SOS Gozo tourism

"Not a single tourism-related project is going on in Gozo, and the change of ownership of Andar Hotel, Duke of Edinburgh Hotel, L-Imgarr Hotel and Chambray shows that non-Gozitan investors are moving out of Gozo."

The Gozitan hotelier I am talking to is worried that by October present and projected bed stock in Gozo will be at least 50 per cent down on the present level. The owners of a number of hotels, including Tritons, Andar, Duke of Edinburgh, Fort Chambray, L-Imgarr and Kempinski San Lawrenz would all like to turn them, partially or totally, into residential apartments.

This is threatening Gozo's viability as a tourist destination. The limited number of beds in each hotel does not make it feasible to operate, especially during winter. So Gozo is becoming even more dependent on low-yield tour operator business in summer. The high-yield conference and incentive business in the low and mid-season will be even more difficult to attract to Gozo with its lack of all year round facilities and attractions. Most tour operators have given up on Gozo as an all year round tourist destination and have stopped featuring Gozo in their winter promotions.

The structure of Gozo tourism makes it impossible for many Gozitans to consider the sector as a satisfying career and so the sector is full of part-time amateurs and this has a negative effect on the quality of the service. So far only 58,000 tourists spend a Gozo-only holiday. They spend just over Lm18 million or four per cent of total tourist expenditure in the Maltese Islands.

Visitors to Gozo comment favourably on the islands' quietness, sea and seaside villages, natural and cultural environment. But they are also worried at creeping urbanisation, lack of cleanliness, need for better air and sea links, better public transport, improved roads and road signage.

Minister part of problem, not solution

Instead of addressing these problems, Government is making them worse. While other destinations are offering tourists more accessible and affordable travel, Gozo's air and sea links are more expensive and irregular. Gozo Channel Company has increased fares for travellers. Trips have become less frequent. There are no night ferries operating except in July and August.

Passenger boarding service has become disorganised and uncomfortable, with loss of hours to arrive in or return from Gozo. The Cirkewwa and Mgarr terminals, instead of making travelling to and from Gozo an enjoyable experience, have become monuments of shame, incompetence and shabbiness.

The helicopter service is very expensive and it is far cheaper to go to many destinations in Europe than to cross between Malta and Gozo. Most of the trips are being cancelled. The service is unreliable and it has not made life easier for tourists landing in Malta to go to Gozo. They have to spend their first and last nights in Malta, depriving Gozo of more tourists and income.

The Ministry for Gozo functions like a personal electoral machine for the minister but then is totally incompetent to ensure the necessary public services to support tourism in Gozo. Keeping voters happy, even if it means letting them not do the job they are paid to do by taxpayers, is more of a priority than cleaning up the island and running it in an efficient manner.

The roads leading from Mgarr to Victoria and the roads from Victoria to Xlendi, Marsalforn and from Xaghra to Ramla are very poor. The Mgarr yacht marina looks as if it has a scrapyard lining its shore. Customs officials are there only in summer; for the other months of the year yacht owners have to call at customs in Malta. No embellishment has taken place in any tourism zone in the last five years. Sand beaches are being depleted. Heritage sites are neglected. Gozo is looking shabby.

Gozo has the qualities to attract more and higher spending tourists than at present but the island needs a vigorous and well thought out action plan to turn around this sector and put some back some new life into it. This action plan must be formulated by Gozo's operators in tourism together with the Ministries for Gozo and Tourism, the Malta Tourism Authority, Air Malta, Gozo Channel Company, the helicopter flight operator, the Gozo Tourism Association and the Gozo Business Chamber.

Much more can be done to attract more tourists to Gozo throughout the year, not just to enjoy the island but also for conference and incentive travel, film productions, cruise liner business, English language learning, sports, culture and heritage.

Action must be taken before it is too late. Gozo tourism is facing a serious crisis and there can be no room for complacency or inertia.

evaristbartolo@hotmail.com