Promotion of unique characteristics seen pivotal for sustainable tourism

The Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Mario de Marco, insisted this morning that the Malta tourism product should highlight Malta's unique characteristics and not seek to copy what others were doing.

He was speaking at the opening of a three-day seminar organised by the Tourism and Sustainable Development Unit of the Office of the Prime Minister in association with the Federation of Tour Operators (FTO). The theme is Sustainable Tourism - Who is responsible?

Dr de Marco said sustainability was crucial for the tourism industry. He admitted that mistakes had been made in the past - for instance, the environment was not always respected, the cultural heritage was not always appreciated and not enough importance was given to the natural heritage.

"The way ahead does not mean copying what others are doing, but providing an authentic experience that moves away from the Disneyworld effect" the Parliamentary Secretary said.

"Moving ahead is about respecting what makes us Maltese and Gozitans," he said, adding that the natural heritage should be one of the best selling factors.

The future, he said, was not about large tourist developments which scarred the environment. Nor was it about seasonal tourism which did not provide long-term jobs. It was about enhancing the environment and characteristics of Malta and Gozo.

The seminar, which will be partly held in Gozo, features a range of speakers including Jo Baddeley, sustainable tourism manager at Thomas Cook, Sarah Holloway, sustainable product manager at TUI Travel, Chris Thompson, head of responsible tourism at the FTO and Rachel James, programmes officer at The Travel Foundation.