Politics and tourism

Listening to the Prime Minister on the Granaries answer a Glen Beddingfield question about tourism, one concludes that this government has absolutely no idea or intention of reviving our ailing industry. The Prime Minister was not only insensitive but offensive in claiming that it does not matter that we had fewer tourists because the ones that did come, spent more.

Was the Prime Minister referring to the high spending students? Many hotels remained afloat last summer thanks to the Maltese market that has been imprisoned by his departure tax. Can someone pass a list of the 20 or so hotels that have closed down over these last few years to our Prime Minister?

Could it be possible that our Prime Minister is not aware that the three largest British tour operators have been reducing their programme to Malta, year after year, for the last nine years? Does our Prime Minister ever speak to taxi drivers, tour operators, tour reps, tour guides, car rental firms, and any other soul that tries to earn his living in this ailing industry, whose incomes have been crumbling year after year?

Is the Prime Minister unaware that employees of hotels are mostly on a bare minimum wage begging for some overtime that is paid at about Lm1.50/hour? Is Dr Gonzi aware that hotel staff work the most unsociable hours? They do not know the meaning of the word public holiday, Christmas, Santa Maria, or even Sunday because to them it's just another day. The only people they hug when the clock strikes midnight every New Year are their working colleagues. All this for a minimum wage because, obviously, the hoteliers cannot possibly pay any more.

How do all these people feel when they hear of the MTA chairman making a mockery of his post and earning Lm25,000 yearly plus all the perks including a chauffeur? One cannot possibly do without a chauffeur on a 17-mile island. We now learn that one of his consultants is earning a cool Lm152,000 yearly and asks whether this is too much. Well, yes Mr Consultant, I do think it is too much because tourism has not exactly flourished and it would take 50 tourism staff working full time for a year to make up your salary.

The Prime Minister blames everyone and his dog for the decline in tourism.

He blames the taxi drivers, the bus drivers, the rubbish he saw somewhere in the south. Yet, he conveniently fails to mention the concrete jungles within Qawra, Bugibba, Mellieha, which are prime tourist areas. Together with his buddies in the hot seats, he has now increased the heights in such areas and extended our building zones to please more of our concrete cowboys. I will bet my bottom dollar that Lebanon will be rebuilt much before our tourist areas will resemble a holiday resort.

Abusive taxi and bus drivers were around even when our industry was flourishing. They need to be dealt with but this is no more than a whitewash over the real serious issues. Our core markets have been neglected by the lack of advertising on British television. We must stop forcing history down the throats of the British as it is abundantly clear that Britons do not go on cultural holidays. Surely our marketing people watch British television where Spain, Egypt, Greece and many other resorts are showing off their amazing beaches. Why do millions of Britons flock to Spain and its islands in hundreds of planes every day? Why do all the holiday brochures in Britain feature sand, boats, warmth, relaxation? Why are we not exposing our year-round sunny days, warm sea temperatures, nine months of the year, moderate winters? We also drive on the left and everyone speaks English. The many similarities we have with the British must be exposed.

There is a future for tourism in Malta but not under the present government.

We now have heard it from the top man, "the tourists this year have spent more, there is no problem". Our Prime Minister has shown his total disregard to those who have been made redundant and the many other thousands of people who have seen their income crumble while the cost of living has hit the roof. There is no time left for complacency. Millions of liri in taxpayers' money have been squandered on CNN, Brand Malta, consultants and a sky high MTA payroll. I urge all those within the tourism industry to use their vote in the upcoming election to safeguard their livelihood and remember that as far as Dr Gonzi is concerned, all is well.