Gozo has always been a favourite subject among politicians, of all colours. It is one of the 13 electoral districts, but it gets much more individual attention than the other 12. Nobody ever refers to the fifth or the 11th district, just to mention two, but Gozo does get its own fair share of consideration, and this not only from politicians who contest in the sister island.

And the reasons for this are obvious. Being an island, Gozo has its own characteristics, particularities and, most of all, needs. Just as much as Malta cannot be isolated from the rest of the world, Gozo cannot be left on its own. It needs to be sustained; it needs special attention.

Successive governments have done their best to keep Gozo distinct from Malta, and yet at the same time part of it too. Because it is important that Gozo’s differences from Malta are highlighted, perhaps even enhanced, and yet at the same time Gozo should remain part and parcel of what the whole country has to offer.

It is very easy to say that Gozo’s economy largely depends on the number of people who visit it. And although having foreigners visit Gozo as part of their holiday does have a great bearing on Gozo’s success, it is the Maltese visitors who make up the biggest chunk of business that Gozo entrepreneurs look forward to.

Most foreigners come to Malta and Gozo once in their lifetime; it is Maltese visitors who have the chance to visit Gozo regularly. And it is therefore “the Maltese industry” that needs to be safeguarded – for the Gozitans’ sake.

Many Maltese have in fact even bought residences in Gozo, to be able to enjoy the peace and tranquility that this island has to offer. It must be said that the infrastructure, including the road network, has been greatly improved over the years, and the fact that Gozo Channel Limited offers an excellent service makes things much easier.

The number of activities that are being organised on the sister island have also made it more attractive for people who want to take a short holiday there. Apart from the open-air activities that are held in the warmer months, there have been others which have encouraged many Maltese to cross the channel for a particular event, and then spend the night there too.

There are particular periods during the year when thousands of Maltese flock to Gozo – such as the Santa Marija week in August and the Carnival weekend – and, to a lesser extent, when there are long weekends. During such times, Gozo is literally converted into a mini-Malta, in the sense that driving becomes more chaotic, the number of people present on the beaches and on the roads multiplies, and it unfortunately becomes dirtier too.

So far, Gozo has been able to sustain all this, in the sense that people still continue to go there in spite of knowing that Gozo will not be a tranquil place. But if Gozo continues to become more and more like Malta, it will lose the charm that over the years attracted so many visitors.

Secondly, Gozitans must realise that they cannot kill the goose that lays the golden egg. If they are going to continue to raise their prices – for anything in between accommodation and a bottle of water – then they run the risk of putting people off. At a time when people are spending less, the first items they strike off the list is a holiday, and therefore the Gozitans must be careful not to lose what they have struggled to achieve over the past years.

Rightly so, all political parties give great importance to Gozo and its particular needs. But the Gozitans have to help themselves too.