Recent figures published by the National Statistics Office indicate a downward trend in the number of visitors to museums and historic sites. Last year, they totalled 1,980,123, which was 4.2 per cent down when compared to the previous year. By contrast, these sites registered an income of Lm3.2 million, a surplus of Lm0.4 million over 2004.

Malta has a lot to offer to tourists in terms of history and museums, but by going through the figures one realises that more could be done to attract more visitors to such important sites. At a time when our tourism industry is passing through a delicate period, the promotion of our heritage abroad could in no small way help to reverse the trend.

The statistics published do not make a distinction between how many of the visitors were tourists and how many of them were Maltese, including students.

It is obvious that not all tourists who come to Malta are interested in visiting museums and historic sites. There are many of them who come here for other means of entertainment and who do not set foot in any of such places of interest.

There are then those who come over specifically to visit these places, and therefore make it a point to go to several museums and historic places. Others visit one or two such sites just to say that they did something else other than going to the beach and Valletta.

At first glance, the two million figure seems rather big when considering that Malta welcomes just over one million tourists. But on the other hand it is evident that such a number could increase if we market our sites properly.

For many years, Malta was promoted as the land of sun and the sea, and little importance was given to our archeological remains and our

history.

It was much later that we thought of marketing our heritage and aimed for those tourists who specifically visit different countries to explore their history.

Again, one questions whether enough is being done in this regard. For example, last year we missed a great opportunity of exposing our national heritage to the world when there was no entry from Malta in a worldwide ballot, via internet, to choose the Seven Wonders of the Modern World.

Nobody bothered to enlist any Maltese site among the initial nominations – of which there were 77 – and of course, there was no Maltese finalist chosen. By the time the campaign to choose the finalists closed, there had been 19 million votes from around the globe. The competition is still ongoing as the new Seven Wonders will be named on 1 January 2007.

When The Malta Independent followed up this story last January it received little, if any, response from the authorities concerned. It would have been a good opportunity to promote at least one of the sites that Malta is proud of. Those 19 million people would have at least known that Malta has something to offer, even if they did not give us their vote.

One other factor in this issue is whether the Maltese themselves bother to visit these sites which form part of our history. Many schools organise visits, and it is a good idea that they do so to give the young ones the chance to learn more about their nation.

But when it comes to older generations, it does not seem that the Maltese are interested in spending an afternoon visiting one museum or the other. It is rather sad. Maltese people who travel do visit other countries’ museums and historic sites, but then they never have the time to visit our local treasures.

It is safe to say that many Maltese have been to the Colosseum in Rome, the Louvre in Paris and the British Museum in London, but they have never been to Mnajdra.