Nearly two out of every five businesses that participated in an online survey by the Gozo Tourism Association claimed they are finding it difficult to obtain working permits for foreign employees.

The majority of these respondents employ one or two foreigners, while 26% employ between three and five. The rest employ eight or more foreign workers. 

The association said in a statement on Monday that the online survey among its members focused mainly on the performance of Gozitan tourism establishments in 2021.

Participants hailed from the accommodation, restaurants, diving, tourist attractions, transport, tour operating, destination management, travel agency, real estate and tourism consultancy sectors.

When asked about business constraints, 57% blamed COVID uncertainty as their main obstacle, with 20% flagging insufficient demand, while the rest pointing at staff shortage and operating costs.

Furthermore, 42% declared that their operating constraints remained unchanged, while 30% said these deteriorated. Only 27% reported an improvement over 2020.

The survey also confirmed the obvious: 68% of establishments reported more business than in 2020.

The respondents were also asked about the impact of the domestic market. Of the total, 55% declared that the domestic market in 2021 faired better than 2020, while 16% reported a drop.

The tourism operators were also asked about the revenue generated during the festive season. Only 24% said this period was better than that in 2020.