From Ms M. Moro
After 17 years of visiting Gozo several times each year, I can say there is a big difference between what we, as tourists, and certain Maltese think about the tourism of the islands.
I can also speak for all my friends who have visited me at my residence in Gozo and who I have hosted over the years.
We appreciate Gozo for the clean sea, the space, the simplicity and the tranquillity. We can pick and choose where to go but we are not obliged to come back.
Being Italian we like good food, (but our standards are not easy to find on the island) good service and charm. We don’t care about big, palatial hotels when we are here. We’d rather go to Mgarr ix-Xini for grilled fish and a swim. We like long walks on the cliffs, the nature there is still practically unspoilt.
Our dream is to have a nature park to protect the beauty of the sea in Dwejra, and the few remaining spots that still preserve that natural atmosphere, which is no longer possible to find abroad.
Of course it would be wonderful if there are amenities in Gozo that complement the natural environment.
We would love a good spa, even an open one at Santa Marija, with new machines to exercise on, and a hotel du charme to recommend to friends. We are looking for something special, with zest.
We used to love Ta’ Cenc Hotel for its sophisticated luxury, its simplicity and quality. This will be destroyed with the proposed development. Gozo is still beautiful and has a lot of potential to provide quality in a natural environment; but we don’t think more building is necessary in such a small place.
It would be far better to improve the existing, in order to attract more of those five-star tourists everybody talks about.
This is why we don¹t think that more hotels and villas at Ta’ Cenc is a good idea. A place is unique when it offers something special. We are more than happy and ready to pay for our expensive hobz biz-zejt, but the bread and the oil has to be first quality. The best way to protect a heritage is to enhance it.
Michela Moro
SANNAT
GOZO