Updated: 12.35pm, adds Gavin Gulia's comments
The government wants Malta to become "a hub of tourism excellence", Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said on Tuesday, calling on all sectors to always focus on quality.
Speaking at the Mediterranean Tourism Forum, Bartolo said that while the ongoing priority remains recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also time to rethink the island's tourism product and strive for better quality.
"The ongoing priority needs to be recovery.
"But we also need to rethink our products, our tourism policy. This is something we have started doing. We have an ever-discerning tourist, more than ever before.
"Quality needs to be seen across all sectors in a consistent manner. By getting all the basic things right, quality will emerge. The government wants Malta to be a hub of tourism excellency," Bartolo said.
The minister also called on the stakeholders present at the forum to focus on sustainability, saying this should not be "just a buzzword but the modus operandi [the way things are always done]".
Meanwhile, the minister also called for the different tourism sectors to work, together, saying this is "crucial", especially as the industry rethinks how it operates.
'Not about quantity'
Meanwhile, in comments later, Malta Tourism Authority chairman Gavin Gulia said tourism should not be “about numbers but what you offer”.
"Tourism is not just about numbers but what you offer. Tourists must enjoy the experience in Malta if they are to attract friends and return. The product is good, but we must make it better," Gulia said.
He also acknowledged that the time for change in the tourism industry had come even before the pandemic hit.
"Mass tourism was characteristic of the industry… we were looking at volumes, filling rooms and we had strong economic growth that led to development even in the tourism industry.
"Back then I was already speaking about quality over quantity. During these two years, we, as MTA, have embarked on an array of schemes to address this," he said.
Gulia also called on the stakeholders to make use of the technological experiences gained throughout the pandemic. This, he said, is "the way forward".
The conference is still ongoing.