Our tourism environment

We cannot have a sustainable tourism industry if we do not maintain, conserve, and upgrade our environment. This fact is unequivocally stated in our national tourism policy. As a matter of fact, the first two policy objectives of the Tourism Policy for the Maltese Islands 2007-2011 are:

"To manage tourism in Malta and Gozo on the principles of sustainable development";

"To maintain and conserve environmental and socio-cultural resources, being the key elements of the Maltese Islands' tourism product".

Our tourism policy and plan not only recognises the essential role played by the environment but also includes a list of actions that need to be taken to ensure that tourism development overall enhances not devalues our environment. One such action states that: "We will formulate clear criteria for assessing public and private proposals for projects on the basis of their contribution to tourism, to environmental protection and to social well-being".

It could be that the Malta Tourism Authority's product development directorate or its consultants took in the past too narrow a view when assessing tourism development applications, ignoring environmental considerations on the understanding that these will be looked into by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Likewise Mepa did not comment on tourism aspects of a development application, leaving such considerations to the MTA.

The Tourism Policy for the Maltese Islands 2007-2011 demanded a change in this procedure. It is unfortunate that apparently the change in procedure may have taken longer than one would have wished for. Any report drawn up by the MTA after the Tourism Policy for the Maltese Islands 2007-2011 was adopted in January 2007, ought to take into account environment considerations.

Furthermore the National Tourism Policy and Plan include no reference to the need to spread places of entertainment to the north. The government does believe, however, in the need to enhance the quality of the product we offer in St Paul's Bay, Buġibba and Qawra and to this effect has recently approved three EU funded projects to the value of €12 million consisting in the creation of a promenade at St Paul's Bay, a new sandy beach in Qawra and a visitors attraction with diving facilities at Qawra Point.

It is fundamental that all decisions taken by the MTA and the Tourism Policy Unit, to approve or disapprove any tourism related projects, are to be taken on the basis of how this project will help us achieve the policy objectives of the National Tourism Policy, including that of protecting our environment.

Much has been done by both the government and the private sector over the past years to improve our tourism offering. Having said this, I would be the first to agree that much more needs to be done. I can assure readers of one thing: Tourism development should not happen at the expense of our environment. If anything, our future depends on making the most of our environment to attract the ever growing segment of environment-conscious tourists. It is, after all, the Malta we want to live in, the Malta to which we want to welcome our tourists, and the Malta we want to pass on to our children.

Dr de Marco is Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism.