Well-known Gozitan tourism pioneer Lino Cefai has passed away at the age of 63.
Cefai was renowned as the founder of the popular and the widely-acclaimed Ta’ Frenċ Restaurant and a director of Gozo Village Holidays, a pioneer in the Gozitan short-let sector.
He is widely credited as being among the first to see the potential in renovating traditional old buildings in Gozo to cater for both domestic and overseas holiday-makers.
The Gozo Tourism Association on behalf of the Gozitan touristic sector was among those to offer its condolences to the daughter and family of Cefai, who died on Monday night.
The owners of Ta’ Frenċ Restaurant posted a tribute on Facebook: "We will miss your enthusiasm, knowledge, jokes you shared, the memories you created and the long chats we had. We promise to continue the legacy of the restaurant which you dearly held at heart together with your lifelong friend Ino and make you both proud."
The funeral will be held on Saturday at St George’s Basilica, Victoria, Gozo.