Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1318996
9 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 DECEMBER 2020 INTERVIEW is no longer considered such a bad thing… though there are re- strictions, of course; and it's on- ly for the duration of the crisis. In theory, that is also the rea- soning behind the EU's emer- gency recovery fund. But it doesn't answer the question of how the money should be spent. What areas would you say are most in need of direct government intervention? One priority would be to in- centivise airlines – all of which are currently running at re- duced capacity, with most of their planes grounded – to come back, when we open up in March. Because when that happens, we're going to have to compete with other countries. And the competition will be fierce. An airline company will find it much easier to open a route to a much bigger-capac- ity destination, that can take millions, than to Malta. Though having said this: we are lucky, in a sense, because we have built up have very good relationship with airlines over the years. It's a personal rapport: there's a lot of love… we have 53 airlines fly- ing to Malta, and part of the rea- son for that is…. they like flying here. So that counts for something, too, at the end of the day. All the same, we still have to incentivise them. For a major airline, start- ing up again, after a prolonged shut-down, is not like 'flicking a switch'. They risk losing mil- lions, every day. And given how much Malta depends on those airlines coming back… this also means that the start-up process, in itself, will be a long and slow process. How long do you yourself pre- dict, for a return to some kind of 'normality'? Until we get to a point when all businesses are at least func- tioning again – without needing subsidies, just to tick over – I'd say it will take at least two years, of slow, patient rebuilding. But at least – hopefully – it will have started… Part of that process depends on the success of the vaccine – which, in any case, is out of our hands – but part of it also depends on our own behav- iour in the meantime. You have separately expressed concerns about 'excessive partying' dur- ing the imminent festive season – but isn't that also true of the industry as a whole? Doesn't it depend on things – like socializ- ing, for instance – that defy the current health protocols? That's partly true, but it also explains why the entertainment sector, in particular, has been so hard-hit. Nightlife… concerts… mass events, and all that… it is all, in fact, built on the very op- posite of 'social distancing'. It's all about people meeting, hug- ging, kissing, dancing… which also explains why the concern is not just about economics. The pandemic has also affected our most basic, intimate human re- lations: so there's the impact on mental health to consider too. But it doesn't mean that all of it has to be eliminated, either. There are ways you can still so- cialise, while respecting all the health and safety protocols. It's just a question of adapting to the new reality, as best you can. But what we're scared of is this: there are already indications that there will be displacement of business over the festive sea- son. People are booking private parties in farmhouses, com- plete with DJs… and OK: it's one thing, if it's private parties organized by specific bubble: a couple, or a family, or a small group of friends. That's perfect- ly acceptable... it is, in fact, what we should be doing. But we've also heard of parties for over 100 being booked at a farmhouse. And if that's the case – and there may be quite of a few of these events – that's go- ing to defeat the whole purpose of all the national effort we have all put in so far. Not just the lei- sure industry - though it was hit harder than others… but the en- tire country. At the risk of an unfair question: some might argue that you're more concerned with the com- petition, than with the spread of COVID-19…. Some already have argued that. I've been accused, on cer- tain blogs, of complaining only because others are 'taking away our business'. But no, that's not the scope at all. The scope is that… all this national effort, all these sacrifices we're making – not just by losing business; but also by wearing masks, ob- serving social distancing reg- ulations, and all the rest of the stress and anxiety we experi- enced this year… our recovery from all that, now hinges on how successful the post-January recovery period is in practice. So what happens during the festive season has a direct im- pact on the bigger picture. Be- cause if –after all this pain, and all the economic hardship we went through – the economy does do not start improving by around Easter, as predicted… we will end up back where we started. The recovery period will only have put us back into retrenchment. And we will end up having to cure the effects of the festive season… instead of the virus itself. Now, my message is: is this re- ally worth it, just for nine days of the year? Don't get me wrong: I'm not saying that 'nobody should party over Christmas'. Nothing of the kind. As long as people observe protocols, we can still have a good time, in every town centre. But the worst thing that can happen is if it all goes under- ground. Because people have a lot of pent-up tension, af- ter all the anxiety of 2020…. and there's a danger that they will vent it all at once, because they think they have an 'escape route': in the sense that, by go- ing to an underground party, at a remote location, they feel 'safe'. That's what scares us the most. There is a lot of tension build- ing up – for let's face it: after such a horrible year, people will certainly want to celebrate New Year's Eve – and there's a dan- ger that we will end up in the same situation as the United States: which has just experi- enced a surge in new COVID-19 cases, after Thanksgiving. So, what I'm, suggesting is… let's party responsibly. Let's stick to organized, controlled parties, in different pockets here and there… where people can have a good time, in small groups, without endangering the whole national effort. At least, until we start the re- covery process… after Christmas…