There exists the tendency that we Maltese label foreign students as those who come to Malta to do everything except learn English. Being an English teacher with a language school, I can certainly prove this perception wrong. Let us face it, there are some students who simply come to Malta to party hard and God knows what but the majority of these teenagers do come here to learn and improve their English.

During one of my lessons, I decided to ask my students (from Holland, the Czech Republic and Germany) to tell me what they would change or improve in Malta if they were to be in charge of the country for a week. The following were the most common proposals:

Improve the state of our roads and the general upkeep of our streets. Improve the public transport system and employ more helpful bus drivers.

Increase the number of green spaces, more landscaping and flowers in our streets.

Clean up the beaches.

Improve the house façade aesthetics in various touristic areas.

Increase the general road safety (to decrease speed and improve the way the Maltese drive).

Following this exercise, I asked them about what they like in Malta. Their likings included: the sun and the sea; great nightlife (including the Isle of MTV); a rich history and an opportunity for sight seeing; general safety.

I firmly believe that the language schools industry is highly important for the Maltese islands. First of all, it is injecting millions of euros into Malta's economy and, secondly, it employs hundreds of Maltese students during the summer months.

I felt the need to write this letter because these recommendations clearly indicate what visiting tourists dislike in our islands. Quite interesting is the fact that, for some of the mentioned proposals, we can all do our part. Littering our streets and beaches certainly do not assist the authorities' efforts to improve Malta's touristic product. The public transport system needs to be improved and the Ministry of Investments, Transport and Communications' strategy should certainly be implemented as soon as possible.

Also, our roads should be improved while house owners should do their part by embellishing their façades and add character to our streets just like residents in Vittoriosa and Mdina do. This is certainly one thing local councils should work more on.

For many, Malta is a great destination because of the nice weather, the culture, history and the nightlife. In addition, Malta proves to be inexpensive and safe for visiting tourists. With some little effort from all Maltese people, we can transform our country into a perfect destination.