Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1524236
7 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 19 JULY 2024 Q & A voluntarily towards all the cultural events organised in Gozo. Other than the foreign visitors, Gozo also experiences serious interest from Maltese visitors. How important is this? The contribution of the domes- tic market towards the Gozitan touristic sector is very relevant and essential for the sustainability of the island's tourism establish- ments. Along the years we have experienced both the growth of the domestic market as well as its shifts towards new trends. Sta- tistically we know that in terms of arrivals in Gozitan licensed accommodation, the domestic market surpasses the foreign ar- rivals. However, in terms of bed- nights the foreign guests spends more nights on Gozo. This can be explained very simply since the domestic market is concentrated and centred on weekend breaks, that is 2-night stays, while the foreign tourists tend to spend an average of 6 nights or more per person per stay. It has become a trend now that every weekend Gozo welcomes thousands of Maltese who cross over for their weekend breaks. This influx of do- mestic tourists helps to mitigate gaps in the Gozitan accommoda- tion especially during the winter months. Furthermore, during the dark weeks of 2020, due to the covid pandemic, the domes- tic market was the lifeline for the Gozitan tourism establishments. Durng those months of 2020 and 2021, when overseas travelling was suspended or very restricted, Gozo became the natural holiday break for the Maltese. Now that the Maltese are free to holiday anywhere, Gozo is still their pre- ferred destination. The latest NSO statistics for the Gozitan collective accommodation for the first quar- ter of 2024 reports an increase of 6% on 2023 and an increase of 12% on 2019. Finally, another trend in the domestic market is the ever increasing number of residents on the mainland who purchase their holiday home in Gozo. From the total number of domestic tourists overnighting in Gozo, 60% are staying in the rented accommo- dation while 40% are staying in the aforementioned category - the non-rented accommodation In terms of tourism, what do you think should be Gozo's priority in the next 5 years? Apart from the ongoing endeav- ours of attracting more tourists to Gozo, especially during the lean and shoulder months, there are other priorities for the com- ing years that should be tackled. Tourism on Gozo is at a cross roads. While all local policies and strategies of both the Malta Tour- ism Authority and the Gozo Re- gional Development Authority are pointing and directing towards a distinct destination focusing on particular niche markets based on the island's unique selling propositions, yet the tourism sec- tor is very much concerned that the present overdevelopment on Gozo is jeopardizing and lambast- ing the core of the island's tourism value. The Gozo Tourism Associ- ation believes that whilst encour- aging investment in sustainable infrastructural projects and de- velopments that add more value to the product of Gozo, careful attention should be given in or- der not to commit some of the mistakes experienced in the past on the mainland, and to a lesser extent on Gozo itself. We have to stop the uglification of Gozo. Yet, a balance must be struck be- tween the environment and any future touristic development that the tourism industry will for sure need, to keep on upgrading its product and widening its touristic offer. Additionally, Gozo's touristic product needs to be continuous- ly improved. If our aspirations are to continue attracting tourists with more spending power, the destination needs to be presented and kept up to the expectations of this type of tourist. Investment and improvement of the touristic product presently on offer should be continuous, both by the private sector as well as by Government. Finally, apart from presenting an organised, clean and well-main- tained and orderly destination, the upkeep and the protection of our environment signifies and ensures that Gozo will be an island where islanders live, work and prosper within a strong thriving, healthy community. What is the GTA doing to attract more tourists to the island? This current year the Gozo Tourism Association is com- memorating the 25th Anniver- sary since its inception way back in 1999. All along these years the GTA has incessantly adhered to one of its main objectives as en- trenched in its statute, that of pro- moting Gozo as an all-year-round tourist destination. This promo- tion of Gozo goes hand in hand with that, and in tandem with the Malta Tourism Authority and the Directorate for Tourism and Economic Development within the Ministry for Gozo. Through the collaboration and support of these two important entities, the Gozo Tourism Association at- tends eight different international tourism fairs held annually across Europe, mainly targeting the core markets. The GTA's representa- tives