During this year, the government will be spending Lm4.43 million for the development of the Maltese tourism product, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said yesterday. Lm3.8 million of the amount will be money provided by the European Union.

Dr Zammit Dimech added that Lm3.25 million of the total sum will be spent in Malta, the rest in Gozo. At the same time, the Malta Tourism Authority will be spending close to Lm0.5 million on projects involving the safeguarding of the coast, national heritage and the management of tourist zones.

The minister was speaking during a visit to the panoramic Dingli Cliffs where several embellishment works were carried out by the local council with the support of the MTA.

After the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry carried out restoration work on the chapel dedicated to St Mary Magdalene, the council decided to embellish the area surrounding the chapel, which is a popular site visited by many.

The area was cleaned up and a wooden palisade constructed around the chapel to allow visitors to appreciate the breathtaking view of the undulating cliffs below them and the wide expanse of the Mediterranean sea from the back of the chapel.