One thing that most people would agree on is that the tourism industry is doing well and that it needs to be protected from racketeers who try to exploit tourists by making a fast buck. The recent uproar on the way that visitors to Comino were being treated by four operators who were granted the use of public land by the government for three years was more than justified in the eyes of those who understand that giving tourists value for money is the secret of success for this industry.
Among Malta’s service industries, tourism is the most important because, with proper management, it can be sustainable, generate jobs and has the greatest knock-on effect on other economic activities. Many entrepreneurs assisted by government aid and by local banks’ support have invested millions to ensure that the quality of the experience that visitors to our islands pay for is constantly being improved.
This investment is partially behind the success that the industry has experienced over the years. Other contributing factors include the advent of low-cost travel and also, it must be acknowledged, the political turmoil that has disrupted the travel industry in competing countries like Tunisia, Egypt and Greece. It would be sheer folly to assume that this success will keep repeating itself in the future despite the abusive tactics used by some operators to make hay while the sun shines.
The Malta Tourism Authority is more than justified in clamping down on the profiteering that was being practised by greedy operators in Comino and other places frequented by tourists. May such action remain constant and widespread.
Law enforcement laxness is sadly a common feature here. Some argue this lack of enforcement helps oil the engine of economic activity. When traffic wardens fined drivers for parking irregularly in Gozo during the recent Santa Marija weekend, tourism operators grumbled and called for more pragmatism so as not to kill the mini-economic boom Gozo experiences in summer.
The true cost of abusive practices by tourism operators is difficult to gauge in the short-term. The holiday experience visitors to our islands pay for is a complex product made up of financial elements and human interaction. Financial elements like the cost of hiring or buying services that tourists demand when visiting us are easier to control through proper enforcement. Informing visitors to Comino about the maximum amount operators could charge them for the use of a deckchair and an umbrella is one way of enforcing necessary consumer protection regulations.
It is more difficult to change people’s attitudes towards tourists. While the general perception is that most visitors find the Maltese a friendly lot ready to help out, there are some worrying exceptions. Those who come in contact with tourists like bus, taxi, and cab drivers need to treat their clients with respect. Most shop owners who are used to dealing with locals throughout the year have generally learned the lesson that customers are always right and usually treat visitors well.
As the peak of the tourism season draws to an end, the time is right to engage in some soul searching to determine the future of this industry. Urban degeneration instigated not so much by neglect but by developers’ greed is a distinct threat. The ominous rise of profiteering is not limited to overcharging for the use of deckchairs but also includes overbuilding in an already crowded island. Let’s not kill the goose that lays the golden egg.