Official statistics on the Gozo tourism industry do not paint a real picture of how the island is faring because they leave out a staggering 72 per cent of licensed beds, according to the Gozo Tourism Association.
Chief executive officer, Joe Muscat, said that data released by the National Statistics Office only covered 1,734 beds in hotels and guesthouses, overlooking 4,376 beds in self-catering establishments and apartments.
“We want a revamp of the way we survey Gozo’s tourism industry. NSO figures are not the barometer of the Gozitan tourism sector because we only see the results of 28 per cent of the industry,” he said.
The self-catering sector is significant for the island’s economy and a lot of emphasis is laid on it even by the Malta Tourism Authority, through strict regulations, for such establishments to be licensed.
NSO chief, Michael Pace-Ross, disagrees, insisting that his office was meeting its regulatory statistical obligations.
He explained that figures released by the NSO showed “a realistic picture of the tourism industry at a national level” and were based on supply and demand.
Dr Pace-Ross said that, last summer, the NSO conducted a pilot project whereby it tried to capture private accommodation establishments that were not hotels or collective accommodation establishments.
The replies to a questionnaire it had circulated as part of the conducted in collaboration with the MTA and the GTA were still being analysed, he said.
Through the labour force survey, NSO gauges the num-ber of Maltese residents who travel to Gozo and reside in such accommodation.
Moreover, he said, the NSO conducted a survey at the airport prior to departure. Here, tourists were also asked how many nights they spent in Gozo.
But for Mr Muscat this is not enough. The last survey of the sort showed that 90,000 stayed in Gozo for at least a night. Official figures indicated that 34,798 foreigners stayed in hotels, which means that about 55,000 people stayed in self-catering establishments, he noted.
Even the issue of licences had to be addressed, Mr Muscat said. He pointed out that most establishments were only used for about 100 days in a year and, thus, the licence of Gozitan establishments should reflect such phenomenon.
He felt the authorities should exercise “positive discrimination” with businesses in Gozo because although these paid an annual fee they were only used in summer, Easter and during carnival.
“This is a reality that we have to face. We do not only have the channel crossing against us but also seasonality. We pay licences that everyone else pays.”
Mr Muscat referred to what he termed as a “ridiculous” situation involving licences whereby someone who had an apartment to rent paid the same licence fee as owners of apartment blocks.
Also, the owner of a farmhouse with six beds paid a licence fee that was more than triple the amount paid for a guesthouse with, say, 30 beds.
“It makes sense to have a regime whereby you pay for the beds you have to offer. People who own a cluster of farmhouses should be able to have one licence covering all their properties. These licence fees have to be reasonable and fair and respect the seasonality of the island, he said.
Asked about unlicensed operators in Gozo, Mr Muscat said he was not after “policing” but a “proper reform to ensure that everyone is licensed”.
He did not mince his words in criticising the MTA standards for farmhouses, saying these should be flexible and “tailor-made” for Gozitan farmhouses.