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7.11.19 10 INTERVIEW 'Malta needs more quality PAUL COCKS How would you describe the entertainment industry in Malta at the moment? e entertainment industry has grown and expanded im- mensely in the past few years and, in fact, it has never been as big or strong as it is today. Ad- mittedly, it has changed over the years, but that has only made it more attractive. What is driving the industry? Music tourism has today be- come an important segment in our tourism marketing mix. It has also moved our target de- mographic to a younger tourist, aged between 25 and 55 years, and it has increased money spend exponentially. Malta can now boast of yearly events that are of an international calibre and feature top artists, musi- cians, personalities, deejays and promoters. It is also regularly attracting major global radio and tv shows as well top trav- el and music magazines and websites to cover most events. Clubs, bars, restaurants and open air venues have never been as diverse, and spread over all tourist areas. e economic spillover from tourism to the entertainment industry – and vice versa – is considerable. It is no surprise that tourism and the entertainment industry re- main the largest contributors to Malta's GDP. How has the most recent budget government impacted the industry? e narrowing of the distrib- uted occupancy has helped make the tourism and entertain- ment industry sustainable all year around. e less shoulder months we have to endure, the more sustainable and profitable the industry becomes. In addi- tion, foreigners working in Mal- ta have also helped the industry tremendously, causing a ripple effect across multiple subsidiary industries. Let us not forget that until some years ago, this indus- try attracted 1.7 million visitors to Malta. Now, we're moving up to close to three million. e government's budget for 2020 continues to build on attracting a mix of tourist demographics by nationality and further ex- pands on accessibility by adding new air routes or expanding ex- isiting ones. As GRTU, what are the most common grievances and concerns of your members in the entertainment industry? It is important that we strengthen our support services offered during peak times. Ex- perience has shown us that the existing system had not been keeping up with the numbers for a number of years. Issues like cleaning and cleansing, po- lice deployment, maintenance of public infrastructure, hospi- tal treatment waiting time and public transport had for some time come under fire as damag- ing the tourism and entertain- ment industry and it is impera- tive that we tackle these matters if we are to keep offering a qual- ity service, especially during the peak months. Last week, a bouncer at a nightclub was arraigned in court for beating a customer. How are bouncers/security personnel selected? What can be done to improve the situation? Is it a case of more enforcement alone? Having security personnel has become a priority for many business owners as the enter- tainment industry becomes ever more vibrant. We have been in discussion with the govern- ment and private security firms in a bid to establish clear rights and responsibilities of security personnel, including bouncers. It is important to understand how delicate the job of such se- curity personnel is. ere is no room for impulsive or emotive behaviour. In fact, such jobs re- quire a lot of self-control and an understanding of how to use the minimum force necessary to diffuse a situation. We are insisting that it is imperative to establish clearly-defined cours- es and training leading to for- As the president of the General Retailers and Traders Union's Tourism, Hospitality and Leisure Division, Philip Fenech knows the pulse of Malta's tourism and entertainment industry like few do. e deputy president of the GRTU is a successful entrepreneur in his own right and gave BusinessToday an insight into what is driving the industry to the success it has achieved and what needs to be done to make sure it stays there Businesses should not think they can change Malta into a Manhattan or Dubai, but should make sure they direct their investment into sustainable projects

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