St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba and Qawra are in a very sorry state.

The lack of street decorations (for the second year running), Christmas carols and open shops in these three localities hardly give the impression that we are in the midst of a festive season.

What were three towns which would thrive on tourism decades ago now only rely on the scores of Brits, visibly decked in shorts and sleeveless tops, trying to make the most of the winter Maltese sun, to keep the economy going.

Traffic is easy flowing and parking not a problem – sure signs, if any were needed, that the localities are nowhere near as active at this time of the year as in summer.

In the main square of Buġibba, only the HSBC branch located in the corner showed the initiative to decorate parts of its doors and windows with holly and candles to mark Christmas.

The sun shone gloriously when The Malta Independent paid the three localities a visit. It was midday, but rubbish bags littered the Buġibba square – some have even been dumped next to several bus stops in the area, and what were prominent catering outlets in the square were shut.

Also closed down, perhaps temporarily or perhaps permanently, are several souvenir shops along the promenade; the few brave enough to open only serving a handful of customers.

When I bought a drink from one of the kiosks along the promenade, a foreign lady serving behind the counter panicked when she was given a €10 note, since she didn’t have enough coins in the till to give the required change – proof that business in the area is far from booming.

In the Qawra bus terminus, there were only a few people waiting patiently for the bus of their destination to leave, while notices show that a high number of restaurants, vacant houses, dilapidated buildings and garages are up for sale.

If Valletta, before plans for its regeneration were drawn up recently, was often referred to as a once fine lady who has recently fallen on bad times, then St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba and Qawra are surely representing the same lady who lingers, but who knows that her time is fast running out.

It’s no wonder that the three localities have, in most recent times, been referred to as the ‘ghost towns’ of Malta in the winter months.

Seven hotels shutting down for winter

Commenting after touring the Buġibba promenade to view ongoing infrastructural and embellishment works in Buġibba and Qawra, and which, since February, accumulated costs of over €1 million, Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi remarked last summer that:

“There is no need for a Papal visit for the government to inject a spot of vitality in different areas across Malta and Gozo,” recalling the sarcasm in Malta when roads which had not seen a patch of asphalt for ages were given a good once over because Pope Benedict XVI paid a visit back in April.

Nevertheless, the three localities remain anything but vital, as faded zebra crossings, rusty lampposts and damaged pots continue to posit an eyesore across the six kilometres of promenade which link the three localities.

During the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) annual conference at the Hotel Phoenicia last November, the association’s president, George Micallef, placed particular emphasis on the need to boost tourism in the north of the island, announcing that as many as 13 hotels are set to close down in winter from this part of Malta – of which seven are located in either St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba or Qawra.

When later pressed on his views about what needs to be done to boost and upgrade the area, Mr Micallef told this newspaper that:

“Hotels in St Paul’s Bay are spread out in a very concentrated area, but nevertheless represent thousands of beds which, when occupied, feed off a high number of restaurants, bars and kiosks located in their surroundings.

“When hotels there are full to the brim with clients, vacancies arise, but when they close for a few months, as several are doing lately, then entrepreneurs have no option but to lay off members of staff,” he said.

Mr Micallef stressed that although some hotels always close for winter, the MHRA is seeing “an increase in those who are shutting down temporarily in the colder months in recent years”.

“Resort areas like St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba and Qawra will always be at a disadvantage, particularly when it comes to the majority of short-stay independent travellers, who normally seek centrally located hotels in what is commonly referred to as ‘city’ centres.

“The problem becomes even more serious, because, traditionally, hotels in such resort areas are highly dependent on the tour operator business, which today is on the decline.

“One way of mitigating this problem, perhaps, is to brand and market these resort areas differently. For example, hotels located in the northern part of the island can be appealing to particular niches in the tourism industry throughout the off-season and winter months,” said Mr Micallef.

What is also proving to be a major obstacle in attracting visitors to this area is the lack of public transport accessibility.

“These locations are currently hindered by an inefficient public transport system and it is difficult for tourists and residents located there to travel to popular leisure areas such as Sliema and St Julian’s after 8pm.

“The St Paul’s Bay local council, under whose responsibility Buġibba and Qawra fall, needs to put in more effort.

“For example, this is the second year running when Christmas decorations are non-existent – not even in the Buġibba square, which is a popular hotspot. A Christmas atmosphere is expected in any tourist location, and should be created in every locality,” he said.

Mr Micallef continued:

“Although the MHRA has noted a gradual improvement in the upkeep of the area over the past few months, there are things which all stakeholders have been talking about for years but which really need to be addressed sooner rather than later, like lighting in a number of streets, especially in the core areas.

“More public toilets need to be easily accessible, and upgrading more roads and pavements, especially in the inner area of Buġibba, which, especially in summer, is highly frequented by tourists and locals alike, is a must.

“The current state of affairs means that the closure of hotels in the area has a domino effect on restaurants and bars, making it unattractive for tourists and locals, which will, in turn, make it less likely that investors will pour money in to attract visitors to these places.  

“We have to ensure that St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba and Qawra continue to be a prime recreational and leisure area for the Maltese and tourists,” concluded Mr Micallef.

Decorating everywhere ‘is very expensive’ – mayor

Graziella Galea, daughter of longstanding Nationalist MP and current deputy speaker Censu Galea, is the mayor of St Paul’s Bay, who is responsible for approximately 18,000 residents, including 5,000 foreigners who reside in Buġibba, Qawra, Burmarrad, Xemxija and Wardija, besides St Paul’s Bay.

At 26 years old, she is one of the youngest serving mayors in Malta, and when asked why, for the second year running, Christmas decorations in St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba and Qawra are few and far between, she replied:

“There are nearly 300 streets in these localities, meaning it is practically impossible to decorate everywhere for Christmas, for this would run into tens of thousands of euros.

“Nevertheless, there are several areas which have been decorated, either by the local council, parish churches, individuals or businesses.

“I believe, however, that there should be a pooling system involved wherein the business community should show the initiative and take it upon themselves to decorate streets during Christmas time, which would most certainly entice more visitors to the area,” she said.

When asked how come, at 1.30pm, rubbish was uncollected when The Malta Independent paid the localities a visit a few days ago, Ms Galea replied: “Rubbish collections start at around 7am, every day, from different points in the localities.

“There are some who put their rubbish out after the truck has passed, which is why it remains uncollected, and the local council is doing its utmost to enforce the rules.

“In summer, for instance, eco-wardens educate and where necessary penalise those who do not obey rules related to cleanliness.

“It’s worth keeping in mind that there are literally tens of bins along the kilometres of coastline and promenade and it takes time before they are all collected in a day,” she said.

Ms Galea also lamented the spate of vandalism running high in St Paul’s Bay, Buġibba and Qawra.

“Those who cause damage in various areas of these localities are many. The local council is committed to replacing plants stolen or damaged by vandals.

“The local council’s major investment at this point in time concerns the upgrading of some of the roads.

“In fact, through the public-private partnership scheme, the local council will be carrying out resurfacing and construction works in around 20 streets within the next year, while additional roads are planned to have works carried out on them in the following months,” Ms Galea commented.