'New sense of direction' needed for Gozo tourism

Tourism in Gozo could not continue to be "made up of the crumbs that fall from Malta", the Labour Party's tourism spokesman, Evarist Bartolo, said yesterday.

Tourists who spent more money needed to visit the island throughout the year and not just over a few months, he said.

Quoting the latest statistics, Mr Bartolo said that from the total number of tourists who visited Malta in the last 19 months, Gozo registered less than two per cent of the total bed nights and spend. "This shows that much of Gozo tourism consists of the crumbs that fall off the Maltese tourism table," Mr Bartolo said.

The situation was causing problems for those who work in the tourism industry in Gozo and showed the need for the government to give a new sense of direction to the island's tourism.

Gozo needed to be marketed overseas as a separate destination, Mr Bartolo said, pointing out a need for its tourism operators to be given a real role in decision-making and for good transport between the islands.