John Guillaumier, St Julians
Paceville: Babel by day, Babylon by night
Paceville in summer has become Malta's "Babylon": A bazaar by day and a "den of iniquity" at night. At Paceville's daytime bazaar, young women parade in revealing and, sometimes, indecent clothing, and young men roam the streets in swimsuits. African immigrants sell African hairstyles to German and Scandinavian blondes. Pedlars with foreign accents sell trinkets and henna tattoos. Souvenir shops sell sex novelties. Liquour shops and bars are all over the place. A general atmosphere of sleaze permeates the whole area.
Whenever I walk through Paceville, I look in disbelief at this Maltese Babylon in the year 2008. I cannot quite accept how Malta has changed for the worse since the days of my boyhood in the late 1940s and the 1950s, when tourism and language schools in Malta didn't exist; and since the days of my youth in the 1960s, when a better class of tourists than nowadays led to the establishment of the first night-clubs and restaurants in Malta, and tourism was not the rampant mass tourism of today that has led to Malta's degradation.
Malta's language schools are partly to blame for the deterioration of the quality of life in Malta because of the overwhelming number of foreign students they bring, and because of the problems that arise when you have a large influx of foreign visitors concentrated in one small area like Sliema-St Julians-Paceville.
The residents of Paceville can describe better than I can what goes on at Paceville at night when throngs of foreign students roam the streets.
I'll just mention briefly the problems that I encounter during the summer months because of the overwhelming influx of foreign students: Catching a Sliema bus and travelling on it can be an ordeal - if not downright impossible; and wherever I go to the St Julians-Paceville area, I encounter crowds and queues, and waiting and inconvenience. Paceville in summer is a veritable Babel by day and a Babylon at night!
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Sean Apap
Aug 17th 2008, 08:54
What are you on about?
I've been through paceville during the day and before someone is severely misinformed some things need clarifying:
1. During day time students are not allowed free rein to run about paceville as they want - i have many friends working as leaders and they set up many activities during the day
2. Re the small pedlars, hair stylists, etc -- there might be a total of 4 set ups of this sort around paceville.... 4! Most of these people have the bare basics too, 2 chairs or just a table. Also they sit in a corner so they're never in anyone's way (besides have you ever seen this style of thing abroad? The numbers of people involved is incredible - what we see is child's play in comparison)
3. Re the sex novelties, some people might take it personally but I must be blunt; its 2008! They're not selling porno mags or sex toys, just comically suggestive trinkets for humor's sake.
4. The bars and liquour shops hardly "permeat sleeze." For heaven's sake assuming they're even open they're never bursting with people and the noise is kept within limits
Paul Fenech
Aug 17th 2008, 05:17
The development generated by the younger generation's nightlife is very controversial. Even though most of the youths coming to Malta seek its nightlife 'mecca', it is only part of their experience on the isle. I have travelled to Spain with a student organisation, mainly seeking the nightlife, yet when I was their I realised that the country offered so much more, and since then I have re-visited Spain three times already.
Daniel Cardona
Aug 17th 2008, 03:35
Mr. John Guillaumier, what kind of people do you expect near clubs and were night life reigns ?
if you dont like noise, go and live in the countryside...and if you have trouble with the bus - learn to drive and buy a car.....
problem sorted.
C. Farrugia
Aug 17th 2008, 03:35
@ E Azzopardi and his mention of wardens..
I was thinking exactly the same thing today. Are the Wardens there only to hand out parking tickets, or keep company to a *closed road* sign, or a construction vehicle obstructing traffic?? I was in Golden Bay today, the place was *littered*, (excuse the pun) with foreign students and also a huge quantity of litter bins. But, do you think the majority of them *dared* use them?! Disgusting! They should be taught how to keep our beaches clean, and respect this country they are being hosted in: and not only how to *speak da English*! A Warden and *on the spot* fines could make a huge difference!
Karl Consiglio
Aug 17th 2008, 02:24
This is all much ado about nothing, Paceville is kick back city, if you dont like it go find yourself your typical Maltese village, there are more then enough of those to choose from. Paceville offers a different concept, that's all, and the option of having something different is downright necessary. Hey be hip, not square.
David Cini
Aug 16th 2008, 23:18
What a bunch of boring people you are. Paceville is the best place in Malta. Clubs have opened everywhere and from Mon-Sun you'll get a good crowd.
I suggest you go have a drink and enjoy the music instead of moaning how 'sleazy' it has become.
Mark Fenech
Aug 16th 2008, 19:13
We host students and make it a point to ensure that they do not visit paceville. The school organises enough activities to ensure they are kept busy and when they have home nights, they do not venture out of the locality.
E. Bonnici
Aug 16th 2008, 18:42
S.A.D
Sex, Alcohol and Drugs forms 90% of core interests of most ‘tourist’ English students.
In Malta we offer what other European cities don’t, this is why the students keep coming.. Just go to any place in Paceville and see by yourself.
