The hotel business in Gozo is down at least 20 per cent year-on-year and holiday flats and farmhouses have reported bookings below half their capacity in peak months.

Restaurants have been almost empty most of the time, even in August, apart from weekend evenings when the Maltese come over to save the Gozitans' bacon. So, what's wrong?

I love Gozo. I have known it for 38 years, married a local and have been living here full-time for the past five years. We are well-connected to the community, to foreign residents, regular visitors and occasional tourists alike.

The overwhelming impression of the island from everyone is summed up in one memorable phrase: "How expensive Gozo has become since last year!"

Not surprising perhaps as, in the past year, the move to the euro has enabled people from all over to make instant comparisons with their home markets.

But more importantly for the main tourism market - the British - the fall of the pound since last year has meant that these people are seeing, effectively, a hike in prices of about 25 per cent. This is no fault of the Maltese, obviously. But what we have seen in Gozo of late has been a bit like rubbing salt in the wound.

The price of local beer used to be €1.16. Now, bars have sneaked it up to €1.30 or €1.50. "Nobody will notice," they would say. But they do! A pint can now cost €3 - not far from what they would pay for a pint in a pub in the UK.

A friend of mine was charged €6 for a can of Guinness in Xlendi. An ordinary steak in an ordinary restaurant in Marsalforn was quoted at €18. You can get the same for much less in an equivalent establishment in London.

And what about property prices? The less said the better...

The great majority of tourists visiting Malta are repeat visitors. They come back to what they know. And, they are prepared to put up with a lot of the negatives because of the many positives. However, the decision between repeating what you know and opting for something new and inherently exciting can be made incredibly quickly. A vendor can lose a sale in an instant if the customer feels that the offer no longer adds up.

Normally, the person with the existing relationship with the punter (Malta/Gozo in this analysis) has the advantage. But if customers feel they are being taken advantage of, they will switch over. Unfortunately, visitors here are getting the impression that they are being taken for granted. Their custom just isn't valued.

As a consequence, I have been hearing from our overseas friends (and some Maltese): "I am going to give Gozo a miss this year". The allure of new places is proving more attractive.

Despite our benign climate, the cold winds are blowing... Gozo beware.