What's happening to Gozo?

This is the question we have been hearing from all quarters in the last few months. Each time the figures for the number of passengers and cars using Gozo Channel are published we realise that not all is well with product Gozo.

Between last April and June, just under 900,000 people made a trip to Gozo - 27,000 fewer than in the same period last year. This represents a fall of three per cent and comes after a 4.6 per cent decline in the number of travellers recorded in the first quarter.

There is more to this decline but an obvious factor is the scaled increases in the tariffs. Gozo Channel, or rather, the minister responsible for it, has made a number of wrong decisions. Some are being corrected. One of them is the reintroduction of the night service by the large vessels. Another is the reintroduction of early morning trips.

The minister should realise that further increases in tariffs negatively affect both Gozo Channel and the Gozitan economy. The same argument can be applied to the helicopter fares, which are beyond the means of the average traveller and the company operating this service will unfortunately realise this in a few months' time when it publishes its own figures.

We read various letters in the press regarding the bad service some holidaymakers in Gozo are getting. Even Maltese visitors find Gozo expensive and they are not getting value for their money. Other nearby destinations like Sicily and Tunisia are becoming relatively cheaper and most Maltese prefer a short break in these destinations.

Has Gozo lost its charm and tranquillity? To a certain extent, it has. Gozo has become more congested and, in places like Victoria, the traffic problem has been allowed to get out of hand. Some get the impression that traffic wardens are discriminating between Gozo residents and Maltese when issuing tickets.

This is not the general rule. Most visitors have no idea where to park apart from the very centre of the town. There is no place to park in the centre and parking tickets are issued to people who park there.

What happened to the underground parking project touted in the last two electoral manifestos of the party in government? Many visitors are becoming disenchanted with the situation, and some will not come to Gozo again.

Constructive critics in the local press repeatedly list the shortcomings in Gozo and numerous reasons have been offered for the decrease in tourist numbers. Cannot the powers that be improve the situation?

Is the Prime Minister happy with the overall situation in Gozo? Where is the investment for the creation of new jobs? Is the tourism sector in Gozo given its due importance? What about the infrastructure and the new projects in Gozo? Are we happy with a new main road from Victoria to San Lawrenz, when most of the other main roads leading to the other villages and bays are still in an awful state?

A clear example is the road leading from Nadur to Ramla, the most popular beach in Gozo, visited by thousands all year round. The road is in a very bad state and all it needs is a thick layer of tarmac. The foundations of this road are hard rock and there are no supply mains and road services that need to be changed.

Why are we giving such a bad impression to visitors? Where are our priorities? Is the Gozo Ministry so short of funds? We are approaching a new fiscal year: did the Gozo Ministry allocate funds from the next budget to this important road? We cannot allow another year to pass without doing something to improve this road.

The other main concern is Mgarr Harbour. Deadlines are deadlines and work must continue so that this great inconvenience and eyesore is removed. Too much time has been wasted and too many promises have been made. Work should be completed as soon as possible.

Transport and tourism are the two main pillars of sustainable development in Gozo. They are complementary. Gozo must receive its fair share of tourists who visit Malta. Gozo is not only visited by fewer tourists, but their holiday is shorter. Tourists spend roughly half the number of nights in Gozo they do in Malta. Therefore, to compensate for shorter stays in Gozo, a greater number of tourists need to be attracted.

We need to develop new products and improve the quality of what we already offer to give our tourist better value for money.

Gozo has its unique character and distinguishing features which are themselves a unique tourist attraction. We must preserve these characteristics as they can be easily destroyed by unsustainable development. Small is beautiful and we want Gozo to continue to offer tourists - especially those coming from large cities - an unspoilt natural environment. All this talk has been going on for years. We want action, not words. Or, is it a burnt-out case?