Be realistic, do you really think someone can learn basics of any language in period of week, or a month?
E. Azzopardi
The era of good quality tourists has gone.
You brought something to my mind, once indirectly, I heard one of our ex-ministers of tourism saying, in terms of money and revenue, a plane full of Libyan tourists comes to Malta once a weeks equivalent to 7 to 10 planes full of tourists coming from any European destination on a daily base. By the way, the ex minister was Mr. Vella
Kevin Curmi
Aug 16th 2008, 18:27
Your article is so true. People may say, times have changed. Not true. Maltese are losing their true charactaristic. So a shame. Didn't someone say "Whither Malta". Well, we are whitering. All in the name of money. Tourist are good for the economy, but not when you get all these young kids. Do they really contribute to tourism. Of course they do, but it's minimal.
K. Callus
Aug 16th 2008, 17:12
I definitely agree that Paceville is a filthy place that brings shame and a negative impression to tourists. However I don't think that foreign students have anything to do with that. I don't know what daytime Paceville looks like so I cannot comment but I do visit the locality on a regular basis at weekend nights and what I witness with my own eyes is unacceptable in a civilised society! Drunk 14 and 16 year olds who vommit and lie unconscious in the streets. I drink alcohol myself but since I am in my thirties I know when and how to control myself and my behaviour just like many people my age do. It's these young teenagers who worry me. DON'T THEIR PARENTS HAVE A CLUE OF WHAT THEIR OWN KIDS ARE UP TO? How can it be that a dedicated parent does not monitor what time his child arrives home and the state he would be in? Foreigners describe Paceville as "worse than Amsterdam". And how about the police? Is there no control of alcohol being sold to under-aged kids from these alcohol shops all over the town? As usual, action will take place when a fatality happens!
albert spiteri
Aug 16th 2008, 16:52
@K. Zammit - Paceville has gained quite a reputation in europe and north africa as a pedophile capital, where sexy kids are fast and cheap. Thanks to language students tsunami that hit us these last few years. The situation is now close to irreversible and sin city Paceville is worse than downtown Manila.
Joe Buttigieg
Aug 16th 2008, 16:02
A trip to the continent recently revealed how Malta has become the dirtiest and shabiest place in Europe.
Joe Tabone-Adami
Aug 16th 2008, 15:31
From what I garner in the news, Paceville has become a veritable gold-mine for a class of entrepraneurs who praise it to high heavens as Malta's 'entertainment mecca'. Refer to the 'Leisure and Entertainment Section of the GRTU. That's what some call 'progress', mistakenly or not!
E. Azzopardi
Aug 16th 2008, 14:43
Totally agree. I have worked in toursim all my life and I can recall the excellent type of tourists we used to have in the 60's 70's and 80's. And what is this with all the tourists and even Maltese with no shirt on or in bathing suits and that includes woman. Of course it is dergrading. The wardens give a ticket if your car is touching the yellow line by 10 cms and they do not see all these poeple half naked in the streets. No wonder the 5 star hotels had still rooms to sell in the beginning of August? It boils down to one thing: No discipline. at all. I said this many times before. Just look around you. How many drivers you see on the mobile? Dozens and Dozens . Even bus drivers. But then who cares.?
Martin Frendo
Aug 16th 2008, 14:18
@ vincent. words wisely said. we are reaping what was sowed 40 something years ago. where were you Mr Guillaumier at the time, guess a young teenager :
it is now irreversable and can only get worse , still hope is last to die . and am sure that standards can be improved. transport more efficient and often. street wardens to ensure that safety and illegal activities are checked and controlled. well the list is long and one can " reform" what has been sown, bearing in mind the revenue being generated by this niche tourism. Yes a lot can be done and a minimum costs. guess it takes more than just a letter to reform , it has to come also from a cultural/political impetus.
K Zammit
Aug 16th 2008, 12:24
Mr. Guillaimier is missing out on the big picture. Language schools bring in revenue to host families, hotel operators and entertainment operatots while providing jobs to teachers, leisure staff and many more. Better seeing a controlled Paceville being a mecca to these students rather than a town deteriorating due to being a deserted place. Think again I say !!
vincent a galea
Aug 16th 2008, 11:06
The great tourism mismanagement since 1964 , of these two jewels in the Mediterranean led to the present situation. Malta and Gozo could be 5 STAR destinations, like Cannes, Montecarlo, Nice and others...
But the people that mattered, aided and abetted by sharks, were always too lazy, small minded, and not thinking beyond their noses, to embark on such a noble and demanding task. The cancer of politics also always played an important part in this mess. Not necessarily the right professionals were/are chosen to run what is our lifeline!
We are now reaping what we have sown over all these neglected years. PITY! GREAT PITY!!
Ray Axisa
Aug 16th 2008, 10:16
So True, what a dump Paceville has became, well done with your comments.