Pre-summer dreams and nightmares

Summer is around the corner. Many have already planned their vacation, hoping to unwind after at least nine months of running in the hamster wheel, trying to cope with the increasing demands dictated by often illogical lifestyle dogmas.

A week’s holiday abroad has become an almost life-saving necessity. Low-cost travel has made this possible for many. However, as soon as one returns from an overseas holi­day, the realities of living in this idiosyncratic country become obvious.

The few sandy beaches we have are almost always overcrowded. When schools shut down for the hot summer months, parents try to keep their kids in control by promising day-long excursions to the beach several times a week.

This is when mid-summer dreams often become nightmares and begin to inflict pain on so many local families. 

The overcrowding of our beaches has become a persistent problem. Mass tourism means that tens of thousands of visitors compete for the limi­ted space on beaches, especially on the north coast of the island. Still, my pre-summer experience confirms that this is not the only gripe many will have this summer.

During a recent midweek visit to Armier and Little Armier, it became evident that these small public beaches are being taken over by concession holders, who erect large tents for beach parties.

One morning, loud music measuring almost 130 dBA, the pain threshold for humans, was blasting from both bays. Foreign technicians would not listen to angry people protesting that they had a right to enjoy a stress-free day at these beaches. The technicians argued that they needed to conduct sound tests before an evening beach party. 

One beach concession operator in Armier increased the fees for a sunbed and umbrella by 12.5 per cent in a year, well above the inflation rate. Moreover, this operator installed new substandard beach umbrellas with no UV protection material. Needless to say, the cost of a snack at these concessions is not even worth considering.

A few positive developments are worth highlighting. It seems that some of the sandy beaches in the north of the island have been adequately cleaned, even if the cleaning is done by hand by an army of cleaners.

A small sand-sifting vehicle would probably do the same work in a fraction of the time it takes a dozen workers toiling in the pre-summer heat.

I sympathise with residents in towns in and adjacent to tourist areas, such as Buġibba, Swieqi and St Julian’s.

Our tourism policymakers must walk the talk when they solemnly declare that they have a strategy to move ‘upmarket’ by promoting high-quality tourism

Malta attracts many budget-conscious visitors who come here for less than a week, intent on making the most of the little money they can afford to spend. They often stay in rented accommodation, party for long hours well into the night, disregard the interests of residents, and resort to anti-social behaviour in all forms.

Our tourism policymakers must walk the talk when they solemnly declare that they have a strategy to move ‘upmarket’ by promoting high-quality tourism.

While many have discovered a new source of easy income by renting out their spare rooms or apartments, this is doing very little to help us realise our dream of a country we feel proud to live in.

In the last few weeks, activities in our illegal camping sites have increased.

Tatty caravans are again being parked in places on the Coast Road and Salini. They are often in tow of some derelict vehicle to give the impression that they are not a permanent fixture in case the authorities reluctantly decide to take action to stop this abuse of public land.

Garbage collection remains inadequate. Many pray that the windy season, which generally prevails up to the beginning of summer, ends soon.

On Thursdays, recyclable paper and plastic grey bags are often collected late in the day, with the result that on a windy day, these bags are scattered dangerously in the middle of our streets.

The collection of the white and black bags is hardly any better.  Some residents carelessly dump their garbage bags on pavements whenever it is convenient for them, which leads to the proliferation of rats and vermin in residential areas.

Why is it so challenging to manage garbage collection effectively and enforce sensible civic regulations consistently?

We need to be ambitious and nurture aspirations that will distinguish us from some Mediterranean neighbours who do not seem to care much for their urban and rural environment.

Dreams turn to nightmares when we accept mediocrity as the gold standard in our civic life.