Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/770367
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 8 JANUARY 2017 15 clear to him that the plan would need to be tweaked. He could not understand, for example, how certain areas had been ear- marked for so-called compre- hensive development, with the only alternative for owners be- ing expropriation. "One major positive aspect of the plan was the importance it placed on the infrastructure," he said. "The serious inefficien- cies in the current infrastructure network ought to be tackled im- mediately, irrespective of the masterplan." Fenech says the current setup presented huge problems for the delivery of goods and services in the area and could cause equal problems for emergency services needing access in peak hours. His vision for a future Paceville is one which could end up in four areas offering distinct ser- vices that would make each zone inherently unique. "One such zone could end up focusing on six-star accommo- dation, services and entertain- ment, possibly featuring top- notch hotels, as well as high-end office and retail space," he said. "These would in turn be comple- mented by a restricted class of catering and entertainment ven- ues geared towards big-budget clients." Other areas would similarly of- fer a unique, and diverse, over- all experience, garnering a core loyal clientele but also provid- ing attractive alternatives to the non-discerning visitor. "We are already seeing a change in the cross-section of the atypi- cal tourist," Fenech said. "There are no longer just one or two types of tourist, nor is tourism still strictly characterised by na- tionality or age group." The concept of community tourism, for example – where tourists choose to stay with a friend (or complete strangers) and participate in the mundane activities in the daily lives of their hosts – was rapidly gaining a strong following. But whatever the future holds for Paceville, within a master- plan context or not, Fenech says the area had already secured its place in the local leisure and en- tertainment scene. He is quite convinced and passionate about this. "Whatever anyone says, the past 30 years have proven Pace- ville is a true local success story." Interview GRTU section head says he does not feel any Maltese government would ever take the harsh decisions needed to make the national airline commercially viable • Philip Fenech speaks with MaltaToday's PAUL COCKS about his position on the new punitive measures to clamp down on drink-driving, introducing skill cards for employees in the leisure industry and his vision for a future Paceville ultimately fail – Philip Fenech