Although tourism dawned on Gozo way back in the 1960s, yet, it was not until the late 1990s that this sector was able to unite and organise itself on the island so as to move forward its aspirations and ambitions.
It was during the last weeks of 1998 that, on the initiative of the then minister for Gozo following the advice of some hoteliers, a process to amalgamate all the Gozitan operators under a Tourism Association for Gozo was initiated.
February 11, 1999 was the day on which a general meeting was summoned for all the tourism operators on Gozo. During this meeting, apart from the approval of the statute, the first council of this association was elected. It was, thus that the Gozo Tourism Association, more commonly known as the GTA, was incepted.
The objectives of the association as entrenched in the statute are to promote Gozo as an all-year-round tourist destination while protecting, promoting and lobbying for the interests of its members.
Along these 25 years, the GTA has encountered several hurdles but had many significant accomplishments, many of which were a dream come true for the tourism operators in Gozo.
One of the first commitments of the newly constituted association was the representation of Gozo at international tourism fairs. The first fair attended by GTA representatives was the ITB, held in Berlin in March, 1999. Since then, GTA has been participating uninterruptedly at the fairs held annually in London, Dublin, Madrid, Paris, Manchester, Berlin and Rimini.
The GTA’s presence during these tourism fairs has been and still is possible through the collaboration of the ministry for Gozo and the Malta Tourism Authority.
In 1999, the promotional material on Gozo as a tourist destination was almost nonexistent. The newly formed association made it a priority to publish promotional material featuring Gozo as a distinct tourist destination.
In the absence of a proper policy and strategy for tourism on Gozo, in August 2000, the GTA commissioned a study entitled ‘Gozo Tourism-Review and Framework for Future Development’.
This study, performed by a renowned foreign tourism consultancy firm, served as the basis for future tourism strategies for Gozo. Along the years, the GTA carried out other various studies covering several aspects of tourism on Gozo such as human resources challenges and a marketing plan.
In order to upgrade Gozo’s diving offer, the association proposed, and induced the ministry for Gozo, to allocate EU funds for the installation of the first hyperbaric unit at the Gozo General Hospital. Furthermore, the GTA spearheaded the scuttling of several marine vessels off the south coast of Gozo to offer alternative diving sites.
In 1999, the promotional material on Gozo as a tourist destination was almost nonexistent
Inter-island connectivity is an issue which the GTA has tackled assiduously throughout the years and is still insisting upon up to this day.
The association proposed the introduction of a night passenger boat service, which was operated jointly by Gozo Channel and GTA. Eventually, this service was substituted by the extended ferry schedule covering night trips.
Moreover, for many years, the GTA has been a firm believer in the introduction of an airlink for Gozo. In this regard, the association strongly supports the rural airfield proposed by the ministry for Gozo.
In 2008, the GTA introduced the Gozo Tourism Awards. These annual awards are bestowed on the workers in the tourism sector on Gozo who distinguish themselves in the performance of their duties. The Gozo Tourism Awards also include the Entrepreneurship Award as well as the Niche Tourism Achievement Award.
Eventually, the GTA established itself as the tourism regional entity and is now recognised as the tourism voice and lobby for Gozo nationwide. Over the years, this recognition has been translated into the association’s representation on various government boards and entities, both on regional and national levels.
Similarly, on the strength of the GTA’s lobbying, several decisions, initiatives and measures were taken in favour of the tourism sector on Gozo. These included the setting up of the tourism directorate within the ministry for Gozo.
Since its inception, the GTA has been putting forward its budget proposals on an annual basis to the respective ministers for finance. Some of the measures it has proposed over the years were accepted and included in the various national budgets.
Over these 25 years, the GTA has organised numerous events for its members to keep them abreast of trends and innovations in the vibrant and ever-changing tourism sector. These included conferences, seminars and workshops in which well-versed experts, both local and foreign, were invited to address those present.
The GTA also held meetings and discussions with numerous government officials and entities to tackle certain issues related to connectivity, licences, product improvement, fiscal incentives and other initiatives, in order to enhance the touristic offer of Gozo as well as the operation of Gozitan establishments.
It is not easy to condense in a short article what the GTA managed to contribute towards tourism on Gozo during the quarter century since its establishment. Some might argue that more could have been done, however, given the limited human and financial resources, we believe that we have come a long way and the tourism sector on Gozo is much enhanced from 25 years ago.
We hope that the synergy created by the GTA between all tourism operators, government entities and other interested bodies will continue to strengthen the prospects of the tourism industry on the island of Gozo.
All the accomplishments of the GTA are the result of the combined efforts of every individual council member who served the association along the years. Coming together was the beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success.
Let’s celebrate what we have achieved.
Let’s raise the bar a little higher each time we succeed.
Joe MuscatJoe Muscat is CEO of the Gozo Tourism Association.