Editorial: Gozo’s quality tourism holy grail

Tourism is good for the country. It is one of the engines of our economy as it provides job opportunities and new income for many stakeholders. So why are many residents and tourism operators still searching for the holy grail of quality tourism?

The current revenue model of mass tourism is simple: the more tourists the better, regardless of quality. It is a model that is not unique to Malta. However, the disadvantages embedded in it – too much pressure in certain places at specific periods – make it intrinsically ‘unsustainable’.

The Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) has presented its proposals for the 2026 budget, calling for the island to be nurtured as a “unique destination”.

The GTA made several recommendations that have been made before: better connectivity, an independent planning function for Gozo, marketing promotion for new niche sectors, and a reduction of VAT on tourism-related activities.

Gozo still undoubtedly has the best chance of finding the holy grail of quality tourism. Despite large-scale overdevelopment in the last few years, many visitors find the island significantly more attractive than Malta.

Is there a way back from the unsustainable, fast growth in mass tourism? And will marketing alone suffice? Policymakers and the tourism lobby, including the GTA, continue to flaunt record-breaking statistics year after year.

A first good step in this exercise is to determine the carrying capacity of the island: how many visitors can Gozo handle as a destination?

When COVID-19 pressed the pause button on the tourism industry, many thought that the pandemic was a blow the sector needed. It should have been a chance to turn the corner to a more sustainable model. Unfortunately this was not the case. Policymakers have done far too little with that pause.

Operators still expect that the burdens of overtourism are borne collectively, and the pleasures remain individual. Hoteliers and rented accommodation owners continue to charge premium prices. At the same time, the cost of public cleaning, subsidised water and electricity, and dealing with pollution, crowds, and micro-crime associated with mass tourism is borne by taxpayers and residents. Some unfairly believe that you can freeride: you can surf the capital of public tourism for free.

Gozo tourism policymakers must undertake some soul-searching to devise realistic strategies that achieve their objective of promoting quality tourism.

A first good step in this exercise is to determine the carrying capacity of the island: how many visitors can Gozo handle as a destination?

The outcome of the arithmetic is to determine the maximum capacity. This figure will not say much about the quality of visitor or resident experience. As confirmed recently by a UK journalist, tourists visiting Malta’s towns and beaches often feel that the country is overcrowded. Measuring carrying capacity is more than just counting square metres; you also have to consider the psychology of crowding.

A second critical step is for policymakers and operators to ask: which tourists do we want? Should we still be encouraging party tourists seeking cheap drinks, including in our residential areas?

Should we continue to attract mass cruise liner day trippers, who only stay for a short time and then spend hardly anything? Should operators continue to depend on often low-paid imported labour who lack any cultural attachment to our country?

The bottom line is that the tourism product must be more expensive while offering significantly higher quality standards. No more freeriders, and the cost of travel must cover the real economic and ecological costs.

Tourism should be cherished, overtourism should be tackled. It is like a gigantic cruise ship that must change course. This requires steely political will and a considerable energy to do what needs to be done while sharing the pain of change equitably.