Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/357188
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 AUGUST 2014 Opinion 22 A change for the better Evarist Bartolo M ore than 1,300 students started free revision classes in four SEC subjects last Monday as the Youth Guarantee project celebrates yet another timeline. Students who didn't get the right result in physics, maths, English and Maltese in the May, 2014 SEC examination have been given a second chance through these revision classes to better prepare for the September re-sit. This is a great achievement, especially when you consider that multiple students have opted to re- sit two examinations, and in some cases the maximum permitted, three. These are intensive classes; students who attend revision classes in three subjects will have a total of 18 hours a week of lessons, right up to the examination. Past exam papers for all subjects are provided free-of-charge to all students attending, so that they may have the appropriate material in hand during this intensive programme. In the past, we had people snigger and question whether or not Malta needed the Youth Guarantee. During the first months in office last year, it was a priority to have a proper stock-take of the situation and releasing all the educational reports, hidden under lock and key in the past, was considered a priority. People quickly realised that not everything was rosy in our educational system and that we needed policies to combat early school leaving, to widen the system's role in catering for different learning abilities, to improve literacy levels and to prepare our children with the right skill-sets for today's world. We've seen what the major issues were and we've started down the road to solve them. Free revision classes is one of these policies – a safety net for students who, after facing the prospect of a whole summer on their own when they received their results, now have the right support so they do not give up. *** In recent days we have introduced a number of changes to the students' maintenance grants; student allowances, previously given to students through the smart card system, have been replaced by direct payments of the same amount. Despite good intentions the previous system failed to succeed. The National Audit Office report on the smart card system, back in 2010, painted a grim picture. It said that the system was beset with problems and mismanagement, and labelled the system itself as "ineffective". In its report, the NAO had suggested a system whereby the smart card amount would be given as direct payment as an addition to the stipend, spread over a number of months. We didn't choose to go down that path for the simple reason that this would not have allowed students to purchase the books and any other educational equipment they needed at the beginning of the year. Instead we've opted for a simple system – direct payment. This will allow students to have a wider choice from where to buy and a simpler way to purchase their requirements. The state invests heavily in the education of our students. By supplementing free education at the University, MCAST and other institutions with these annual grants, we are further empowering students through these changes. The vast majority understand the huge investment the country is making in them and are appreciative of the huge opportunities they are being presented with. Evarist Bartolo is Minister of Education and Employment T he tourism industry in Europe is today characterised by a high level of destination competition from both within and outside the region. In my opinion new and emerging short- and long-haul destinations will continue to augment competition for established destinations, such as Malta. If we are aiming to secure our share of the market, we need to be much more pro-active and immediately intensify our efforts in this respect. My agenda is in line with the EU Commission's tourism policy framework, which underlines the need for Europe to promote and develop its image in global markets and promote cooperation with China, Russia, India, Brazil, Japan and the United States, among other markets. From a 'Malta-tourism' perspective, the efforts to improve the visibility of 'destination Europe' are of course very welcome; however, these present a number of challenges for a peripheral island destination such as Malta. Such efforts to ease intra- EU connections and air transport accessibility need to ensure an even attraction to all EU tourist destinations. Over the years, Malta has been fairly successful in securing its market share from European countries, but the challenge of distant-market penetration is considerable for a country the size of Malta and indeed other small Mediterranean destinations. I have looked into various Commission documents on the subject of tourism proposing that Mediterranean countries together collaborate and cooperate in an effort to identify common goals and increase promotion in distant markets. I foresee these proposals leading in advantages that can be achieved through a branding process of the 'European Mediterranean' which can support and complement the brand identity of the individual destinations. The promotion of this brand image with these distant markets is also important to accentuate the rich cultural elements of the Mediterranean, which at times is more associated with sun, beach and mass tourism. I reiterate that the benefit for these destinations, such as Malta, is not just about quantitative gain but also, if not more importantly, about quality, as some of the long haul markets like the US and China have a registered higher tourist spend. The Mediterranean therefore is in a strong position to appeal to these countries. It is known that Chinese tourists are among those who find the concept of European Mediterranean more appealing. Action has already been taken within the EU framework, such as the 2004 EU-China Agreement on the status of approved tourist destinations, to attract tourists from this region. This agreement allows Chinese tourists to travel in groups to Schengen area states. To further strengthen the relation that exists between Malta and China, a memorandum of understanding between the two countries was signed in July this year. Among others I consider this as providing enhancement cooperation in tourism and culture, in addition to a new air services agreement for better connectivity between the two countries, which is a crucial ingredient for success. I am working to attract and encourage more Chinese tourists to Malta, and the stakeholders to participate in the main tourism trade fairs and exhibitions, such as COTTM, which is organised in Beijing, representing a very significant platform for our islands. I am pleased to mention that in the next months, the MTA will also be launching the 'Visit Malta' web portal in Chinese version to make it accessible to this target market. I am determined to create a strong brand that will put Malta on the radar of these non-EU emerging economies. The Malta Tourism Authority is rebranding its marketing activity, both in the United States of America and Canada, following the appointment of a representative based in New York. In order to attract tour operators' interest to our islands, in September the MTA will be hosting an exclusive inspection visit of top US tour operators in cooperation with the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA). Furthermore, in the last quarter of this year we will be launching an online educational programme reaching more than 80,000 travel agents and tour operators across both the United States and Canada. The objective of this initiative is to educate and inform the American and Canadian trade community about the product, service and experiences that Malta and Gozo offer to their visitors. We need to look more towards travel facilitation. The reduction of visa bureaucracy must be improved to successfully penetrate these markets. Europe's competitors are growing in appeal and the region needs to continue working on travel facilitation if we are to capture a bigger share of the global market. Malta, like other EU countries and members of the Schengen agreement, is bound by the rules governing the issuing of visas, but the process has at times hampered growth prospects from a number of potential new source markets to the Mediterranean. In order to stimulate the European economy and facilitate travel towards the EU important changes in visa rules have been proposed. The proposed package of measures shall improve the application processes and facilitate repeat travel. The proposal of a new type of visa, 'Touring Visa', allowing legitimate travellers to circulate within the Schengen area for up to one year, without staying in one Member State for more than 90 days in any 180-day period, would also prove helpful. The proposal is currently being discussed and negotiated among member states at EU level. In addition a high-level meeting of EU Mediterranean member states was held in Malta with the collaboration of the Hellenic Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission under the theme 'Facilitating Tourism to the Mediterranean through the EU's Visa Policy', in order to encourage collaboration among EU Mediterranean member states in this topic. This is surely a step in the right direction, but we need and we are working on reducing barriers for tourism, while keeping the necessary security safeguards. A balance must be struck between travel facilitation and an appropriate level of security that can efficiently curb irregular migration. All points of contact with European authorities are important, from consulates in China, India and other countries, to immigration processes at airports on arrival. Improved visa processes are a key success factor to the expansion of these important new markets. We need to be well prepared to maximise all opportunities as important changes in travel demand and supply will continue to emerge. This strategy will however need to be supported by the provision of an attractive and quality tourist product and service, as this will secure a high level of visitor satisfaction, which will encourage loyalty and increased spending at the destination. I am confident that this is possible. Together we can make this happen and ensure more economic benefits from this important sector to our economy. Dr Edward Zammit Lewis is Minister for Tourism Edward Zammit Lewis Diversification of our tourism source markets