Investing in tourism projects

I refer to the letter Neglecting St Paul's Bay by Oliver Mallia (March 3).

As a matter of information, the government has applied for a number of projects for the Qawra and St Paul's Bay area under the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), which projects were recently approved.

The first project is the creation of a landscaped garden at Qawra point together with a promenade extension, the creation of a visitor attraction, which will include a large aquarium, as well as a marine archaeology museum and an institute for diving. The request for proposals for the first phase of the project is underway and will be concluded by the end of this month.

The second project entails the recreation of the sandy beach at Qawra point - most commonly known as Ta' Fra Ben - in order to supplement the already existing offer of rocky beaches in the area and the perched beach of Buġibba.

The third project sees the construction of the promenade and upgrading of the walkway in St Paul's Bay leading from the locality's primary school up to Wignacourt Tower.

This investment is being carried out as the government firmly believes that this area needs to be continuously enhanced, not only to increase the value of the tourism product on offer but also to enhance the experience of all those locals who visit these popular areas.