahra, president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.

Over 20 million people from Europe went on outbound meetings, conferences and other collective events in 2000. Malta's share of this substantial outflow was of just 0.28 per cent. But that small share generated Lm19 million to the economy, not an insignificant figure. Can we raise our share of the inflow now that we are heading the right way? Yes we can, but a more determined effort would need to be made in this direction. For instance, are we promoting the island as a conference centre well enough and in the right places?

With a collective investment of over Lm450 million, the MHRA represents over 120 hotels and 300 restaurants. Working together, tourism operators can capitalise on the wider prospects of conference and incentive travel, now that EU membership is assured. The island has good conference facilities and has the added attraction that it can offer a business atmosphere in a relaxed and friendly environment. In 2001, we had a total of 58,000 conference visitors. With the accession of more states to the EU, the wealth of the diversity of cultures has been enhanced. The EU Council of Ministers last May urged member states to reflect upon the means to strengthen the position and image of Europe as a diverse and attractive set of destinations.

The EU is promoting travel not only within its central area, but within the whole of the Union. Tourists are spreading out more evenly and European companies are in fact already increasingly looking at new possibilities. In other words, Malta is now a "home" country in the European Union, an added advantage which those who were against membership did not seem to appreciate well enough.

Besides bringing in more revenue to the economy, the new business opportunities that are bound to arise in the tourism industry as Malta finds its place in the EU will also greatly contribute towards a better understanding of our people by the people of the other member states. This will make for better relations. Tourism will in fact help to enhance our standing in the EU even further, provided that we continue to offer the best possible service to tourists.

EU membership will bring about new responsibilities too. To begin with, we would be expected to meet agreed standards. There is much that we have to do yet in this line, particularly in the environment which we had neglected so badly over the years. There are areas in the country which simply put us to shame.

If we want to be fair with ourselves, it does seem, however, that we are at last beginning to realise the need to pull up our socks. There is definitely greater awareness than ever before of the urgent need to tackle, as a priority, the island's waste disposal problem.

Great improvements have been made to the foreshore in some parts of the island and a good number of local councils have brought about significant changes in terms of cleanliness and discipline in their localities. We now need to move ahead even further to ensure that we will be able to tap new business prospects as they arise with our new status as members of the EU next year.