Motorists planning to cross the Gozo channel for a relaxing start to the new year have been left stuck behind many others with similar plans.

On Boxing Day morning, long queues of cars waiting to board a ferry stretched from the top of Dawret Il-Mellieħa to Ċirkewwa.

A minor traffic accident also added to the lengthy tailbacks at one point. 

All four ferries have been shuttling passengers and vehicles from Ċirkewwa to Mġarr, with a spokesperson saying they are running at total capacity. 

Gozo Tourism Association CEO Joe Muscat put the long queues down to people making an early exit from Malta to spend New Year on the sister island.

Restaurants, hotels and farmhouses have indicated a busy end to the year. 

Traffic at a standstill gives some the opportunity to chat to people in cars around them. Photo: Jonathan Borg

“We are expecting a very high occupancy rate this New Year’s weekend,” Muscat said. 

Despite the elimination of EU-wide COVID-19 travel restrictions that freed Maltese residents to go abroad for a mini-break this year, many have still chosen to count down the new year in Gozo, he said.  

“The Maltese who did decide to travel abroad this year have been out-compensated by foreigners who chose to spend their holidays in Gozo,” he said. 

The blue-sky weather could be another reason for the decision to visit Gozo on Monday. 

The weather forecast shows temperatures reaching above 20 degrees celsius until at least Wednesday

Temperatures are set to reach above 20 degrees celsius for each of the next three days, feeling as high as 22 degrees on Tuesday, according to the Met Office. 

The weather is forecast to cool down by the weekend, with maximum temperatures of around 18 degrees celsius on New Year's Eve.

There are also a number of Christmas attractions enticing people over to the island. 

Għajnsielem, a village close to the Mġarr port, is hosting its traditional live crib, “Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem” following a two-year hiatus because of the pandemic. 

Besides that, Gozo’s Christmas calendar is full of exhibitions, concerts, and events, Muscat said.  

He said that the week leading up to New Year’s Eve is always a busy period for Gozo’s tourist operators.

Many want to stay close to family at Christmas and then plan a short holiday to celebrate the New Year, he said.