PN in sharp reaction to PL Cottonera plan call

The Nationalist Party this afternoon recated sharply to a PL call for a holistic tourism plan for Cottonera.

The party said the PL was being negative despite the work that was being done in Cottonera and the PL was not able to rise above politics.

Earlier, PL tourism spokesman Marie Louise Coleiro Preca referred to the inauguration of a cruise liner berth at Senglea and urged the government to draw up a plan to gear Cottonera for tourism.

She said the berthing of cruise liners alongside the new cruise berth at Senglea should not be considered enough to attract tourists to the area.

She pointed out that a report presented to the Malta Tourism Authority ahead of the arrival of the first cruise ship had pointed out that: "The location would as yet appear unprepared for the direct and indirect economic impact that regular arrivals are likely to generate."

Rather than management by crisis, there should be a plan to attract tourists to Cottonera's unique attractions and also to spruce up the area, Ms Coleiro-Preca said.

The PN said the investment of almost €500,000 on the new berth would draw tourists to Cottonera, as would other projects such as the €15m rehabilitation of the Dock 1 area.

The PN said the governemnt had also announced plans to rehabilitate the bastions and demolished the oil depot eyesore below the Kalkara bastions. Embellishment of the area around Pjazza Margerita and Pjazza Gavino Gulia had also been announced.

Furthermore, Vittoriosa and Senglea had received €142,500 in government aid to organise cultural activities.

The PN also recalled how the Vittoriosa Waterfront was developed into an attraction.

The party said it hoped the PL would not remain so negative.