are present during Tourism Trade Fairs like World Travel Market in London, ITB in Berlin, Top Resa in Paris, FITUR in Ma- drid and TTG in Rimini as well as in other fairs targeting consumers, like the World Holiday show in Dublin, Destinations in London and Destinations in Manchester. Obviously, these are opportuni- ties to showcase Gozo as a unique and different destination as part of the Maltese Archipelago. Fur- thermore, during these fairs, GTA representatives apart from meet- ing, renewing and consolidating present contacts have the perfect opportunity to establish new con- tacts with travel and trade oper- ators. Apart from tourism fairs the Gozo Tourism Association promotes Gozo through its social media namely its website www. islandofgozo.org, and through its Instagram account and Facebook. The GTA website contains a trove of information which prospective tourists are looking for apart from the possibility of booking a holi- day through its online portal. To sustain its promotion and marketing efforts along the years the GTA has published numerous publications which alongside with those provided by MTA and the Directorate for Tourism are dis- tributed during the tourism fairs and in other marketing events. Where do you stand on the need - or lack of - for (a) an airfield in Gozo and (b) for an underwater tunnel linking Gozo to Malta? Why? The Gozo Tourism Association is eagerly looking forward to the issuance of the Planning Author- ity permit so that works on the rural airfield at Ta' Lambert may start. The realisation of an airfield in Gozo will close the missing link that the tourism sector has been yearning for. In the past Gozo had experienced a type of airlink pro- vided by helicopter, and the tour- istic sector knows well the positive impact it had had at that time for the commuting of foreign arrivals from/to the Malta Internation- al Airport, notwithstanding the limitations of the service. Now it is high time that a more efficient, cost effective, competitive and reasonably priced air service is introduced on Gozo. Such a ser- vice will immensely improve the transfers of the Gozo bound tour- ists. Besides, this mode of trans- port will do justice both with the touristic sector as well as with the Gozitan community. We are pos- itive that the rural airfield will not only be an added infrastructur- al investment in the inter-island connectivity for the benefit of the tourism sector and the public in general, but it will open up more economic opportunities for Gozo. The tunnel is another elephant in the room. At this moment in time it is pertinent to ask…. does Gozo lack connectivity with Malta? With the introduction of the fourth ferry, and a fast ferry service, the sea connectivity has increased and improved consid- erably. Presently, between them, these two modes of sealinks are operating 120 daily round trips, between Gozo and Malta If one is to add to these trips the connec- tions that will be available with the introduction of the airlink in the coming months, then the is- land's connectivity will be further improved. With this in mind, it is pertinent to ask, is the under seabed tunnel truly needed? The Gozo Tourism Association has been since day one advocating its views and concerns on such a huge investment. These concerns are based on realities support- ed by the opinion and feelings of the tourism sector on Gozo. The Gozo Tourism Association keeps on asking a number of questions. • How will the Gozitan tourism composite and scenario change if an under seabed tunnel for vehi- cles is established? • Is the Gozitan accommodation annual occupancy rate going to improve or otherwise once Gozo becomes an extension of Malta? • Will Gozo become a day trip destination if a tunnel for vehicles is constructed? • Will Gozo remain a distinct destination and continue offering a different product from Malta, once both islands are physically connected? • For these last forty years Gozo has been and is still being promot- ed as a different destination from Malta, with a touristic offer which poses more value to the visitor's experience. Will Gozo live to this present mission once a tunnel for vehicles is built? These are all unanswered ques- tions being raised by the Gozitan Touristic sector. However, whilst GTA does not foresee the need of such a project, it believes that if ever an under seabed tunnel is to be constructed, this should cater for a mass under- ground transportation system and not for vehicles. Hence incorpo- rating an underground rail system that connects the Centre of Gozo to centres like Valletta, Mater Dei, University, Malta International Airport and Sliema. Only in this way will the Gozitans save time in commuting, only in this way will we offer a quicker transfer to the tourist to enjoy the Gozitan char- acteristics, without putting overly at risk the same characteristcs. Such a network would allow the Gozitan tourism industry to re- main sustainable. jeopardising the core of the island's tourism value'