Last week, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo took a break from strutting about taking selfies and having a kick about in his ministerial office during his surprise birthday bash (which was still filmed for posterity). He announced that Infastructure Malta’s application to turn the Coast Road into a parking lot for caravans would be suspended.

This, the minister said, was being done so that the authorities could work on a holistic plan so that conflicts over land use for recreational purposes would be eliminated and there would be the least environmental impact possible. 

The news that sea views would not be replaced by a phalanx of caravans and containers was welcome but I’m not sure I share Bartolo’s enthusiasm for his “holistic” plan.

Or, rather, I don’t see the need for yet another document promising to solve problems which are usually caused by the government’s laissez-faire approach to regulation and which benefit only the well-paid consultants who draw them up.

We have plans and strategies aplenty. It’s just that the government (including our tourism minister) couldn’t care less about them.

Take the Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq Coast Road which Infrastructure Malta was intent on packing with vehicles. A plan which regulates the area already exists; it is the local plan for the specific zone and has been in existence for 16 years now.

It does provide for a search area for a suitable caravan site but this is subject to certain conditions.

The conditions state that any developments should not visually dominate or disrupt the natural coastal setting and landscape because of layout, design, style and materials used and they will not introduce any extraneous forms, materials, textures or colours.

I don’t know how IM and Bartolo thought they could get around this. A row of caravans parked on the coast will necessarily disrupt the natural coastal setting and dominate it visually, unless they are as invisible as the Malta Tourism Authority’s enforcement efforts.

There is further reference to the issue of caravans in Bartolo’s policy baby The Malta Tourism Strategy 2021-2030. Catchily entitled ‘Recover. Rethink. Revitalise’, the strategy purports to be a road map (that hateful word again) for the tourism industry in Malta. And look what it says about the coast and beaches:

“As the number of visitors continues to increase, pressures on Malta’s coast and beaches are set to increase accordingly. The pressures range from the generic (eg. crowded sandy beaches/beach erosion/beach concessions) to the specific (eg overcrowding at Blue Lagoon or Il-Ħofriet).

“There are also external pressures brought about by development, land reclamation, maritime activity, fish farms and tuna pens, sewage and popular entertainment such as the growing number of caravans which occupy stretches of beachfront coastline for long months during the summer.

“A holistic strategy on coastal management is required to address these issues in an all-embracing manner as pressure points may be reached if no action is taken within the lifetime of the Strategy.”

To many people out there, the MTA enforcement section is as elusive as Bigfoot – it’s practically impossible to catch hold of any of its members- Claire Bonello

Spot the reference to external pressures by caravans and a number of this government’s sacred cows? Development, fish farms, beach concessions and overcrowding at the Blue Lagoon? About that. One of the goals of the environment, climate change and tourism product is “To promote protected areas as models for sustainable tourism, enhancing responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and sustains the well-being of local people”.

Bartolo could have fooled us. Comino for one is a protected Natura 2000 site and it is a badly managed mess with the government itself drenching it in concrete, allowing a free-for all, refusing to find its carrying capacity and allowing it to be over-commercialised.

So much for “sustainable tourism” and ensuring the environment is conserved. At present, all the government is conserving is the operators’ fat income stream and pineapple peel over the garigue.

Which brings me to another unintentionally hilarious part of the strategy. The bit where it states that a stronger compliance and enforcement deterrent approach is needed.

We are informed that this will be achieved by a “top-level structure” which will oversee and ensure that the highest of standards are maintained across the country, especially in highly visited areas.

I suppose this is a reference to a beefed-up MTA enforcement team. To many people out there, the MTA enforcement section is as elusive as Bigfoot – it’s practically impossible to catch hold of any of its members, despite a welter of complaints about unlicensed and irregular operators.

The Malta Tourism Strategy contains other gems. Apparently, we have an oversupply of bed stock both operational and in the pipeline, which will require tourist numbers beyond what can be expected up to 2030. Basically, that means we have a glut of beds.

I wonder why the angst about this now. Doesn’t Bartolo recall that his government introduced crazy policies allowing for tourism accommodation to pop up anywhere – even in residential areas? And that hotels are being allowed to increase the number of floors indiscriminately?

Did the geniuses who concocted that planning policy think of the long-term repercussions? Obviously not.

As in a number of other sectors, the government makes a hash of things and then holds splashy conferences to spout hot air about solutions.

Bartolo is a young minister but his modus operandi is as washed-out as they come.