Gozo Crafts Village

Mr Eric Muscat (The Sunday Times, September 26) chose to vent his silly sarcasm on tourist guides. His comments are totally uncalled for and hold no ground.

Mr Muscat is clearly ill informed about the way guided tours work. Tour operators periodically issue brochures with a full tour description. Tourist guides engaged to conduct the tour have to abide by the programme. Any changes to the tour itinerary have to be approved by the tour operator.

The main reason for this is that insurance companies only cover visits to the places stipulated on the programme. So if tourist guides do not stop at the Gozo Crafts Village it's because it is not on the programme.

We highly encourage the concerned authorities to do whatever it takes to make the Gozo Crafts Village more 'tourist-friendly'. A greater variety of workshops, a more lively atmosphere - perhaps with people in traditional costume showing their craft-making skills - appropriate coach parking facilities, toilets, coffee shops and yes, why not, a village festa street atmosphere, would go a long way to making the Gozo Crafts Village a more attractive place. This will definitely encourage tour operators to include the Crafts Village on their Gozo tour.