The government has announced that, thanks to a profit having been registered by Gozo Channel, it has decided to implement a scheme over the winter period offering cheaper prices for Maltese residents to cross over.
The scheme, in essence, allows Maltese travellers who go to Gozo after 5.15pm to benefit from Gozo residents’ prices. This will effectively mean that passengers can travel for 60 cents instead of Lm2, while a car and driver will be charged Lm3.60 instead of Lm6.75. The scheme also provides for a free trip for one when Lm10 is spent in a hotel or restaurant. It is, of course, not the first time this has happened and a similar scheme, put in place last winter, proved to be highly successful.
Industry Minister Austin Gatt said that the scheme was primarily aimed at Maltese people who dine in Gozo or spend weekends there. He said that in the last few years, Gozo Channel’s finances had not been in very good shape, but thanks to measures implemented to encourage travel during the slump months, coupled with the fact that operational costs have been reduced by Lm318,000, the company has finally registered a profit.
Bearing this in mind, said Dr Gatt, the government has decided to offer support to Gozo by investing part of the profit in engineering schemes that will encourage more visitors, giving a much-needed boost to its economy.
Gozo does face a terrible slump in the winter – it is inevitable, due to weather, seasonality and all manners of other circumstances. However, this type of offer is highly attractive to Maltese “tourists”. As ever, a consumer loves a bargain and the promise of being able to travel for the same price as Gozitan residents will prove to be very popular indeed. Although Gozitan residents benefit from subsidised travel for various obvious reasons, this situation has always incurred the envy of Maltese residents.
Gozo is an alternative night out and for such cheap prices, many may be tempted to take up the offer – especially with the sweetener of a free trip if Lm10 or more is spent (which it obviously will be).
As said by Dr Gatt, depending on the uptake of the scheme, which is sure to be substantial, Gozo will benefit from a hard cash injection. However, it must be borne in mind that for Maltese people to be enticed over to Gozo, the Gozitans must play their part as well. A start would be to ensure that there are plenty of establishments open for business, as it is often the case that many are closed, resulting in difficulty finding a restaurant of one’s choice that is serving.
Another option open to Gozitans is to put their own special offers on. While they might not produce as big a profit in the short term, Gozo could
develop a reputation for being a cheaper, alternative night out – something different.
One is sure that restaurateurs and hoteliers in Gozo will grasp this opportunity with both hands, but with today’s consumer society, they must realise that traditional fare at traditional prices will not cut the cake. What is needed is just a small extra impetus to encourage the people of Malta to get out of their comfy and warm armchairs to go for something different.
With a little bit of extra effort, this could prove highly successful for Gozo.