Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1524813
7 gozotoday | FRIDAY • 2 AUGUST 2024 OPINION to amelioration or regeneration. We have tremendous talent and creativity when it comes to tra- ditional and cultural heritage. One just has to experience our authentic local cuisine, the man- ufacturing and production of local ingredients and produce such wine, olive oil, and honey to mention a few, craftsmanship, the artists, musicians, the craft behind the parish feasts and so much more. This is the recipe that makes the dish original and authentic. In the end we should uphold our traditional and cultural val- ues irrespective of economic matters. However, it is tourism is away how we can showcase who we are and where we have come from. It should always be our honour to showcase our traditions with pride. The cul- ture and history segment ena- bles Gozo to offer an appealing touristic product during months when the sea and sun segment is not sought after. Therefore, it offers a broader touristic prod- uct, enabling interest from a wider market which can support the industry during less busier periods. Other than the foreign visitors, Gozo also experiences serious interest from Maltese visitors. How important is this? Historically speaking, in terms of recipiency, domestic tourism contributes as much as interna- tional tourism, the difference lies within the number of nights and the overall expenditure. The latter is logical since the average stay of domestic tourism is 2.7 nights whereas that of the inter- national is 6.9 nights. The travel motivator is also different and therefore, the patterns of stay differ. All in all, domestic tourism is an important contributor to the industry in Gozo for a variety of reasons. Domestic tourism is stable and quite consistent, and is right on our doorstep. For instance, during times of international travel disruption, domestic tourism strongly com- pensated for the lack of interna- tional visitors that emanated as a consequence of restrictions and less appetite for travel. However, this does not mean that Gozo has or should have an over-reliance on domestic tourism. In fact, 40% of do- mestic tourism now resides in non-rented accommodation. On the other hand, non-rented accommodation tourists tend to have a high frequency of repeat visiting. In terms of tourism, what do you think should be Gozo's priority in the next 5 years? Overall, the arrival of tourists is essential for sustaining the ser- vices provided by our local busi- nesses. Our objective remains clear: to increase the number of overnight international visitors. Gozo should be seen as a des- tination, not just a day-trip ex- cursion. It's crucial to focus on enhancing the visitor experience in this regard. Currently, Gozo has a relatively low bed capacity and occupancy rate in the collective accom- modation category, indicating available capacity for more over- night guests. The priority is to improve the ratio of overnight stayers vis-à-vis total arrivals to Gozo. Day-trippers often miss out on the full experience that Gozo offers. Our goal is to pro- mote Gozo as a destination that offers much more than sightsee- ing, with large potential espe- cially in the off-season months of January to March. I believe that results in this area are quite encouraging. For instance, in Q1 of 2024, Gozo saw an over- all increase of 44% international overnight stayers in comparison to the same quarter in 2023. Investing in different market segments is essential. With the upcoming completion of the Aquatic and Sports Centre in Victoria, Gozo will have state- of-the-art facilities, positioning it well to expand in sports tour- ism—a sector where the island already shows promise. Gozo's size, climate, and upcoming fa- cilities offer a competitive edge for hosting training camps and small international competitions in the near future. There are also opportunities in the events sector. In recent years, the Ministry has made significant strides in expanding its events offerings, catering to a diverse audience. It is actual- ly so satisfying to see locals and tourists dancing in our village squares to talented Gozitans bands. The quality of events has also improved, providing nu- merous opportunities for local talent to showcase their skills and capabilities. We need to continue investing in this area, giving further opportunities to the locals while looking further to international profiles that can enhance the flavour of our en- tertainment offering. The film industry presents an- other area for growth. We all know how lucrative this is and how certain opportunities can be created for the local econo- my. While Gozo has hosted a relatively fair share of produc- tions in recent years, we have been at the forefront with sev- eral of these to support in dif- ferent shapes and forms, the is- land can improve itself in a wide spectrum of elements to become more appealing, and at the same time better-versed to host pro- ductions. Another priority is to contin- ue investing in the VisitGozo brand which we administer. This brand's raison d'etre is to sup- port the Government's vision of Gozo, that is to be presented as a distinct destination in the Mediterranean. Having a brand enables us to establish ourselves, and place ourselves in positions we want or at least attempt to be. After all, in this day and age, having a brand enables the foun- dations for a strong digital pres- ence. VisitGozo should also seek to broaden its networks even with larger international stake- holders. Finally, it's crucial to continue encouraging the right invest- ments on the island. The Minis- try for Gozo and Planning should maintain and expand incentive schemes for the private sector, which are crucial for elevating the quality of our tourism prod- ucts and services. Since 2020, the number of schemes offered by our Directorate has increased from three to seven, with some being revised to provide better support to private stakeholders, who are essential to our tourism industry. As Director of Tourism and Economic Development, are you satisfied with the level of economic investment in Gozo? What is being done to attract more investment? The moment one is satisfied is the moment when the prospect of inertia looms in. While one can be satisfied with the trajec- tory of achievements, the mind- set is to keep striving to attain more and better results. With- out having to go into numbers, the economic growth in Gozo is evident and felt. It was need- ed, and this cannot be denied. Now we are at a point where our objectives have to align with the new realities and we must adapt. This is the reason for in- stance we have already started to address the need to improve our incentive schemes while im- proving our digital offering with the new brand InvestGozo. In Gozo, as in Malta, employ- ment is no longer a major issue, and salaries are becoming more competitive. For instance, com- paring statistics from 2020 to the most recent data, Gozo has seen a significant improvement in average annual basic sala- ries. In 2020, Gozo ranked 5th among the six Maltese regions, but it now ranks an impressive 2nd. The average salary in Gozo has increased by 21% in just two years, even surpassing the aver- age salary on mainland Malta. This should not be the point of arrival, but the foundation to continue building on. In terms of attracting more investment, particularly in the tourism sector, the focus should not necessarily be on increas- ing bed stock or building more properties. Instead, we should elevate the quality of existing ac- commodations to stay competi- tive in the Mediterranean. Gozo already offers high-quality ac- commodations, but maintaining and enhancing these standards is crucial given the fierce competi- tion. Finally, we must encourage further investments in knowl- edge-based sectors to provide more opportunities for young Gozitan graduates to find em- ployment on the island. While gaining experience abroad or in Malta is beneficial, creating local opportunities is essential. For lo- cal entrepreneurship and foreign direct investment to thrive, we need to be mindful of the unique challenges that investment in Gozo faces and support it ac- cordingly. Surely, investment should not be limited to property development. How can Gozo attract a diverse portfolio of investment? Investment in Gozo extends beyond property development, and the perception of it being the primary economic driver can be misleading, as this economic activity is very visible and defi- nitely make itself felt. However, this isn't to diminish its econom- ic contribution or to disregard public sentiment about the con- struction industry. It is indeed an important economic activity, and I support the Government's efforts to implement changes that make it more regulated and sustainable. Can more be done? Absolutely. It's generally advisa- ble to avoid implementing dras- tic changes all at once, as this can cause more harm than good. Regarding economic diversifi- cation, while Gozo has potential in various sectors, our economic history has been driven by ele- ments of specialization in certain sectors, particularly tourism. This focus is logical for a small island like Gozo. Some indus- tries here are still in their infant stages, and their growth can be hindered by the social challenges of double insularity. I firmly be- lieve that fostering local entre- preneurship is crucial to devel- oping the desired ecosystem. We should enhance our efforts in nurturing entrepreneurship, es- pecially in the knowledge-based sectors, to create more employ- ment opportunities for locals and young graduates, potentially attract talent from abroad, and stimulate further investment in these areas. destination, not just a day-trip excursion'