Cultural tourism on the rise

The Maltese have become more conscious, even thanks to tourism, of protecting the country's cultural and architectural heritage - also because the number of tourists visiting Malta for cultural reasons is on the increase, the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Mario de Marco, said.

Cultural tourism was also important because it helped tourism not to remain seasonal, Dr de Marco said.

He was addressing a meeting of tourism ministers of the so-called 5+5 Western Mediterranean forum of countries in Ajaccio, Corsica, attended also by representatives of France, Italy, Spain and Portugal, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Mauritania and Morocco.

Tourism in the context of the Mediterranean Union, which should be launched on July 12 and 13 in Paris, was also discussed at the two-day meetings.

Dr de Marco underlined the importance of maritime tourism for the Mediterranean region, a sector that was constantly growing and bringing substantial investment in the necessary infrastructure.

Authorities should be committed to making sure this development is done in a way that protects the sea, Dr de Marco said.

The ministerial meeting adopted the Ajaccio Declaration, which includes a number of practical proposals for cooperation in the tourism sector. Among them is the gradual development of common tourist products, such as tourist routes, based on particular themes; electronic portals that bring together what already exists on individual sites; interactive maps; the creation of a network of institutions in the region that offer training in the field of tourism; and the identification of funds for investment in sustainable infrastructure.

The proposals should now be presented to the heads of state and of government at their meeting in Paris on July 13.