The plan announced recently for a prestigious hospital and school of medicine in London to open a hospital and school in Gozo is just what Gozo needs.

Gozo deserves and needs this kind of specialised activity as it faces serious problems related to its size and declining population and as its youth move to the bigger island.

The future of Gozo lies in finding exactly such specialised activities. Many Maltese do not seem to realise that Gozo has been slowly going into decline.

The current population figures are false, since they include thousands of Maltese whose ID card is registered in Gozo to enable them to pay half price on the Gozo Channel ferry.

Thousands more in the false picture are young Gozitans who have moved to Malta but still keep their ID card registered in Gozo for the same reason.

It is very difficult to attract new companies to open shop in Gozo, as the logistics of operating are difficult and just add extra headaches for those who try to do business here. To make matters worse, the call centres refuse to operate in Gozo, despite the advantages, because of its imperfect internet connections (which we have been promised will be improved)

Gozo can survive only if it manages to attract specialised activities. It can certainly not survive by overdevelopment, which, on the other hand, continues to destroy what makes Gozo distinct.

There are far too many empty properties for sale in Gozo and yet we continue to build new apartment blocks, when we should be concentrating on good quality and low lying apartments, especially in the undeveloped infill sites everywhere. Not enough has been done to protect Gozo’s uniqueness. A lot is being done in its village centres through paving projects that in many cases do not add value in terms of the Gozo character. They simply modernise the village rather than emphasising how it is uniquely Gozitan.

The future of Gozo lies in finding exactly such specialised activities

I wrote some time ago that Gozo needs to emphasise activities that are compatible with its character. It needs to work harder to attract tourists who are looking for something special; and a lot still needs to be done on this front.

The tourism industry here depends too much on long weekends for the Maltese, who are good spenders, and on day-trippers, who add very little value to the island. There is much in Gozo that can be used to attract higher level, cultured tourism but this requires much more thought and planning.

I have also said several times in the past that Gozo must look for specialised activities in sectors that are growing elsewhere. This includes the educational sector. I have put forward concrete proposals on this but never got anywhere.

The proposal for this specialised hospital and school to open here in Gozo is an excellent one for the island. It is a real giant leap forward. It will not only result in the constant presence on the island of hundreds of teachers and students, who will generate substantial income for Gozo, but it will also mean that more and more people will get to learn what ‘Gozitan’ means.

Without a doubt, these institutions will also attract more foreign residents. Having a renowned hospital right on your doorstep is in itself an extremely compelling reason to choose to retire in a given spot.

The fact that there is already a small hospital in Gozo is fortunate, as we therefore offer a lot of medical services. Imagine how much more appealing Gozo will become once there is a new, modern hospital.

The hospital and medical school are exactly right for Gozo: niche assets that will attract an affluent presence. They will help reduce the exodus of well-educated Gozitans to Malta and abroad. They will add value to the whole commercial sector on the island.

They will influence even Maltese to move to Gozo. They will generate entirely new economic activity.

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