Developing a standard for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean

The Islands and Small States Institute, in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority, last Thursday organised a conference on the development of a standard for sustainable tourism in the Mediterranean. The conference was held at the Aula Magna of the Foundation for International Studies, Valletta.

The programme was co-ordinated by the Islands and Small States Institute on behalf of partnerships involved in the project - the Chamber of Dodecanese Region in Greece, the Ministry of Tourism of Greece, Cyprus Tourism Organisation, the University of the Aegean in Greece, and the Melandro Mountain Area Community in Italy.

The CEO of the foundation, Professor Lino Briguglio, introduced the meeting and spoke about the importance of tourism for the economic activity of small islands. He also described the research and training programmes that have been conducted by the Islands and Small States Institute concerning the economic, social and cultural aspects of sustainable tourism.

Haralambos Lourakas, director of the Chamber of Commerce in Rhodes, spoke about the experience of Rhodes and identified tourism opportunities. He said that there were many similarities between the island of Rhodes and Malta, and they may be competing for the same type of tourists.

Peter Portelli, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, spoke about Tourism Policy in Malta and stated that although tourism in Malta is market-driven, the government offers policy guidance to tourism enterprises. He said the ultimate aim of the Maltese authorities is to ensure that tourism is sustainable to improve Malta's reputation as an enjoyable tourism destination.

Dr Herbert Hamele, an expert of international repute on tourism issues, spoke about the requisites for making tourism efficient to the visitors and the host communities.

He described many European-wide and national certification arrangements which are awarded to enterprises involved in the tourism industry. He said that very often the hotels that adhere to these labels are preferred by discerning visitors. He argued that at the end of the day a successful label would require the support of consumers.

The keynote speeches were followed by group discussions on standards in tourist enterprises and in whole tourist destinations.

Further information may be obtained from the University of Malta Website www.home.um.edu.mt/islands.