The country has realised that it has reached a point where it must strive to conserve and better present cultural heritage, said Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech in parliament last night.

Dr Zammit Dimech was speaking during the debate on the financial estimates of the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage for 2005-2006.

He said that apart from our human resources, Malta has its cultural heritage. “People who work in this sector are not only working for Malta but for the humanity as a whole, especially future generations. We have a huge heritage and we should conserve it, present it well for our own people as well as for those who visit our islands,” he said.

Giving an example, Dr Zammit Dimech spoke about the need to preserve and better present Malta’s Neolithic temples. “They are thousands of years old, we have forms of cultural heritage that have been exposed to the elements for years on end. If we do not act now, they will deteriorate very quickly,” he said. He added that temples were an integral part of the Malta product.

Dr Zammit Dimech said that Malta was using structural funds from the European Union to better maintain and conserve the temples of Mnajdra and Hagar Qim.

He said that in June this year, tenders will be issued for various projects that will incorporate a protection system for the temples, as well as a visitors’ centre.

The tenders for the physical protection of the temples will amount to e2m, but the total project is worth e3.5m.

“Our main priority at this point is the construction of protective tents. These, according to estimates we have, will last for some 25 years. They will not last forever. But at least, the temples will be protected and by the end of the tents’ life, we can decide on whether to construct something similar or adopt the use of new technologies that might have been made available by that time,” said Dr Zammit Dimech.

He said that the other tender will cover presentation aspects. “We want it to incorporate the same features you find at any other attraction you find outside Malta, souvenir shops, toilets, audio visual tours of artefacts and other facilities. We hope it will be all in place by 2008. By doing so, we would find the right balance of conservation and allowing people access to the site,” he said.

Dr Zammit Dimech said another success story was the Roman Domus just outside Mdina. “This site saw a complete makeover of what it was like when it was still known as the Roman Villa. It has been totally reorganised. It is better preserved and presented. There is a visitors’ centre and there is much more information available,” said the Minister.

Dr Zammit Dimech insisted that Malta needs an inventory of its cultural heritage as well as a specific policy on the issue.

“We also need to strengthen human resources in the sector and we want to get Heritage Malta into Fort St Angelo. It is a prestigious site, but it can be used as a symbol of our history – exhibitions, conferences, cultural activities can all be held there,” he said.

At present, the authorities are still clearing out the tonnes of rubble and waste that have been dumped there, and Dr Zammit Dimech said that the country as a whole needs to make sure that nothing similar happens again.

Closing, Dr Zammit Dimech said that the current situation could be summed up as follows: “We restored the beautiful Cappella d’ Italia. It was fantastic. But it sets you off thinking – now we must do the other chapels. And while we’re at it, we must do the interior of St John’s Co-Cathedral. The country as a whole is feeling that we have let things go on for too long and we must do something about the situation now.”

Opposition MP Evarist Bartolo also spoke during yesterday’s debate and said that he had to concur that the various agencies were doing wonders. “But, as with everything in life, things can improve.”

He said that one of his major worries was not something directly related, but nonetheless, a huge threat. “One only has to look at the state of the environment report to know what I mean. We simply have too much development in this country, there is much stone and concrete, that we risk infringing on things without even knowing it. One can only speculate about how much we have already lost,” said Mr Bartolo.

He also spoke about budget hotels. “Some in Malta seem to have the misconception that only five-star visitors want to see our culture. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In summer, all visitors like to see what we have to offer,” he said.

“But we should do away with the three and four star classifications and just say budget hotels. People who travel in winter and the shoulder months, our weakest performance time, want to get on a low-cost airline and go to a good budget hotel where they can spend a relaxing weekend. That is the trend. They want to save on travelling costs so they can spend their money here,” he said.

Mr Bartolo said that budget did not imply sub-standard. “They still have to offer a service and they still can do so,” he said.