500 jobs through tourism schemes

Beneficiaries of a €10 million fund for sustainable tourism schemes have invested a further €20 million in 100 projects that will create around 500 new jobs, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi said yesterday.

Such investment in tourism had contributed to Malta’s year-on-year successes in the sector, with records registered in four of the past five years.

He spoke about the Government’s investment to improve accessibility to the island as well as the millions being spent on promoting Malta as a holiday destination.

Dr Gonzi said the €37 million annual allocation to the Malta Tourism Authority had never been higher.

He was speaking during a visit to the Westin Dragonara Resort, which used the sustainable tourism fund to refurbish its 340 rooms.

With a €6 million investment, the hotel upgraded its facilities and built three-bedroom penthouses for clients.

He mentioned other projects that had benefited the tourism industry including the sewage treatment plants, which ensured Malta’s seas remained clean as well as investment in culture and heritage.

Dr Gonzi said that the tourism industry would continue being a central pillar of the island’s economy.