Ramla bay was deserted by mid-morning yesterday Santa Marija day, when it is usually packed.

People on the scene said that while the presence of a few jellyfish may have had something to do with it, there has been a noticeable drop in the number of visitors to Gozo this summer.

A Gozitan did, however complain about the environment.

"The Maltese are starting to find that Gozo is becoming very much like Malta when it comes to the environment which could lead to Maltese seaching for environmentally unspoilt and cleaner places. Some of our remote beaches such as Halfa Beach in Qala are being frequented by many tourism tour boats and are filthy even in the peak of Summer," the man said.

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