MEP underlines Gozo’s ‘distinctiveness’

Nationalist MEP Therese Comodini Cachia underscored Gozo’s uniqueness during a meeting with the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) held in Gozo.

“The Gozitan tourism product distinguishes itself by fostering aspects of Gozitan culture, be it culinary, social or artistic,” MEP Therese Comodini Cachia said.

During her meeting with GTA chairman Paul Scicluna and CEO Joe Muscat, the MEP discussed avenues of cooperation for further promoting  the distinctive features of the island - mainly gastronomy, opera tourism, religious tourism, carnival and diving.

In her remarks, Comodini Cachia who is a member of the Intergroup on Tourism within the European Parliament welcomed the creation of a federation of tourism entities in the EU with the Conference of Peripheral Maritime Regions of Europe (CPMR), a proposal put forward by the association which was endorsed and is now subject to Commission approval; whereby Gozo is one of fifteen island members. 

Separately Comodini Cachia augured that the Association be assisted by the Maltese Authorities to further tap into funds, programmes and projects such as those that can fall within the EU Rural Development Programme.  

She also questioned the relevance of agro-tourism legislation recently approved by MEPA in the context of Gozo, where the minimum threshold established of sixty tumuli of land may cater for less than a handful of estates in the island, and mainly seeks to copy a foreign product rather than take advantage and expose the local dimension.

“Proper consultation should cater to mitigation measures against one-size-fits-all policies and quick fixes.  Evidently the proposals by the Gozitan public in this regard were not adequately considered,” Comodini Cachia said.

Amongst other matters discussed were the island’s accessibility to mainland Malta and excessive bureaucracy which is still hindering the licencing of new B&B tourism business, an emerging niche market.