In my capacity as parliamentary secretary responsible for tourism in the Fenech Adami administration of 1992/1996, I had forwarded the idea of no longer marketing our unique island as a bucket-and-spade destination that attracts the masses. Our infrastructure being what it was (and still is), it made more sense to attract a better quality tourist, albeit in smaller numbers.

Then, all hell broke loose. If we did not go for numbers who would drink our beer and eat our cheesecakes, many argued.

Today, 20 years later, a ‘hotel chief’ of known repute in the tourism industry is repeating my very words. I augur that, this time round, the proposal will not meet with the same level of antagonism.

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