There is no denying that the Malta’s tourist industry has been passing through a period of turbulence, having lost its momentum for a number of reasons, some of which were beyond its control.

The industry is one of the pillars of the Maltese economy and the reverses it has suffered, particularly during the past three horrendous years, are making a negative impact on the economy.

The government’s decision to restructure the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), which was overdue, is therefore welcome.

An exercise has now been launched to make the MTA more effective and accountable. As a result, the five original MTA boards – consisting of four directorate board, all subordinate to the main board – have now been reduced to one decision-making body. This has led to the streamlining of the management structure. A core management team, consisting of three directors and a financial controller, led by the authority’s new executive chairman, Mr R. Lungaro Mifsud, has reportedly been meeting daily “to set goals and monitor whether they are being achieved”.

Going for quality

In an interview to our sister paper (May l6), Mr Lungaro Mifsud explained that, in order to regain market share , Malta has no option but to improve its product and go for quality. Otherwise it will be losing out to its competitors.

He spoke of a comprehensive clean-up programme covering a number of tourist areas which attract high volumes of visitors. A detailed action plan, with stipulated time-frames, has been drawn up and is to be completed in time for the summer season.

A rebranding exercise is planned “promoting Malta in its source markets with a cohesive brand message”

Boiled down to essentials, Mr Lungaro Mifsud’s main target is to raise standards enabling the industry to go for quality and to offer value for money.

Achilles heel

However belated, this initiative is commendable and deserves all round support. Improving ‘product Malta’ was the raison d’etre of the Malta Tourist Authority from its inception. In the past, the MTA preoccupied itself, in the main, more with selling the product in overseas markets than with ensuring that the product was up to standard.

This has been, and is likely to continue to be, the authority’s Achilles heel.

How can the Tourist Authority sell Malta, offering value for money, when the state of the roads is deplorable, public transport facilities leave much to be desired, so many taxi and karozzin drivers (not all by any means) fleece tourists with abandon, and unscrupulous restaurant owners over-charge them under the nose of, or in spitting distance from, the proper authorities?

To speak of competitiveness, we must look at ourselves, and assess whether we mean business unless we are in a position to play fair, and to enforce discipline, where the unscrupulous and the greedy play ducks and drakes with Malta’s legitimate business aspirations.

Questions

Why aren’t all taxis fitted with meters and charge accordingly? Why can’t the tourist industry match in all respects the services offered by its competitors in nearby Sicily, in terms of cleanliness, service, heritage, well-kept beaches? Why should Malta’s airport taxes be among the highest in Europe? Why is there no inspectorate with adequate powers to impose discipline where cowboys brazenly rule the roost?

Nobody wants a situation evocative of a police state. But neither can the Malta tourist industry survive if its commanding heights are taken over by a voracious mafia that knows no limits, and stops at nothing, to make a quick buck.

Order of priorities

Would it not be counter productive if the reconstituted Malta Tourist Authority were to plough the same old furrow, and concentrate on selling product Malta overseas rather than first making sure that the product it has to sell offers value for money?

During the past years, the ‘old’ Malta Tourist Authority could not make the necessary headway because it often operated from ‘cloud nine’.

The ‘new’ authority is positioned to work with its feet on the ground. But it must now show the necessary horse sense and be careful not to put the cart before the horse.

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