In recent weeks, the buzzword that has been overused is ‘quality over quantity’; it has become the most popular slogan used in various discussions. In tourism, quality is always put against quantity, reasonably so, because quantity ends up diluting quality.
In principle, I agree with the idea of enhancing our economy by focusing more on quality. The term ‘quality’ sounds appealing, conveying a sense of exclusivity and is often effectively employed in rhetoric. However, for those seeking concrete answers, the lack of policy to reduce quantity and the daily reminders that the chase for more numbers is ongoing suggests that our politicians understand there is a problem (excessive quantity) and the end goal (quality) but don’t know how to get there.
Where do we start?
Accommodation is typically the first consideration for visitors to a new country, while food is an absolute necessity. The concept of quality has been introduced in the tourism industry, emphasising improved standards in our restaurants and hotels to attract higher-spending (quality) tourists. However, like many descriptive terms, ‘quality’ can be highly subjective.
For a five-star hotel owner, quality might mean having 1,000 guests filling all rooms and spending €1,000 each on an all-inclusive package. Conversely, for a family that has invested their savings in a B&B, having four guests who spend €700 in local restaurants and supermarkets may be sufficient.
The latter requires fewer people and wealth is spread while the former will go all to the hotel owner. In reality, what do we want? A tourism sector where wealth is spread for everyone to benefit or one which will only benefit the few?
Recently, B&Bs have been criticised and labelled as budget alternatives to hotels, with many hotels perceiving them as a threat to their business model. Indeed, this shift can be felt even by the people in the industry whereby the latest proposal for Villa Rosa suggests developing service apartments for tourists instead of a traditional hotel.
But are we truly moving away from quantity?
Last month, Ryanair announced plans to carry eight million passengers over the next decade. This translates to 800,000 tourists arriving in our country each year from just one low-cost airline. This figure does not even account for tourists flying in from other airlines.
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary outlined how Malta needs more tourists to keep its hotels and tourist facilities open and, to be fair, what he is saying makes a lot of sense. If we begin telling our hoteliers and restaurateurs to shut down, we also need to inform their employees that they are not needed and their families that their income will significantly decline.
Like many descriptive terms, ‘quality’ can be highly subjective- Pamela Cann Rodgers
We face a similar situation with cruise liners, which bring in high-spending travellers, albeit for limited stays. What impact do they truly have on our economy with only a 12-hour visit to Malta? They surely cannot explore all our heritage sites in such a short time and are unlikely to spend on meals when their ships provide extensive buffets, which they have already paid for.
When it comes to the need for direction, is it quality or quantity?
Above all else, when it comes to this challenge between quantity and quality, credibility becomes an issue. It is useless to mention ‘quality’ when the government voted to build more than 700 apartments to house an additional 24,000 tourists, thereby increasing quantity.
The core issue is not the construction itself, as it falls under a free market, and the government should not intervene if a contractor has the right to build. The matter is far broader; it involves the alteration of local plans, leading to a dramatic transformation of an already busy area.
Discussing the reduction in the number of tourists, yet, at the same time permitting developers to increase the quantity creates confusion regarding our desired direction. This contradiction makes it clear that the likelihood of a decrease in quantity is highly unlikely, thus, we should accept this reality and focus on enhancing our infrastructure to counter its effects.
Is quantity bad?
Using the term quality without attributing meaning is becoming very dangerous, risking many setting expectations, resulting in disappointment. Quality implies exclusivity. Thus, the more tourists increase, the less quality we will attract. In truth, will investing in quality compensate for the quantity we may lose?
If the infrastructure is robust enough so that the transport works efficiently, and the sewage and power supply are equipped to handle the population we have, the problems people are facing nowadays attributed to overpopulation will be felt much less.
Pamela Cann Rodgers is a lawyer and PR consultant.