Malta could not be complacent in the face of positive tourism results for the first eight months this year, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi warned yesterday.

He said a 12 per cent increase in performance and a 20 per cent increase in tourist expenditure were positive signs that the sector was recovering from the blow it received during the recession. Malta was doing much better than its close competitors, confirming the country was on the right track, he said.

Dr Gonzi was addressing a seminar, Regional Development For Sustainable Tourism, organised by the Malta Business Bureau and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.

He warned against complacency: “All operators and stakeholders in the sector must continue to combine their efforts and work within a consolidated and holistic framework towards the sustainability of the tourism sector.”

He said improving competitiveness was a key factor of sustainability.

Expanding the tourist base by developing niche segments was a priority in the government’s strategy. Thematic tourism had the potential of reducing seasonal patterns, in turn easing the strain in the peak tourism period.

“It is with this reasoning the government launched a number of initiatives to encourage sports tourism and to initiate agro-tourism,” he said.

He stressed the importance of councils and communities, saying these were key elements in tourism strategies and their role was fundamental in ensuring the tourism industry was growing in a diverse and sustainable manner.

Successes were already being achieved in this area, he said. The government had launched a number of schemes for local councils to enhance towns and villages and turn them into tourist attractions.

A sense of innovation also had to be instilled in the tourism industry, with players re-inventing themselves to cater for changing needs. To facilitate this, the government launched a €10 million investment scheme to assist companies in undertaking projects in the tourism sector.

Dr Gonzi said any tourism strategy had to address the professional skill base of the industry.

He said all the reforms and strategies being undertaken had to be seen as part of a wider and holistic project which, together, would contribute to the sustainable development and growth of Malta’s tourism industry.