For the tourism industry to advance, Malta does not need to copy other destinations and should steer clear of the Disney World effect, Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco stressed yesterday.
Tourists are after the authentic experience, and the island's natural heritage is its biggest selling factor, he said, highlighting the importance of responsible tourism as the way forward.
Dr de Marco admitted that the country has made mistakes in the development of its tourism industry: the environment was not always respected, and its cultural and natural heritage not always appreciated.
"It is not a large tourist development, which would scar the environment, that would draw most tourists; neither is it a seasonal tourist operation, which does not offer long-term jobs," he said, urging stakeholders to enhance what exists, rather than invent more.
"To move ahead, Malta has to respect what is Malta and Gozo and what makes us Maltese and Gozitan."
Dr de Marco was addressing a three-day conference called Sustainable Tourism: Who is Responsible? organised by the Tourism and Sustainable Development Unit within the Office of the Prime Minister, in association with the Federation of Tour Operators at Hilton Malta.
He said the prioritisation of sustainable development made good business sense but offered a number of challenges to the Maltese tourism product.
Sustainable tourism meant making optimal use of environmental resources that constitute a key element in tourism development; respecting socio-cultural authenticity; and ensuring viable, long-term, economic operations.
Dr de Marco said the recently announced EU's tourism grant scheme for enterprises was making €10 million available to the private sector operating in tourism-related industries, to implement projects based on forward-planning and proactive and strategic thinking. The seminar, which is also being held in Gozo, includes a number of foreign speakers: Thomas Cook sustainable tourism manager Jo Baddeley; TUI Travel sustainable product manager Sarah Holloway; head of responsible tourism at FTO Chris Thompson, and The Travel Foundation programmes officer Rachel James.