Every inch counts

A few days ago the National Statistics Office announced that inbound tourists in August 2008 had continued to increase when compared to the previous year. I cannot but feel proud of the results achieved, particularly in light of the fact that the tourism sector sustains the livelihoods of thousands of individuals and their families.

The success we achieve as a tourist hub is truly distributed among us all as a nation; millions of euro are literally churned into the economy every year. As we enter the shoulder months, it would be a useful exercise to look back and remember the collective effort put into making this summer a success. We only need to look back to the public transport strike to remember how hotel owners, members of staff and ministry personnel alike took to the streets to transport incoming and outgoing tourists from the airport to their respective hotels and vice-versa, not least due to the excellent work by the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Mario de Marco.

As predicted, the international economic storm has fast breached the Maltese cocoon, bringing with it strong doses of anxiety and uncertainty. The downside of it all is that we will have to buckle up and prepare ourselves for the bumpy ride; yet the upside is that if we work together we can emerge from the global mess stronger than we were before it started. As a nation, we must identify and consolidate our strengths while smoothening out the wrinkles of our weaknesses.

In effect, we must create more integrated and holistic approaches to the way in which we tackle our policy options.

We must give more attention to sustainable tourism. This naturally includes giving much more importance to the environment rather than tackling the social and economic aspects in the sector alone. Above all, we must continue to give our visitors the best possible service by treating them in a most hospitable manner; our islands bear a natural charm that can only emanate from our warmth and kindness.

We are not achieving strong figures in the tourism sector by chance. On the contrary, we must continue to employ our abilities in the best possible way and provide those who work in this sector with the necessary tools and opportunities to develop their skills and ideas. The success we are achieving in this sector is the result of serious and dedicated leadership and a myriad of opportunities for all.

It is therefore positive to see several new (and other not-so-new but highly polished) initiatives gathering momentum. The unabated activity in Valletta throughout the summer months, reaching a crux with last weekend's much-publicised Notte Bianca, has served as a catalyst for cultural projects in several other localities throughout Malta and Gozo.

The Iljieli Melleħin, organised by the Mellieħa local council, stands as a perfect model of how hard work and dedication can pay off and entice non-residents to visit and become more acquainted with different localities. These activities should continue well into the shoulder months because they can work well indoors and provide an opening for artists and musicians from all over our islands.

We must continue to develop our niches and uncover our treasures. I was particularly struck by the importance given to new heritage trails over the summer months, with the most recent addition focusing on the military and naval aspects of the 16th and 17th centuries through visits to St Agatha's Tower, the Cottonera bastions and the Malta Maritime Museum.

Parliamentary Secretary Jason Azzopardi's crusade in curbing abuse and returning public land to its rightful owners is also highly commendable. In a country as densely populated as ours, every inch of public land counts, besides the fact that abuse is inherently wrong by nature.

All shades and colours of the political spectrum are four-square behind Dr Azzopardi and we only hope that these efforts continue across the board.

By rallying together as a nation, we can continue to achieve positive results in this sector. Whether we increase cruise liner arrivals, language students, diving schools, history buffs, cultural aficionados or individuals yearning for a heavy measure of fun, it is our ability to exploit the potential of our unique characteristics that will keep us a top market for incoming tourists.

Mr Casa is a Nationalist member of the European Parliament.

david@davidcasa.eu www.davidcasa.eu