The need for civic pride
Tourism
Malta and Gozo, as two small island states, are susceptible to every international crisis. We have all seen the effect of the recent oil price increase and the subsequent price hike in the market cost of cereals (perhaps this is one other reason why we need to think seriously about alternative energy processes that can be implemented using our one natural resource - the sun).
Over the past few years we have benefited from an investment of millions of euros from the EU and we could benefit from a further €800 million over the next seven years but will this be enough to build an island with a strong basis for attracting the quality visitor?
My reply is a definite: "No!" because we need to have a broader vision than simply one that looks towards marketing. We must all have a real commitment to the hospitality industry and for that we must all make sure that we possess a culture of civic pride in ourselves, our environment, our heritage and our traditions.
Because of the historical development of the tourism industry in 1958 as a top-down decision by a colonial government, we have tended to be rather passive about the effect this important activity can have on our quality of life and economy. We do acknowledge the importance of the industry as a major employer and we do believe that our GDP gets a generous contribution from tourism but we have been content to accept the same marketing strategies, the same itineraries and the same niches that have helped develop the perception of this sun and sea destination without considering the alternative, literally, at our very doorstep...
We could be a small island of 67 unique destinations, an island where every town or village has its own stories, history, character and culture and we could build a diverse programme of thematic events.
The basis for this one-to-one style of hospitality has been set. Government has already approved special concessions for the introduction of low cost carriers; these will give greater independence to the traveler who prefers to choose the destination based on its unique offering rather than as a mainstream package that has strong trappings of a stereotyped product!
Airlines provide the impetus for small islands and the emphasis needs to be on making this form of transport as sustainable as possible for the host community as well as the visitor. Sustainability for small island states is the key to protecting and preserving the character and unique environment for future generations.
The student host niche is another sector that should give a sense of pride to the locals as well as an opportunity for more people to benefit from tourism. But this could also be a serious point of contention between the mainstream market and this specialised form of hospitality. Over the past few years, many hoteliers tried to mix a cocktail of students and mainstream tourists within the same environment, forgetting that the secret to the right blend lies in understanding the markets rather than the business alone. The concept behind the student market was never to treat these with the same kind of service as the mainstream tourism but to diversify our market base so as to offer a variety of activities.
We should not retain the placid view of product and service we adopted these last 30 or 40 years; we need to be innovative and to be really innovative we need to have a real passion for our own culture and history.
Fifty years ago we referred to this passion as pure patriotism, a word that seems to have gone out of fashion because it conjures up images of an inward-looking race of people who are unwilling to submit to the outside influence of other cultures and civilisations.
But tourism today is about an exchange of cultures; it is about protecting civilisations; building diversity and not uniformity; it is about being proud of one's roots.
The Prime Minister made this point about civic pride, crystal clear during the recent general council meeting of the Nationalist Party. He said he would prefer investment in infrastructure and services to be channelled towards the development of a culture that created a greater sense of civic pride.
If we are to offer a competitive and unique product and service for tourism then we must ensure that we deliver this product in the most holistic and authentic way possible.
We must believe that by improving the tourism product we are also improving our own quality of life. The alternative would be to depend on quantity rather than quality when it comes to tourism. The questions we need to answer are: Are we ready to sacrifice our own quality of life just for the sake of ignoring our civic duties towards our island home? Are we no longer proud to be Maltese?
• Mr Zarb is a tourism journalist, the president of the Malta Tourism Society and the vice president of the European Union of Tourism Officers.
Over the past few years we have benefited from an investment of millions of euros from the EU and we could benefit from a further €800 million over the next seven years but will this be enough to build an island with a strong basis for attracting the quality visitor?
My reply is a definite: "No!" because we need to have a broader vision than simply one that looks towards marketing. We must all have a real commitment to the hospitality industry and for that we must all make sure that we possess a culture of civic pride in ourselves, our environment, our heritage and our traditions.
Because of the historical development of the tourism industry in 1958 as a top-down decision by a colonial government, we have tended to be rather passive about the effect this important activity can have on our quality of life and economy. We do acknowledge the importance of the industry as a major employer and we do believe that our GDP gets a generous contribution from tourism but we have been content to accept the same marketing strategies, the same itineraries and the same niches that have helped develop the perception of this sun and sea destination without considering the alternative, literally, at our very doorstep...
We could be a small island of 67 unique destinations, an island where every town or village has its own stories, history, character and culture and we could build a diverse programme of thematic events.
The basis for this one-to-one style of hospitality has been set. Government has already approved special concessions for the introduction of low cost carriers; these will give greater independence to the traveler who prefers to choose the destination based on its unique offering rather than as a mainstream package that has strong trappings of a stereotyped product!
Airlines provide the impetus for small islands and the emphasis needs to be on making this form of transport as sustainable as possible for the host community as well as the visitor. Sustainability for small island states is the key to protecting and preserving the character and unique environment for future generations.
The student host niche is another sector that should give a sense of pride to the locals as well as an opportunity for more people to benefit from tourism. But this could also be a serious point of contention between the mainstream market and this specialised form of hospitality. Over the past few years, many hoteliers tried to mix a cocktail of students and mainstream tourists within the same environment, forgetting that the secret to the right blend lies in understanding the markets rather than the business alone. The concept behind the student market was never to treat these with the same kind of service as the mainstream tourism but to diversify our market base so as to offer a variety of activities.
We should not retain the placid view of product and service we adopted these last 30 or 40 years; we need to be innovative and to be really innovative we need to have a real passion for our own culture and history.
Fifty years ago we referred to this passion as pure patriotism, a word that seems to have gone out of fashion because it conjures up images of an inward-looking race of people who are unwilling to submit to the outside influence of other cultures and civilisations.
But tourism today is about an exchange of cultures; it is about protecting civilisations; building diversity and not uniformity; it is about being proud of one's roots.
The Prime Minister made this point about civic pride, crystal clear during the recent general council meeting of the Nationalist Party. He said he would prefer investment in infrastructure and services to be channelled towards the development of a culture that created a greater sense of civic pride.
If we are to offer a competitive and unique product and service for tourism then we must ensure that we deliver this product in the most holistic and authentic way possible.
We must believe that by improving the tourism product we are also improving our own quality of life. The alternative would be to depend on quantity rather than quality when it comes to tourism. The questions we need to answer are: Are we ready to sacrifice our own quality of life just for the sake of ignoring our civic duties towards our island home? Are we no longer proud to be Maltese?
• Mr Zarb is a tourism journalist, the president of the Malta Tourism Society and the vice president of the European Union of Tourism Officers.