Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1524813
4 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 2 AUGUST 2024 NEWS Did you know? Gozo has been inhabited since 5000 BC, when farmers from nearby Sicily crossed the sea to the island. Due to the discovery of similar pottery found in both places from the Ghar Dalam phase, it has been suggested that the first colonists were specifically from the area of Agrigento; however, it is currently unknown exactly where in Sicily the farmers came from. They are thought to have first lived in caves on the outskirts of what is now San Lawrenz. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 This was expressed by 53% of Gozitan operators in a sur- vey conducted by the Gozo Tourism Association, amongst its members, during the past fortnight. This survey was con- ducted to understand better the situation within the Gozitan tourism sector during the first six months of 2024, compared to the same period the year be- fore, as well as the constraints faced by these establishments in their operation. The encouraging response to this survey from Gozitan tour- ism operators covered a wide range of the tourism sector on Gozo. The categories that filled in the survey were coming from all the Accommodation sectors, Restaurants, Diving Centres. Tourist Attractions, Transport, Tour operators, DMCs, Travel Agencies, Prop- erty Rentals and tourism con- sultancy firms. A substantial 88% of respond- ents reported experiencing re- cent electricity outages. This issue has led to establishments compensating their clients, with 44% also noting damages to their equipment and stock, as well as loss of business. Despite 56% of respondents indicating that their prices and rates remained unchanged compared to the previous year, 53% reported a decrease in rev- enue. When asked about their clien- tele, 57% of participants iden- tified foreign visitors as their primary group, while 43% stat- ed that their main clientele con- sisted of Maltese customers. While 54% of respondents noted an increase in overall customer satisfaction com- pared to the same period last year, 93% of the survey partici- pants reported an increase also in their operational costs. The survey highlighted the primary challenges faced by establishments, with 56% cit- ing increased competition, 44% pointing to the economic conditions, and 42% noting the lack of human resources. When questioned about their pricing strategies, 47% of re- spondents stated that there was no change, while 40% reported the need to increase their pric- es due to rising costs. Improved online reviews and feedback from clients were re- ported by 51% of the respond- ents, when compared to the same period of last year, while 56% stated that there was no change in their marketing and promotional initiatives. When question about the Skills Pass, a significant 78% of respondents indicated that they have not been affected by the Skills Pass initiative yet, al- though the other 22% reported a negative impact. Finally, an alarming 85% of respondents believe that the general touristic offer in Gozo is not meeting guests' expecta- tions due to various factors in- cluding excessive construction, lack of tranquillity, poor infra- structure, noise disturbances, and cleanliness issues. Through the findings of this survey, the Gozo Tourism As- sociation will be in a position to suggest and put forward proposals to the various com- petent Authorities to tackle in a synergized effort the issues raised in this survey for the benefit of the tourism sector on Gozo. Gozo tourism operators see lower revenue in 2024 despite rise in tourist arrivals "THE Magical Dragons of Gozo" is a story about friendship between Ukrainian girl Yulia and Gozitan boy Julian written by Ukrainian writer Inna Danyliuk. The book is dedicated to Gozitans Claude Calleja and John Bartolo and to all people who helped the author to escape from the war in Ukraine and sheltered her and her family in Gozo. The book follows Yulia, who came to Malta with her mother, fleeing the war in Ukraine. The girl soon made friends with a local boy, Julian, as they both like animals and want to become ani- mal advocates in the future. But children don't want to wait un- til they grow up: they have to act now! Especially since there are so many wonderful creatures need- ing protection around. Moreover, the adventurous cou- ple have a luzzu and magical Drag- ons to help them in this! Writer Inna Danyliuk is 37 years old and mother of a five-year-old son. She is a laureate of the O.Hon- char International Ukrainian-Ger- man Prize (2008, for the collection of short stories for adults). Danyliuk is the author of two books: "The Magical Dragons of Gozo" (for children 5+) and "To dive into the Kyiv Sea" (for young teen-agers 9-12 y.o., Old Lion Pub- lishing House, Ukraine). Inna is a freelance literary edi- tor for The Old Lion Publishing House and a book reviewer for the BaraBooka website, which features Ukrainian modern children's and teen-agers literature. The book is published in The Black Sheep publishing house which specializes in children's literature and art books and cooperates with many writes from Germany, Austria, Swit- zerland, Sweden, Denmark, USA, Great Britain, Poland and Ukraine. Illustrations for the book were created by Ukrainian il- lustrator Anna Vilchynska. Ukrainian refugee mother writes children's book featuring Gozo