Sant mentions Maghtab, Qortin as sites for golf courses

Labour leader Alfred Sant this morning mentioned Maghtab and Qortin as the sites of new golf courses and said the Marsa golf course could also be extended.

Dr Sant said a Labour government would seek to make better use of Malta’s resources to raise GDP growth to 4-6 percent in real terms and raise the number of tourists visiting Malta to 1.6 million.

He told a press conference that the economy had stagnated in the past few years. Although the government was claiming that current growth was of 4.3 percent, that was not being believed, Dr Sant said.

Tourism, he said, was not achieving its full potential and the country’s resources were not all being used as they should be.

Although tourism arrivals had increase in the past year, the situation was like a road which had been patched up, but the sector needed fundamental change. Malta, he said, had taken too long to adjust to the reality of low cost airlines. Tourism policies needed to be updated to take this phenomenon into account while a Labour government would also strengthen Air Malta.

A Labour government would work with the private sector to encourage the setting up of more three star hotels, which were now lacking in the Maltese tourism package.

There was also need for a policy to encourage tourism in various niche areas such as diving, conferences, cultural, religion and agro-tourism.

Indeed, the whole tourism product needed to be improved, including the natural environment, the urban environment, sea quality, the countryside and the historical attractions.

In implementing these strategies the MLP would follow its plans for the various regions including Gozo, the St Paul’s Bay area, the south and the harbours area. Gozo would be promoted as a distinct tourism destination and an agency linked to the Gozo Ministry would be set up for the purpose. Labour was promoting a stand-alone yacht marina and a stand-alone golf course in Gozo as well as raising the bed stock. The number of hotel beds for tourists in Gozo at present was below that of a medium sized hotel in Malta and the number of overnight tourists had declined, Dr Sant said.

The development of the harbours areas, including promotion of new five and three star hotels, would be in the hands of an ah hoc agency.

In the south, Labour would work for the development of a new five star hotel now that the Jerma had been allowed to close.

Replying to questions, Dr Sant said Maghtab and Qortin in Gozo could be the sites for golf courses and he was confident that they could financially survive as stand-alone projects. The Marsa golf course could also be extended, he said.

Questioned on the future of Dar Malta in Brussels, Dr Sant said a Labour government would consider all options.

Asked if Labour would be committed to achieving a budget surplus, Dr Sant said that as a member of the eurozone, Malta had to have that aim. That too was the aim of countries such as France, Germany, Spain and Italy, but one could see that they had run up deficits. A Labour government would aim for a budget surplus but would implement is plans for a new beginning, he said.