When, a few days ago, the prime minister offered me the tourism portfolio, I was both honoured and thrilled to be entrusted with this important assignment.
Tourism is indeed one of the pillars of the Maltese economy, a leading sector when it comes to earnings from overseas. It is a major source of employment for our citizens and for a growing number of people who come to Malta seeking a better life for themselves and their families.
Tourism generates wealth and this wealth permeates across all strata of society, reaching down to all levels and making a real difference to many.
The Maltese islands have been blessed with a set of attributes that may not be unique when considered separately but which collectively make for a truly special place: a destination that millions choose to visit every year. We are blessed with a pleasant year-round climate with hot summers and mild winters, with the outstanding architectural, artistic and cultural heritage that ensued from our rich and colourful past.
The natural beauty of our coastal cliffs, fishing harbours and secluded coves and bays; our picturesque village cores and our precious countryside flowering in spring; the blue Mediterranean Sea that cradles our archipelago in its warm embrace and provides endless opportunities for sport and relaxation.
Tourism is indeed one of the pillars of the Maltese economy
But there’s more to a holiday destination than sun, sea, places of interest and beautiful vistas. The tourism product – and it is very much a product besides being a service – is made up of many other elements; from an airport that can handle arrivals and departures in a seamless manner to an efficient public transport and a modern road system, not to mention top cruise facilities for those who opt to visit by sea.
For an island like Malta, connectivity by air is absolutely crucial. Having a network of direct flight services from a wide selection of airports in Europe and beyond is vitally important for tourism to thrive and prosper.
Then there’s the hospitality sector, providing all types of accommodation – from five-star resorts to intimate boutique hotels, farmhouses, apartments and more. The catering sector is also closely linked to tourism, with many of our restaurants, cafés and bars owing a good portion of their business to guests from abroad.
The list of sectors whose fortunes depend to some extent on the performance of the tourism sector goes on and on.
Professional diving schools, language schools, the MICE industry, airlines and travel agents, tour guides, museums and heritage sites, sightseeing buses, taxis and car rental companies, ferry services, souvenir shops, craftsmen and artisans and many others all benefit to some degree from tourism.
They also contribute directly to make what the Malta, Gozo and Comino tourism product is all about. They are the protagonists, the frontliners, the people who our foreign visitors will be coming in contact with during their stay.
A big slice of credit for the success achieved by Malta’s tourism sector over the years is due to these people who may not be in the spotlight, but who make our visitors’ experience the best that it can be.
As I take the helm of this important sector I feel confident that, backed by the dedicated teams at my ministry, the Malta Tourism Authority and the Institute for Tourism Studies, together with our stakeholders in the field, we can all look forward to a bright future.
Julia Farrugia Portelli is Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection.