The Gozo Ministry yesterday announced details of a e1.2 million niche tourism project aimed at providing quality diving facilities in Gozo.

Minister Giovanna Debono said that Gozo has a number of underwater attractions for divers such as the Blue Hole in Dwejra, classified among the top ten diving sites in Europe.

However, the aim of this project, she said, was mainly to enhance the diving industry by providing additional underwater attractions, including artificial ones.

The “Special Needs Assessment Study for the Island of Gozo”, carried out by the European Commission prior to Malta’s EU accession, showed the need for more exploitation of niche tourism areas, including diving. The Gozo Business Chamber and the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) were consulted throughout the study, Mrs Debono said.

The project is expected be completed by the end of the year and 75 per cent of the total cost of the project will be funded through the EU’s Structural Funds Programme for Malta 2004-2006.

Two vessels, the mv Karwela and the mv Cominoland, are expected to be scuttled off Ix-Xatt l-Ahmar on 29 July. International journalists will be covering the event and this forms part of one of the project’s main components, namely the marketing of Gozo as a diving destination in international markets.

A recompression chamber will be available for the first time in Gozo. The need for this facility has long been felt and GTA member and chairman of the diving section, Mark Busuttil, said that safety was definitely a priority, since divers look for this facility when choosing their diving destination.

The availability of this facility may, at times, mean the difference between life and death, Mrs Debono said.