The proposal by Labour MP Franco Mercieca to transfer five public holidays to a Monday irrespective of the day of the week on which they fall has led to considerable interest in the business community. Mr Mercieca tried to enhance his argument for this change by insisting that, apart from the benefits for the Gozo economy, more long weekends “are a positive measure because it will result in more family time and more opportunities to go on holiday”.
Most stakeholders in the Maltese business community seem to disagree with the MP as they feel such a change would be a “logistical nightmare”.
The challenges facing the Gozitan economy remain the same: adding value to the experience that tourists expect when they pay good money to visit the undeniably beautiful Gozo.
It is a positive reality that many people today are getting used to travel more than once a year to take a short break from the hectic life that characterises the first two decades of this millennium. Who can blame those who want to get away from the rat race with its long traffic jams, seemingly endless hours of work and other stress factors that burden modern living?
Until some time ago, many used to look forward to a weekend break in Gozo to relax without having to spend a fortune on foreign travel.
With the advent of low-cost airlines, the dynamics of long weekend holidays changed. People considering Gozo for a weekend break now also have the option of travelling to other nearby destinations. In addition, the cost of such short breaks in some cases may not be all that much higher than going to Gozo.
This is why operators in the Gozo economy, especially those connected with the tourism industry, need to look beyond the Monday proposal to be more effective in making a Gozo holiday experience a more positive one for those considering where to spend their holidays.
It must be said that the cost of spending a few days in Gozo both for local and foreign tourists is becoming more reasonable than it used to be because operators there slowly realised that by hiking prices they were killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Subsidised sea travel has also helped.
But the Gozo weekend tourism industry is facing other challenges.
Traffic in Gozo on weekends has become almost as chaotic as it is in Malta. Being caught in a traffic jam on the way to Victoria while on a weekend break is no less stressful than it is anywhere else in Malta. Ironically, some would argue that if the channel tunnel were to become a reality, weekends spent in Gozo may become all that more stressful because there will be many more visitors travelling by car to the island.
Like any micro island, economic policymakers planning the optimum activity for Gozo have a formidable challenge.
If success is measured by the number of visitors that cross over to Gozo every month, then there is a risk that the bigger the number the less attractive Gozo will be to those willing to spend good money to get away from it all and spend a few days away from crowds and soul-breaking traffic chaos.
It will indeed be a grave mistake if the Gozo tourism business model is based on increasing substantially the number of visitors.
Gozo is so unique and successful precisely because it does not appeal to mass tourism.
Mass tourism could kill the attraction of Gozo as a niche tourist destination.