Gozo is one of the showcases Malta can offer tourists. It is also ideal for a weekend break for the Maltese, many of whom prefer to spend a few days there rather than go abroad, particularly if they are short of cash. Other Maltese people visit the sister island quite frequently.

For many years Gozo was considered as the place where one could relax, where life is slower and where one could escape from the normal routine.

Although it is very close to the mainland, Gozo has kept its characteristics which make it completely different from Malta. Over the years, it has benefited from the presence of foreigners who cross over, boosting the island’s economy. However, it must be said that Gozo largely relies on visits by the Maltese.

It seems however that the number of people crossing to and from Gozo has dropped, rather considerably, over the first few months of this year, according to figures released by the National Statistics Office yesterday. A 4.6 per cent decline – or 30,000 passengers less – coupled with a 7.8 per cent drop – or a decrease of 15,000 vehicles – should start ringing the alarm bells.

The first thing that comes to mind with regard to Gozo’s needs is the passenger terminals at Mgarr and Cirkewwa, the points of contact between the two major islands. Projects undertaken several years ago have not been completed as yet, and it is a shame that the two terminals have been a building site for the past years.

Gozo Channel continues to offer an excellent service, and it must be said that considering the makeshift appearance at either end, the company is performing miracles in the circumstances.

A lot has been said and written about the Mgarr and Cirkewwa terminals, but little seems to have been done. Plans have been drawn up and redrawn, costs have escalated and work carried out has to be redone – and the end is nowhere near. It is believed that the government should pull its socks up on this matter, set a fresh deadline and keep to it.

It is always said that first impressions count, and we must therefore remove the ugly state of affairs at Cirkewwa and Mgarr.

Secondly, the Gozo helicopter service, aimed to improve the links between the two islands especially for the upmarket tourist, is not doing well. Re-introduced last March after a long winter, the service is too expensive and is not attracting many passengers. The cost of crossing to and from Gozo on a helicopter is not much inferior to a trip to Tunisia.

Gozo businessmen are still clamouring to have a small airstrip built on the island. They believe that it would be beneficial to Gozo because people could land there directly, rather than having to go through the hassle of stopping at Luqa, and either take a long drive and cross over by boat, or use the expensive helicopter service.

Their argument is that what may have been wrong 10-15 years ago may not be wrong today, especially considering that Gozo needs the boost. Maybe it is time to reconsider building an airstrip there – the pros and cons should be discussed and a decision taken in the interest of Gozo.

Another area of concern is the fact that, some of the hotels on Gozo are being converted into residential apartments, a sign that business is not at its highest levels. Several roads are also in great need to be resurfaced, while others have to be done from scratch. Gozo is still relatively cleaner than Malta, but this does not mean that it is absolutely clean.

Gozo needs all the support it can get, on the one hand, to maintain as much as possible the characteristics which distinguish it from Malta and other destinations in the Mediterranean and, at the same time, become more attractive, for Maltese and tourists alike.

Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono has told us that 2007 will be an outstanding year for the sister island, with projects of a different nature to be implemented for the benefit of the locals and also for the many Maltese and tourists who cross the channel for their holidays.

The minister gave a whole list of projects that the government is planning in the health, education, environment, economy and physical infrastructure areas. She mentioned the hospital, roads and the completion of the waste water treatment plant among other projects that, in her words, show the government’s commitment towards Gozo’s well-being.

In 1987, the Nationalist Party was the first to appoint a minister to see to the island’s specific needs, an idea that was not emulated by the Labour Party when it was elected to government in 1996.

There is no doubt that the creation of a Gozo Ministry has helped in no small way towards the upgrading of the island. Gozo is an island that has its own particular needs, and to have someone with the sole responsibility of seeing to them was a positive idea that the Gozitans have appreciated.

The MLP has also realised this, and in the document for Gozo the party approved last year, it has stated that when it is elected to government it will be appointing a Gozo Minister. The document also explains what his or her role should be.

This will ensure a form of continuity, in the sense that the Gozitans now know that whichever party is elected to government, they will be having their minister, although of course the policies and style will differ if there is a change of hands.

Both the PN and the MLP give particular attention to Gozo, something that Alternattiva Demokratika has followed up too. The Green Party has made inroads in the sister island, largely after taking up specific issues that directly affect the residents.

It is no secret that AD is giving special attention to Gozo in a bid to earn enough support for it to gain a parliamentary seat it is working hard for. And this is perhaps what is pushing the Nationalist government to increase its momentum in Gozo, fearing that there is a possibility that it could lose one of the three seats it normally wins on the sister island.

Apart from the projects mentioned by Mrs Debono during the press conference, all of which are intended to make Gozo a better place to live in, the government is also trying to attract more visitors to the island.

It is a known fact that the Gozitan economy largely depends on the number of tourists and Maltese who visit it, how long they stay and how much they spend, and a number of initiatives have been launched to encourage more people to cross over, especially in the winter and shoulder months. Gozo Channel plays an important role in this.

The biggest problem however remains the lack of an air link between the two islands, a matter of controversy that does not seem nearing a solution in the short-term. The helicopter service was stopped last year because it was losing money.

Suggestions for an introduction of a seaplane service have not been welcomed by the Gozo Tourism Association, which believes that such an idea will not resolve the problem of accessibility. The GTA has once again put forward the idea of constructing an air-strip, as this would facilitate transport between Malta and Gozo or also directly from other countries.

This is not the first time that such a suggestion is put forward, and it will not be the last either.

A decision – yes or no – needs to be taken.