The way forward - 3

Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) president Winston Zahra Jr was recently reported as saying that Malta's share of conference travel among 20.1 million Europeans totalled just 0.28% for the year 2000, as compared to Germany's bulk share at 20%. The 38,000 delegates visiting Malta in 2001 generated Lm19 million for the economy.

Conferencing in Malta is thus generated by 5% of the persons visiting Malta, while the earnings from conferencing amount to 7% of the total tourism revenue. The higher earnings ratio makes conferencing a more lucrative market.

An in-depth study of the available conference facilities sizing is however required, as presently Malta cannot house conferences of over 1,200 delegates.

Is it feasible to cater for conferences of 10,000 delegates, or may such one-off occasions be housed in temporary structures? If temporary facilities may be a solution their siting has to be planned in advance, with temporary sites earmarked for such activities.

Mr Zahra further stated that 1.2 million annual tourists is not yet the saturation point as 1.6 million tourists may easily be spread over the lean months. Again, in 2001 the summer period averaged 140,000 tourists monthly, with this figure sliding down to 50,000 monthly during the January/December period.

These figures are to be compared to the global 714 million inbound tourists last year generating $500 billion, of which Europe has a 57.5% share.

However, to generate this desired upmarket tourism during the shoulder months the type of holiday offered is to be geared towards cultural tourism. How can this tourist be enticed to come for the weekend to Malta with the historical sites/museums/churches inaccessible over the weekend?

Malta has the advantage of an intense historical legacy spanning thousands of years and concentrated within convenient distances. The problem is the resources required to maintain these sites and man them as necessary.

Turin, like most industrial European cities, has suffered a decline and is forced to search for new areas to develop. The city has decided to create a cultural district.

As costs have increased, the services are to be in a more productive and efficient manner by the involvement of the private sector through foundations. In Malta the Aviation Museum Foundation is doing sterling work. Why is this concept not extended to other sectors?

During the recent international conference on the Regeneration of Historic Urban Cores, it was noted that Pittsburgh's history dates only 100 years.

However the red light district has been regenerated into a cultural centre to attract visitors from other states.

In Bermuda the British naval heritage, similar to Birgu's front and Greenwich, dating only 400 years is considered ancient.

The city of Cardiff has no history to boast about, only possibly a Victorian castle; however with the decline of the Wembley stadium, advantage was taken to construct a new stadium, which now attracts the FA Cup Final, together with the Rugby World Cup.

Thus with the decline of the mine industry, sports tourism has now filled an economic void. With the sport complexes being constructed in Malta, together with our mild winters, this sector of tourism is to be entertained.

In France the private public partnership (PPP) scheme was used to convert an old castle into an upmarket hotel. The building of new hotels in Malta is contentious; however there are a number of old disused government palaces, together with 19th century British forts, outside the traffic zones, crying out for the PPP principle to be utilised to increase the number of beds in a sustainable way, without creating further scars on the environment.

Valletta yearns for the creation of a bed and breakfast type of accommodation, which would revitalise the social fabric of the urban historic core, while paying off good dividends to the performing arts in the city. Then the title, Valletta - City of Culture, could be rightly applied.

A final example is the town of Calvià in Mallorca, 95% dependent on tourism. Together with the citizens' participation, the town has decided to go for green tourism. To improve the quality of life more open spaces were required.

Demolishing low-standard tourist developments, restoring historical, cultural and natural heritage, improving public transport and encouraging people to walk or cycle are achieving this. This replacement of growth with sustainable quality seeks to increase expenditure per visitor.

Can Malta benefit from its EU accession by obtaining the necessary increase in the off-season tourists? Tourists have shifted their travel habits during the last decade, with more importance given to international safety.

Removal of border-crossing procedures together with the adoption of the euro should result in increased tourism flows, strengthening cultural and social links between the EU 15 and accession countries. Is it now up to us to improve the tourism's cultural infrastructure?

Denis Camilleri, Eur. Ing, A&CE, B.Sc. (Eng.), BA (Arch.), C.Eng., A.C.I.Arb., M.I.Struct.E., FICE, is an architect and civil engineer and structural and property investments consultants.