Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1002137
15 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 JULY 2018 NEWS issues the network says its cities face. High rates of pollution due to the massive use of re- sources by tourist and the excessive use and constant expansion of infrastructure which ruin and exploit the natural and architectural en- vironment for tourism's sake, are other negatives which touristification brings to the cities, SET's manifesto says. Too much of a good thing While European economies have traditionally welcomed the income boost gener- ated by tourists, many cit- ies around the continent are now finding that too much tourism is becoming a big problem. Barcelona – a city swarming with tourists – has in the past few years started feeling the pressure on the housing mar- ket caused by AirBnB, which has made property unafford- able for residents. AirBnB makes it easy for property owners to rent out their houses or flats to tourists, at rates often undercutting tra- ditional hotel rooms. A good portion of tour- ist apartments in the city are illegal, but authorities have now started fight back, clamping down on illegal holiday lets, and imposing hefty fines and prosecuting landlords who do not play by the rules. Earlier this year, Palma be- came the first Spanish city to ban private holiday rentals altogether, in an attempt to halt mass tourism and make the city more habitable for its residents. Venice, another city flood- ed with holidaymakers, has now restricted access to cruise ships, banning larger vessels from its centre, due to the mass congestion they were causing to its canals. In Malta, too, tourism has reached record heights, with inbound trips in 2017 hav- ing risen almost 16% over the previous year. There is now concern, how- ever, on the sustainability of such an economic model, with the country facing ever increasing rent prices, con- stant construction in the is- land's most popular localities, and seemingly never-ending traffic jams and queues. A more meaningful form of tourism It is for this reason that SET's cities have banded to- gether to push for a higher quality of tourism, champi- oning the idea that in the face of touristification, a territori- al networked response offer- ing alternative proposals, and individual and collaborative actions, is essential to solve the problem. The network underscores the difference between a "traveller" and a "tourist". Travellers don't just visit a country, they want to feel at home, live like the locals do, and engage in authentic ex- periences – they bring with them a form of tourism fo- cused on quality, not quan- tity. If citizens are forced out of their cities – something which has happened locally in places like Sliema, which now have a high percentage of foreign residents – then visitors to such places are not really "travellers" but merely tourists walking be- tween crowds of other non- travellers, waiting in queues and visiting shops the likes of which are found all over the world, SET's rationale posits. In light of the problems mass tourism brings, SET says locals have started to organise themselves and de- fend their right to inhabit their cities, starting by draw- ing people's attention to the issues. The current tourism model needs to be openly criticised, with its consequences de- nounced, SET maintains. One way of doing so is by discussions on limiting the tourism industry, an idea which was recently men- tioned by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, which called for a carrying capacity study for the island's tourist sector. Through this international network of cities in the same situation, SET hopes to cre- ate a powerful voice against over-tourism, with its mani- festo being the first step to achieve this. mcosta@mediatoday.com.mt Dancing gives hope and relief to Parkinson's sufferers TIA RELJIC DANCING can help Par- kinson's disease sufferers to balance better and walk bet- ter, as it helps patients con- sciously remember how to move a certain way, lecturer and researcher, Sara Houston contends. "The disease bars patients from accessing how to do certain things… you've still got the capacity, but you can't access it. So, actually, it's really important that you have the tools available and you can consciously do this," Houston, a principal lecturer at Roehampton University, said. She is now involved in ground-breaking research into dance for Parkinson's, which therapy she says can decrease symptoms whilst dancing. "This gives people relief and makes them feel like they can forget about Parkinson's for a bit, which is very important if you're taking about thirteen differ- ent medications per day." Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder, of which symptoms develop slowly over the years. Suffer- ers tend to experience trem- ors, slowness of movement, and limb rigidity among other issues. The disease is estimated to impact around 2,800 people in Malta, 1,400 who are diagnosed with the disease, and 1,400 who are their carers. Dance therapy might provide hope for many of these people, as Houston explained that her five-year research into the topic re- vealed that dancing could change the lives of sufferers and their carers. But research on therapeu- tic dancing for Parkinson's disease is relatively new, but has been proven to have a positive effect on mobility and quality of life for suffer- ers. The social network that a dance therapy group pro- vides is also extremely im- portant for a disease which often isolates people, Hou- ston said. "Being in a social network where people un- derstand you, is really im- portant. For some people, it changes their lives. It's a dif- ferent approach to moving your body and changes to a positive feeling about life, friends, and family which is so important for mental wellbeing." A mini-documentary, which came about through a collaboration between voluntary organisation Step Up for Parkinson's, THINK magazine and the University of Malta, provided a glimpse into the lives and struggles of patients and their car- ers, their experience with the disease, and how dance therapy has helped to im- prove their lives. Apart from the physical improvements reported by the patients, the dance classes also provide a sense of community and allow pa- tients to make friends who are going through similar experiences. "Everyone's in the same boat here… we are like a big family," one couple inter- viewed in the documentary said. "Even if you're worried about something, at least you get to forget about your troubles for an hour and a half here…" another partici- pant said. Indeed, it has been proven through case studies that dance therapy helps peo- ple with Parkinson's, Step Up for Parkinson's founder Natalie Muschamp told this newspaper. Step Up for Parkinson's is a voluntary organisation which gives free specialised dance classes for people with Parkinson's and their caregiver. "These classes help the motor functions, the balance, and the quality of life of people with Par- kinson's," Muschamp said. "It's been proven that it re- ally helps within eight weeks if you come twice weekly – which we offer." The organisation hosts dance therapy classes for Parkinson's sufferers in four locations around the island, for free. "A lot of time people with Parkinson's disease and also the caregivers suffer from isolation and depres- sion, and coming together twice weekly and having fun and being creative and ar- tistic enhances the feeling of community, the sense of belonging, self-confidence, and self-esteem," Mus- champ said. Muschamp recounted an instance in which one of the participants benefited from the classes so much that their neurologist informed them that they did not need to double their dose, as would have been expected. "They were told to keep on dancing. So, we've had good feedback also from doctors." tia.reljic@mediatoday.com.mt Step Up For Parkinson's coordinator Nathalie Muschamp (left) with Roehampton University principal lecturer Sara Houston, who says dance therapy give sufferers of Parkinson's disease relief as well as a social network