Minister acknowledges government’s ‘lack of sensitivity’ in company’s takeover of Triton Square

Lands Minister Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi has acknowledged that there had been a lack of sensitivity in the way an 11-day promotional event that has smothered the entrance to Valletta in company branding was organised.

The minister’s comment was part of a backlash against the takeover of Triton Square in Valletta by the promotional “Festa ROCS” event, organised by ROCS Group, one of Malta's largest travel agencies, is building.

The square, with its famous “Tritoni” fountain, is just outside the gate to the capital city and had been embellished and transformed from a dilapidated bus terminus to its present state in 2018, costing the taxpayer €8.5 million.

But for the past week, the square has been bedecked in red banners and advertising hoardings bearing the ROCS logo, with information booths for potential customers planning holidays in Dubai, Disneyland and other destinations.  Bizarrely, a black Porsche Cayenne sits atop a platform on static display in the middle of the square – a lottery prize.

While certainly not the first time that the commercial events have ever taken place in the area, it is certainly one of the most heavily-branded.

On social media, many have recoiled at the event, describing it as tasteless or expressing concern at the blatant commercialisation of an iconic public space. The Chairman of the Valletta Cultural Heritage Agency, Jason Micallef even went so far as to describe the 11-day event as a “ħamallata” and an “embarrassment” to the city.

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) has also urged the authorities to "exercise greater discretion" when granting permissions for events and commercial activities in public spaces. "It is disappointing that, as the peak tourism season begins, the  entrance to Valletta has been overtaken by private commercial activities that do not fit the desired image of Valletta. This not only creates inconvenience by reducing access to Valletta to a few pathways but also undermines the vision authorities and the MHRA have for the city," the association said in a statement on Saturday.

In comments to the Times last week, ROCS’ director, Rachel Vella rejected the criticism and described the event as "a party to thank our clients" and said that her company had offered to pay to revamp the square and plant indigenous plants.

Din l-Art Helwa president Patrick Calleja also expressed dismay at the area being turned into “a bazaar.”

Contacted by the MaltaToday, Calleja said that the event had set a dangerous precedent. “I went to have a look yesterday and it was shocking to see how they have turned the entrance to our capital city, a World Heritage site, into a bazaar. These installations, which we are going to have to bear for an extended period, have obliterated the visual axis between Floriana and Valletta completely ruining the distant views of the Triton fountain and the entrance to the city. This is just another awful usurpation of public space for commercial interests and sets a very dangerous precedent. The application for permission for this event should have never been approved. This event was devoid of any cultural value. Any discerning visitors to Malta hoping to explore and appreciate Valletta during this period will be very disappointed.”

A spokesperson for the Minister for Lands, Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, stressed to the MaltaToday that when organising this type of event, the police’s only involvement was the issuing of a letter of no objection.

When the minister was asked for his opinion on this matter during a phone-in radio interview with Andrew Azzopardi on Saturday, Zrinzo Azzopardi, who had previously overseen the modernisation of the area during his tenure as GHRC chairman, said that, while he was not calling for an outright ban on events being held in the City Gate/Triton fountain area, he believed that there should be clearer protocols for its use. “I will be clear: we must be more sensitive,” the minister said.