See Malta and Gozo in a different way
iSeeMalta
This year saw the introduction of the iSeeMalta concept, providing visitors with the flexibility to manage their holiday schedule and navigate through the islands’ must-see sites.
The iSeeMalta concept offers several passes and point-to-point trips on all modes of transportation. In fact, all passes under the iSeeMalta concept include unlimited use of hop-on hop-off services both on land and at sea with the Sea Hop-On Hop-Off service being another innovation for the Maltese islands which is made possible through substantial investment by industry leader, Captain Morgan Holdings.
Owing to the endeavour, the Captain Morgan fleet saw the addition of four brand new, state-of-the-art vessels and sea-routes.
Two new 20-metre catamarans operate on the harbour route, whereas two new 33-metre catamarans operate the coastal hop-on hop-off sea route commuting various times a day between the Maltese Islands.
In addition, the newly designed hop-on hop-off sea routes and the city sightseeing land hop on hop off buses, lead customers to all key attractions and activities including Heritage Malta sites, making these the only pass visitors need. The iSeeMalta pass packages range from one to six days and include an option to visit Gozo.
Efficient and reliable
Gozo Fast Ferry
The new Gozo Fast Ferry service has been designed to accommodate everyone’s needs. The new fast ferry service transports commuters travelling between Gozo and Malta and accommodates foot passengers.
The Gozo Fast Ferry vessels take more than 300 passengers and are wheelchair accessible, including bicycles and scooters at no charge – these facilities substantially reduce the hours spent on travelling and commuting. This means that passengers get to work or back home in less time and with value for money added.
The new Gozo Fast Ferry service is a reliable and dependable public transport service which, in collaboration with Malta Public Transport, offers an end-to-end seamless connection with increased accessibility.
We normally associate green mobility with land transport. But can sea vessels also contribute to cleaner transport?
Absolutely. The answer is in the numbers. Each of our vessels allows us to carry safely on board the equivalent of five buses or 60 to 70 cars. We do so by obtaining propulsion from just two high powered engines certified to latest international standards and which offer incredibly low emission values per kW power. In simple terms the emissions per passenger per hour of transport are considerably lowered in this way.
Clean sea transport is an essential link in the efficient and green mobility vision for Malta
iSeeMalta is fully committed to embracing a ‘Green Economy’ project. Our vision in relation to this concept revolves around the following four pillars: A green and fair economy – enabling progress, while managing resources sustainably; protection and maintenance of the marine environment; creating a balance between what is economically achievable with what is ecologically essential; and reduction in carbon emissions.
How critical is clean sea transport to an island such as Malta?
At Gozo Fast Ferry and iSeeMalta, we believe clean sea transport is an essential link in the efficient and green mobility vision for Malta. Transport systems and services are vital to our economy, and to our quality of life.
Currently, vessels engaged in passenger transport in local waters are only and exclusively powered by means of diesel compression ignition engines which are either of older generation marine type or by land industrial engines converted to marine use.
The main propulsion engines installed on the iSeeMalta Vessels meet the IMO MARPOL Annex VI Tier II standards as required under the Convention. By introducing Malta’s first MARPOL Tier II/EU Stage IV compliant engines we intend to send a clear and strong signal as to the way forward. A sustainable, low emission, silent mode of propulsion for state-of-the-art vessels. A crucial component to moving to a greener transport and mobility option revolves around alternative modes of transport and the provision of a reliable and efficient service thereby making it an attractive choice for locals and tourists alike, thus leading to less congested roads and less pollution.
In a bid to reduce the negative consequences of road transport, the iSeeMalta concept, with its new fleet of vessels has a vision to make better use of lower-emission transport modes and seeks to promote this multi-modal transportation shift.
What green credentials do the vessels operated by Gozo Fast Ferry and I See Malta have?
Apart from latest generation engines which are certified to produce the lowest possible CO2 and NOX emissions, we implement several other measures from the concept to the operational stages.
Firstly, all our vessels are designed and being built using marine type light alloys for a lower operational displacement and consequent propulsive power requirement. All hulls are optimized to reduce drag and wave making resistance. Thus, they are specially designed for low wake formation and improved propulsive efficiency, therefore lower energy loss when under way. In addition, the vessels are also equipped with other measures such as low consumption lighting, type-approved sewage treatment systems, and garbage separation schemes, meaning no raw sewage discharges into the sea shall result.
This certification guarantees higher environmental performance
This certification guarantees higher environmental performance under a regulated aspect meaning the controlled emissions (SOx and NOx) are known and lowered from design stage to meet the said Standard. Furthermore, being manufactured in recent years, the engines operate at a higher fuel efficiency than previous generation engines.
Do these green credentials extend to the operations side?
Most definitely.
iSeeMalta promotes all app based ticketing to reduce printing of paper as much as possible. At Gozo Fast Ferry, being eco-friendly is extremely important, hence the fact that we collaborate with Malta Public Transport to ensure a seamless and green journey.
We encourage individuals to use public transport as much as possible to reduce the carbon footprint. We also encourage all bookings to be made online, through our app or board with their ‘Tal-Linja card’ so that one may ‘tap and go’ and reduce printing of paper.
In what ways do you maintain, and improve, your eco credentials?
Checks are continuously made by the engineers and teams of professionals on board. Regular servicing of engines and generators are carried out according to the manufacturers’ directions and hours run. We are also continuously looking for new ways of selling tickets and products to eventually have the minority purchasing paper tickets, maximizing schedules to operate on the most potential timings.
Digital technologies have brought significant transformation to the tourism industry, revolutionising tourism enterprises, products and experiences, business ecosystems, and destinations.
At iSeeMalta we have invested heavily in this aspect with the launch of a new website allowing customers to purchase passes digitally. The rise of digital platforms has increased the variety and volume of tourism products, services, and experiences, with on-demand functionality accelerating the speed of economic transactions, market awareness and feedback. These shifts have created new opportunities, as well as, challenges, for the tourism industry and SMEs as they strive to meet consumer demands and reach new markets. Our new technology platform will also allow us to benefit from customer engagement as well as reducing use of paper.
From a business perspective, do greener operations also translate into financial savings?
The expenses relative to waste disposal and fuel consumption are minimised with such savings translating into more competitive fares. Also, customers are more aware of green economy, hence attracting commuters is on the rise. We see a trend developing where customers are more environmentally conscious and tend to choose to travel on more environmentally friendly vessels and other modes of transport.
Joe Sant Fournier is Operations Manager, Gozo Fast Ferry and JeanBert Gatt, is Chief Operating Officer, iSeeMalta