Over 300,000 tourists, some 28 per cent of all those who visited Malta last year, spent some time in the Three Cities, Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said yesterday.

Speaking during a seminar organised by the Cospicua local council, Dr Zammit Dimech said the government was committed to regenerate the Cottonera area, and this could be seen from the many projects that had been undertaken in the past years.

He mentioned as examples the restoration of historic buildings on the Vittoriosa promenade, the building of a yacht marina, the opening of a home for the elderly, the Cottonera Gardens and the Cottonera Waterfront project.

Another area that was being seen to was the Santa Margherita Garden, a rehabilitatuon project being carried out by the Tourism Ministry, the Tourism Authority and the Cospicua local council.