By Alexandra Cremona

The discerning tourist looks for the authenticity, charm, traditions, history, culture, and natural landscape of the chosen holiday destination. We have bartered these unique qualities for pigeonhole holiday flats and monstrous hotels built almost on each other’s doorstep. Unfortunately, in order to improve this situation, those involved in the tourism sector are experimenting with different ‘niche’ markets by ‘importing’ unsustainable concepts. Proposals such as golf courses and Formula 1 tracks will put further strain on our precious little land. This is the reason ‘Moviment Ghall-Ambjent’, Friends of the Earth (Malta) generally opposes such projects.

Circuits used for F1 racing are on average five km in length and take up a large expanse of land. They inherently need to incorporate a number of high-speed straights in their design. Hence, it would be difficult to find a suitable location for such a circuit in a heavily built-up and densely populated country like ours.

Knowing that our roads are not up to F1 standards, as is the case of the Monaco circuit, which utilises existing public roads, it is probable that considerable amounts of agricultural land and natural landscape such as the Garigue or Xaghri would be annihilated. Besides this, there is the question of noise pollution, traffic and sites for services, pit stops, spectator stands, and buffer zones.

Do we seriously believe that the Maltese Islands have large stretches of land freely available?

Moviment Ghall-Ambjent is of the opinion that for the tourism industry to survive, it needs to embrace the true meaning of sustainable development. A recent survey carried out in Italy on what elements tourists look for when choosing their holiday destination revealed that they greatly favoured eco-tourism and those countries and hotels with sound environmental policies.

Other holiday destinations are reacting to these tourism trends by slowing down development in favour of eco-tourism. Maltese tourism authorities and industry should enhance those features that make our islands unique. So let’s just hope that a F1 track proposal is just a joke!

Ms Cremona is an active member of Friends of the Earth (Malta)

 
 By Pierre Vella

The race track issue is not a new one. Individuals who are still around had done their best to make dreams of setting up such a circuit a reality.

Members of parliament from both sides had attempted to take initiatives in this regard but their enthusiasm waned when they tried to move the concept further than the drawing board.

The main concerns are: do we need a circuit or do we have the location to build one?

A look at the local motoring scene will indicate the true spirit of ingenuity and motivation that exists within the community.

At present, a local dragster team is participating in the FIA championship in Europe, showing determination and a sound knowledge of the sport in spite of limited resources. It is no secret that a diesel truck is being prepared for possible foreign participation with massive interest coming from abroad.

But where do these bravehearts practise? On a late 1970s unused runway with a massive building on one side and a rubbish dump on the other!

We do need a race circuit. But don’t believe that Formula 1 is round the next bend. It used to be, but now the waiting list is quite long.

F1 could be the pinnacle of motor sport but surfing the FIA web site indicates other motor sport disciplines. The GT FIA would include Malta on its calendar if we had the place, as would be the European Dragster Championship and the Motorbike Championship. This would serve as a chain reaction, promoting Malta as a tourist attraction whilst having teams coming to test in Malta.

If managed professionally the circuit could be an income generator for various sectors. The local motor sport community will definitely benefit from the circuit, not least by practising their devoted sport in decent conditions.

Foreign investment has been knocking at the door, but if we continue hesitating, we will definitely miss the boat. Let’s wake up and grab an ideal opportunity and build a circuit!

Mr Vella is a motor sport enthusiast and a resident guest on NET TV’s Formula 1 programme