A total of 42,000 passengers crossed over to Gozo over the weekend, the first weekend since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri told parliament on Tuesday.

“I expect a very good summer for Gozo, especially when one sees the flow even before the second round of consumer vouchers is issued,” the minister said.

Replying to questions by Labour MP Anthony Agius Decelis, he said the Gozo Ministry would be working to encourage people to visit Gozo on weekdays, and not just the weekend as well as to stay overnight.

Prior to last weekend, crossings to Gozo for recreational purposes had been banned because of COVID-19 restrictions. Only residents in Gozo and those who needed to travel for work were allowed on the ferries. 

The minister said he looked forward to the introduction of the fast ferry service on June 1 between Mġarr and Grand Harbour. This, he said, would further improve accessibility to Gozo.

An image of the terminal building for fast ferry passengers, issued by Transport Minister Ian Borg on Tuesday.An image of the terminal building for fast ferry passengers, issued by Transport Minister Ian Borg on Tuesday.

He said the services would be linked to bus services to destinations including Mater Dei Hospital, the university and the airport.

The new services were important for workers and also notably for tourists, he said. 

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:
Please select at least one mailing list.

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.