Calypso blues

Calypso" and "Blues", while two separate musical genres, share a common root in jazz. But the Calypso blues I am referring to have nothing to do with West Indian or Black American music. We still claim that Gozo is the island of Ogygia where the sea nymph Calypso attracted and kept Odysseus to herself for seven years.

A few days ago, together with my colleague Karmenu Vella I had a meeting with key operators in the Gozo tourism industry. The two-hour meeting sounded like a session of Calypso blues: the persons we met were rather despondent, melancholic and their spirits were depressed when they spoke about the state of tourism in Gozo and its future prospects. They seem to be losing the belief that they can still charm modern-day travellers to the island of Ogygia, and keep them there at least for a few nights.

They feel that they have gone through one of their worst seasons ever. They have tried hard over the years to build the tourism industry in Gozo and four years ago through the Gozo Tourism Association they came out with a "Review and Framework for Future Development" which identified a 21-point action plan over five years (2000-2005) to put tourism in Gozo on a more sustainable and profitable basis.

Most of the action plan is still valid and had Government taken it on board and worked hard together with all the main stakeholders to implement it, I am sure that Gozo's key players in tourism would not be singing Calypso blues as they are doing a present.

One of the main strategic goals of this action plan states: "Key stakeholders, including the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) together with the Ministry for Gozo, the Malta Tourism Authority, the Ministry of Tourism, the Gozo Channel ferry company, Malta Air Charter and the local authorities must work closely to establish an integrated approach for the strategic development of tourism in Gozo."

It is exactly because government has failed to show the necessary leadership to achieve this comprehensive and co-ordinated approach that tourism operators in Gozo are feeling so let down and abandoned. Most of their complaints stem from the total lack of synergy that there is among different ministries and public sector organisations that play such a crucial role in tourism.

After a quiet winter season they were looking forward to a busy summer season to compensate for having to slash their rates to fill some of their hotels. But the busy season has been short and they expect that overall their occupancy rate throughout the year will remain at 35%. To be viable they need a 65% occupancy rate.

Tourism is still very seasonal in Gozo and this makes the industry more fragile and vulnerable. Hotels and restaurants lack well-trained staff. Those well trained leave for Malta in winter as they lack a regular job in Gozo and then stay there. The Institute for Tourism Studies in Gozo needs a total revamp to extend its areas of studies, attract also students who succeed in their exams and offer not just initial training and education courses for the people hoping to join the sector, but also courses for in-service training and continuous professional development.

But this can only be done if more tourists go to Gozo and spend more time there during the year so that the industry becomes viable all the year round and not just during the short summer season. Gozo has much more than Malta to offer as a destination but government and the pubic sector organisations are letting Gozo down.

Must not survive on Maltese scraps

Take Gozo Channel: it has an indispensable role to play in promoting tourism in Gozo. This ferry company has become part of the problem - and not part of the solution for Gozo tourism. Months have passed and its trolley service to assist tourists to carry their luggage is still not available. The company has hiked its prices without consulting the sector, without telling tour operators in advance and without caring for the negative impact on Gozo.

It has reduced the number of trips operating between the islands and is allowing its service to deteriorate by having stinking garbage trucks travel with passengers. The Mgarr and Cirkewwa terminals, planned to cost Lm8 million have already overshot their budget by 50% and need more than another Lm2 million to be completed. The terminals look like chaotic building sites and passengers do not have proper facilities where to take shelter.

The ferry company is offering poor ticketing and customer care services. Hoteliers and tour operators have not been informed - let alone consulted - about the new autumn and winter timetable.

The sector is also at a loss about what is going to happen once Air Malta stops operating its helicopter service between the two islands. When, how and who is going to replace this inter-island helicopter service?

The area connecting Mgarr passenger terminal to Zewwieqa yacht Marina needs to be embellished. It is in a state of neglect. It needs pavements, benches, trees and parking facilities. A road providing emergency exit to the harbour needs to be constructed and a solution must be found to ease the traffic congestion from Mgarr to Lourdes church.

More public investment is needed to provide a high quality road network in Gozo: Mgarr-Victoria; to Marsalforn; Xlendi; Ramla Bay and Dwejra. These roads must have bicycle lanes and also pavements for walkers. The tourism zones embellished during the last Labour government in Marsalforn and Xlendi must be maintained properly. Sandy beaches must be kept clean, maintained well and upgraded. The Ta' Dbiegi crafts village must be redesigned and local artisans and their handicrafts promoted well. Gozo has a rich indigenous cuisine which is practically non-existent in Gozitan restaurants.

Access to the beautiful Gozitan countryside must be improved. Rural areas must be cleaned thoroughly, valleys maintained, proper signage provided, rubble walls repaired and steps taken to reduce the conflict between bird hunters, trappers and walkers. More trees must be planted. Trees in squares and along roads must be trimmed, pruned and looked after well.

Government needs to support Gozo tourism, cut government-induced costs and ease taxes. Gozo's key players in tourism must be given by right an effective role in Maltese decision-making structures. At present these are ignoring Gozo's particular needs and with their one-size-fits-all policies are actually harming Gozitan tourism.

Gozo is painfully absent from our national structures. I think our Constitution should be changed to include Gozo in the name of our country like other small island states such as Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda... where the smaller islands are given appropriate regional structures to promote their own development.

Gozo has the potential to position itself as a top quality destination because of its natural, cultural and heritage resources. But good quality tourists are staying away due to the noise, air pollution and lack of cleanliness throughout the island. Steps must be taken to introduce pollution-free transport.

Once upon a time Maltese visiting Gozo used to praise its cleanliness. Not any longer. General cleanliness must be ongoing; more rubbish bins must be provided and local councils in tourism zones must be more sensitive to the needs of the industry even though their votes lie elsewhere.

While it is failing to attract more and better tourists, the sector is also losing on internal tourism as Maltese tourists flock to Tunisia where they get better and cheaper holidays. The Tourism Ministry and the MTA have failed to design and implement a proper internal tourism strategy for Gozo to attract more Maltese.

Former Labour Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella has always argued that if tourism in Gozo is to have a viable future, its key players must take a more pro-active role. At present the entire supply infrastructure, travel agents, etc., is controlled by the Maltese. The Gozitans themselves need to build their own structures to get tourists and not depend on what spills over from Malta. Gozo is still reduced to a venue for day trips of tourists staying in Malta. Gozo itself is not being promoted enough as a main and separate destination.

Even when Gozitans are invited to participate in international tourism fairs, the MTA does not organise any bookings for them to talk directly to tour operators to bring tourists to Gozo. Minister Vella had taken the preliminary steps to get the Sicily ferry to sail to Gozo directly to increase tourists to Gozo but this initiative was discontinued.

Gozo can only have a full and mature tourism industry when it can organise its own lifeline and not try to survive on the scraps that fall from Malta's tourism sector.

evaristbartolo@hotmail.com