Do we really know what tourists seek when they come to Malta? Perhaps we are still stuck in the belief that all they want is cheap food, sun, proximity to the beach and sea.

This is not strictly the case as we have seen small developments in agro-tourism and a decent push on the diving scene as well as more appreciation of our architectural gems in Valletta, Mdina and the Three Cities.

But there is a completely untapped market that lies right within our village cores. Everyone has heard of the concept of boutique hotels and superior bed and breakfast lodgings. In fact, many Maltese people make use of them around the world when on holiday and most will say that they prefer the levels of cleanliness and personal attention.

So why on earth do we have nothing of the sort in Malta? We are not talking of a shabby block of flats in Bugibba, Sliema or St Julian’s. We are talking of developing boutique hotels in village cores. In each and every village around Malta, one finds vacant properties which are hundreds of years old and have not been converted for modern use.

One only has to look at the awestruck faces of tourists who take advantage of pedestrian areas to discover the inner delights of places like Mosta, Siggiewi, Zebbug, Zejtun and many other villages.

One of the first things a potential developer might say is: “But it is so far to Mellieha Bay or Golden Bay. No tourist will want to drive for 30 minutes to get to a beach.”

We assure you, they would not mind one bit. It takes the majority of Europeans about an hour to commute to work each day, so a little drive to the beach is certainly not going to be a put off.

Yes, there is definite potential in the idea, and as already mentioned, tourists are often absolutely lost in delight when they sample a walk in village core streets near our squares and church parvises.

Of course, if such an initiative were to be undertaken, one would have to ensure that the relevant ‘tidy ups’ take place in our villages, but we really should not rob them of their characters.

If such old buildings were to be restored and put to good use, they could turn out to be a really profitable business, while at the same time saving these precious pieces of our past from becoming yet more little boxes made out of ticky-tacky... which all look just the same.

There is one more essential ingredient to go into the mixture and that is exposure. When one books a holiday nowadays, they can type in accommodation in, for argument’s sake, Limerick.

Each and every hotel or B&B in Limerick will be listed on a common site which then features links to the individual properties. One might argue that they might lose traffic from Mosta to Zebbug, but at the end of the day, having common exposure to the world is infinitely better than having none at all.

Such an idea could also help to begin to solve the glut of unused old property in Valletta and many other places. One does not have to think sky high and aim for 500 beds in a hotel to make money. It will also do a lot to preserve Maltese character. For all we know, a tourist might be enthralled by the idea of buying fresh fish from a van in the square – just outside his boutique character hotel. Food for thought.