There is broad agreement that Gozitans are hard-working individuals. Our Maltese counterparts like to add that Gozitan are less inclined to spend their income than the Maltese do.  This assertion might well be true; as a general rule the level of savings in Gozo is usually higher than that of Malta.

This is no coincidence. The higher propensity to save is a reflection of the higher level of uncertainty that Gozitans are used to. Let’s not forget that for numerous centuries those living in Gozo were heavily exposed to the often random state of nature. What was earned in one day was not a guarantee for the next.

The source of this vulnerability and uncertainty was due to the fact that the possibilities, both natural as well as man-made, were very limited. Agricultural and fisheries were the main source of income. Services and to a very small extent trade with the main island increased in importance at the beginning of the last century and gradually manufacturing and construction gained importance during the second half of the 1900s. Unfortunately, manufacturing activity was completed wiped out in the 1990s, while at the same time the tourist industry provided a growing source of income for Gozitan residents.

However, tourism in Gozo was still very seasonal. For decades, it was practically limited to the summer months while in winter all activity in the sector ceased. This had serious implications both on the operators as well as on the way Gozitan viewed this sector. Very few looked at tourism as an opportunity to develop a full-time career. For most, it was all about a summer job or a supplement income as a part-time job.

The previous administration was aware of this limiting factor and to be fair tried to do something about it. Unfortunately, their efforts fully reflected the mind frame of that administration, which proposed half-baked measures which left very little positive results.

On the other hand, this Administration was serious about tackling this issue of seasonality in the tourism sector.

The first step was to tap the internal market. We made it easier for a Maltese resident to travel to Gozo by offering special schemes. This was an important initiative and delivered the message that we meant business.

The second step was to help the tourism product in Gozo evolve into an experience. This was done by developing various tourism niches. The examples are many – the Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem and the other attractions with the festive programme theme in Gozo presented a unique experience to visitors to the island. Carnival is another annual event which gave something special.  The diving sector is another source of visitors and we provided every support to it.

These initiatives gave highly positive results. The over one million bed nights was something that only the very optimistic dreamed about only a few years ago. Now that we have exceeded this target, we are even more driven and determined to continue working to increase these numbers.

It is even more encouraging when one notes that these positive results continued during this year. January registered an 18 per cent increase on the same month of previous years in foreign bed nights and a 36 per cent increase in terms of domestic bed nights.

The private sector is crucial in all this. We employed an open door policy with them and emphasised that we were in this as a team. Without them success would not be possible.

Such achievements are not the results of chance. As Gozitans we learned that there is only one way to achieve results: that of working hard. We learned this through experience. However, for a number of years the attitude was to depend on central government to come to our rescue. We are re-discovering our old values and results are coming our way.

Dr Refalo is Minister for Gozo