“Deep concern” over the situation in the tourist sector has prompted hoteliers and restaurateurs to schedule an extraordinary general meeting on 11April.

MHRA members have expressed concern about this year’s first quarter – a situation described as a “wash-out” by the outspoken former MHRA president Winston Zahra. This poor result, followed last year’s poor performance, when the number of tourist arrivals fell a full 35,000 short of the projected target. That target was set by the Malta Tourism Authority.

The Authority, which was only recently reconstituted, had thrown its full weight into a restructuring exercise with an eye to “re-branding” the Malta image. This exercise did not arouse all-round enthusiasm in the tourist sector. There are some leading operators who believe that Malta is missing the boat, due to its failure to open up to low-cost airlines.

The bickering and the nagging continues, as other side issues are raised – such as the loss of competitivity arising from government-induced costs, flowing from the punitive surcharge on water and electricity bills and airport taxes.

All of these factors call for due consideration. But they overlook the underlying core problem, which is basic to sound development of the sector.

Lost momentum

The Malta tourist sector has lost momentum, indeed it has lost ground because it has not concentrated on offering value for money. The product is below par. This is the heart of the matter. It is a problem that has to be faced head on. Going round in circles is no solution.

I recall a Parliamentary debate in December 2002 when Karmenu Vella, at that time Opposition spokesman, highlighted the internal problems that arrested forward movement.

He rattled off a list of topics calling for serious action. These included:

• the infrastructure and the environment

• the state of the roads

• the seeping of drainage into the sea

• the general lack of

cleanliness

• the continuing and

unbridled increase in bed stock

• the charging of low rates

• reduced competitivity

He could have added the lack of market discipline, and the sheer profiteering by rapacious small businessmen who fleece tourists, thereby killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.

All of these have a bearing on the quality of the product Malta has to offer. Most of them have to do with our competitivity. By not dealing with them, we are losing ground. Other destinations that opened up their markets after us are now ahead of us.

Core issues

To what extent has the Malta Tourism Authority concentrated on these core issues during the past four years?

To what extent has Malta lost ground, due to the bad publicity by dissatisfied visitors who circulate their unfavourable impressions after visiting Malta? It is good to have five-star hotels, but does Malta strive to offer a five-star environment?

Only last week, the Minister for Tourism and the Tourism Authority had the opportunity of listening to the opinion of a distinguished visitor, who can speak with authority on Malta’s overall performance over the 50 years – I refer to Professor Jeremy Boissevain, a professor of Social Anthropology, who lived in Malta in the pre-Independence days, has revisited Malta several times since, and who has an intimate knowledge of the Maltese milieu.

Speaking at a business luncheon, he looked at the Malta scene from the prism of his special experience. What “struck him forcefully”, he said, is the massive destruction of the environment since Malta became independent.

“Your countryside and architectural heritage, your coastal zone, the sea surrounding you, even your underground water supply and the air you breathe, quite literally, have been and are still being raped to put it harshly” he said.

How is that for an advert? And what has been the impact of all this on past visitors to Malta?

Strong meat

Professor Boissevain went much further. He said that “most people, but fortunately not quite all, until very recently, have stood up, perhaps grumbling a bit, but doing nothing substantial to halt the growing desecration. Year by year, it has become more pronounced. Malta, because of its small size, affluence and lackadaisical attitude to littering, has become, and I regret to have to say it, probably the dirtiest country in Europe. Many first-time visitors, the tourists on whom your livelihood depends, are shocked by the way you treat your countryside. Yet, most of you do not seem to mind the filth. You have learned to live with it.”

This is strong meat, which some might have considered as a bit unrestrained if not also aggressive. The speaker may have been too colourful, but his speech had a solid kernel of factual truth – which ought to have been the prime concern of the Minister and the Authority since long ago.

It seems to me that the malaise has many facets. But, when all is said and done, the outstanding weakness springs from the fact that there is no directing hand, with the authority and the clout, to determine policy, to coordinate all the agencies concerned, and to see to the expeditious execution of what has to be done.

This has been, and continues to be, the all-too-decisive missing link, Polishing the Malta brand, or rebranding Malta outright, is pointless unless the powers-that-be head off from the right point of departure. They must have a decent product to offer before they proceed to stimulate market interest

That is an urgent job, which has long been waiting to be done. It cannot be achieved by going round in circles

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