The restoration of Malta’s dockland area and its industrial history has touristic potential, according to the director of culture and cultural and natural heritage of the Council of Europe.
It’s only when Malta begins to make connections with neighbouring countries that industrial tourism could be exploited
“Dockland regeneration has become a catalyst for a broader understanding of economic development. There is potential in Malta’s regeneration of its industrial tourism. However, this regeneration is not just about the buildings but is also related to the social and economic life around the area,” Robert Palmer said.
“Industrial development must be linked, for example, to the gastronomic development around the area, including the opening of cafes and bars around the site,” Mr Palmer told The Times recently in Brussels.
He added that Valletta, as a future European Cultural Capital, should take the opportunity to develop unusual, neglected or underdeveloped spaces.
Mr Palmer was among those present for this year’s tourism events held in Brussels, including a day conference focusing on the emergence of industrial tourism as a creator of jobs and preserver of the heritage of an important part of European history.
Malta should seriously consider the regeneration of dockland areas by looking at good practices abroad, such as in Dublin, Liverpool, Glasgow and Rotterdam in the Netherlands among others, Mr Palmer said. For Malta, industrial tourism should be a theme to be developed parallel to other touristic initiatives.
“With the EU’s renewed focus on industrial spaces, Malta, even as a small country, could become linked to a larger network. My advice for Malta is to carefully consider the potential of cultural routes which link journeys through large and small countries, and to examine the council’s programme of cultural routes.
“Malta has the potential, and it should become a member of the enlarged partial agreement on cultural routes of the Council of Europe to join existing transnational routes or create new ones with other countries. It’s only when Malta begins to make connections with neighbouring countries across Europe that the country’s industrial tourism could be exploited,” he added.
Present for the conference about Industrial Tourism was John Rodger, project manager for 12 years, until 2011, of the Blaenavon project in Wales.
The Blaenavon industrial landscape became a world heritage site in 2000. Derelict iron and coal industry buildings were transformed into tangible evidence that tells of the Industrial Revolution which shaped the world’s economy.
Asked about the challenge Malta might face in promoting industrial tourism, since it usually turns tourists’ gaze towards its archaeological treasures, Mr Rodger said Malta, just like other countries, could create its own tour of industrial sites.
“There is no prescription which fits all, however, the secret behind successful industrial tourism is wanting to do something and involving different organisations in the regeneration of the environment and historic buildings.
“We were recently facing a huge problem because of a loss of industry, and therefore something had to be done. The problems were acute, socially, economically and physically. We wanted to find a new future from the past. This transformed the loss of an industry into future economic benefits.
“When it comes to the harbour, Malta should consider its war stories for example. In our case, in Wales, we looked for people’s stories that would interest other people. Rather than saying: ‘A technical invention was bred here’, we sold our destination by saying: ‘Someone with a very tough life lived here’,” Mr Rodger added.