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A snapshot of our tourism industry reveals a sector in crisis. The arrival numbers are down as is the spending power of the tourist.
Projected targets failed to be reached. This trend does not merely symbolise a lack of foresight and competence on the part of government but also reflects our people’s lack of commitment to tourism.
We all shoulder a responsibility. Ironically, one asks why were our guests happier to visit Malta years ago when the country had less of a tourism infrastructure in place. We were all so hospitable years ago. We have over a period lost our smile and taken the industry’s benefits for granted. We used to offer a far more Maltese product. This was our unique selling point and attraction. Tourists were happy to eat less sophisticated local food in unspoilt surroundings and walking around our narrow lovely town lanes admiring our historic cores and rambling in unspoilt countryside. It was a Maltese and Gozitan experience.
The starting point for curing the difficulties encountered by our tourism industry is a fuller appreciation of our strengths and weaknesses.
Malta’s best selling point remains its characteristic of an English-speaking, relatively safe island in the Mediterranean.
Our rich heritage is also a fundamental reason for visiting Malta and Gozo. The French, Belgian, Scandinavian, Italian, Dutch, German and American markets are geared for cultural tourism. The British are less inclined to go down that road. But we must cater for the two mixes.
Needless to say, the state of the environment is depressing. Rubble and garbage line our countryside lanes, construction is to be seen everywhere, hunters and trappers block pathways and are aggressive towards tourists.
Worse still, many archaeological and historical sites are abandoned and forgotten.
Our sea and shoreline are in a sorry state. Achieving blue flag status should not be a pious hope but a standard for all our beaches.
The corollary of a holiday in the sun is peace and quiet. Our thriving construction industry is the biggest threat to a prosperous tourist product. Action needs to be taken whereby all construction work stops during the summer months and that building site standards are enforced to avoid dirt, dust and general construction debris from inconveniencing neighbours and tourists.
We have to decide whether to carry on building forever or preserving our tourism product. The two are incompatible.
The standard of service also needs to be addressed. Persons serving must be certified to serve after having been professionally trained. The service is often below standard and this also reflects on our product. We must be product-focused.
Embarking on a brand exercise prior to having the product in shape flies in the face of marketing fundamentals. Making Maltese people aware of the benefits of tourism is certainly important but more so is convincing the tourist to choose Malta. We have still not decided about our unique selling point.
Why should a tourist choose Malta? What images does Malta conjure in people’s minds? Is it a building site, a windy island, the Knights of Malta, the George Cross? We are still in search of the eternal buzz!
‘Smile you’re in Spain’ runs the effective advert of the Spanish tourism board. Are we not capable of branding our product in five simple words, which convey a Maltese holiday experience?
We need not be reminded that each one of us carries responsibilities to ensure that the tourist receives hospitable treatment, value for money and attention but ultimate responsibility lies with the authorities. The tools are in place, a minister, an inter-ministerial tourism committee chaired by the prime minister, a tourism authority and countless number of committees. The laws are too in place but enforcement is weak. So where has it all gone so wrong? Why has it taken us so long to realise that our product was suffering for being uncompetitive in such a fierce market place? Why were new trends not foreseen? Why has it taken us more than the best part of one year to issue a tender for low cost airlines to operate via Malta? Why have we remained so dependant on the tour operator business neglecting the growing phenomenon of people booking their holidays through the internet?
The answer is probably that we all thought people would still come to Malta anyway. How wrong we all were. How encouraging that we are finally beginning to realise the big problem at hand. We can only hope that it is not too late.
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