Nothing serves better to stimulate our appreciation of travel and the functioning of the destination for visitors and locals, than, of course, a trip abroad.
Not that we are without comments or opinions for the rest of the time, on the way our own destination is managing, but a holiday overseas, tends to crystallise the image we have lurking at the back of our mind and brings into focus the reason why we are holding that impression in the first place.
Yes, we have a constant feeling that the overcrowding of in-demand resorts like St. George’s Bay in St Julian’s and city centres like Sliema are harming our industry. People from abroad are not used to, like we may be, the dense population, adjacent buildings, lack of open spaces, no visible trees or shaded avenues and parks. It is an experience for many people to find themselves surrounded by stone, noise, cars and people in all directions, not to mention rubbish on the streets and cranes against every skyline.
Tourist regions, not resorts, in European countries, have an elegant, relaxed, calm and welcoming atmosphere. They are extremely inviting. They chose to specialise in a simple attraction, be it the natural beauty of its landscape, the gastronomic offering, the historical sites or monuments, sporting activities, all set within and respecting the residents of the area.
Much consideration is given to the standards of transport – roads, buses, trains to reach the location conveniently and be able to move around and pay visits to sites and towns around the region.
Additionally, there are management systems in place to ensure cleanliness and health and safety. Refuse bags are deposited into 2 skips on each block to be collected regularly. A shopping street in Madrid will shade its streets with colourful canopies stretching across the road, so that enjoying a delicious, cold, fresh lemonade, even in the heat of the afternoon, is very pleasant and refreshing.
As we are caught in the pangs of re-birth for Air Malta, the country waits to see what will happen. We cannot take any of our success for granted and in such a delicate and sensitive industry like tourism, the slight whiff of insecurity, overpricing or inconvenience can easily put off a tourist.
With such an important factor, as Air Malta, for the Maltese economy and stability of prices and product, why are we not having complete transparency on the negotiations for its future, be it with Alitalia or any other partner? If, as suspected, the discussions do not seem to be reaching a plausible deal, should we not be able to follow the proceedings, especially for the sake of the employees and the market?
Again, if the talks are not achieving the desired result, should we begin again and direct our business plan towards negotiations with the European Union, on coming to an agreement on a further extension of the support needed to sustain the airline a little longer or to have some derogation or moratorium whilst discussions can take place so that we are not with our back to the wall whilst negotiating with partners? Especially in view of the upcoming EU presidency for Malta. It would be most inconvenient if the flights to Brussels, for example, had to come to a halt.
The important players in the travel industry in Malta all maintain that having control of Air Malta and the routes it operates is still in the national interest. There are historical and cultural reasons for this that extend beyond commercial operations in their pure sense. The links between the UK, which remains our main source for tourists, is part of our culture and people travel to UK not just for holidays but also for medical, educational and business purposes. So much so that it may have been closer to our scope to find a partner in the UK instead of Italy, to merge with or share with. Or what about the way that Iberia went with the merger with British Airways where it still kept its own brand? Might BA have room for another airline operating around the Med, Europe and North Africa?
Whatever the reason for the choice of Alitalia/Emirates, just like the US-EU trade agreement talks seems to have died a natural death, the time may have come to pull the plug on this particular alliance where we are like an ex-lover begging to be taken back. The comments made by Montezemolo, about never assuming any of the debt of Air Malta, had more than a whiff of disdain about it. Many Italians have been forced to ‘’humble’’ themselves and find employment or start business ventures in Malta. Paceville has become like Little Italy, full of pizzerias, restaurants and ice cream parlours whilst every new street corner seems to be occupied by an Italian or Sicilian tenant as has the Gzira seafront. We would be selling ourselves short to think that they would be doing us a favour to take over Air Malta.
Making it competitive again is not something that cannot happen, as it was indeed happening before the plan was sabotaged once again with inflated staff numbers and the reduction in the fleet. You look at the operation and see what is necessary and what can be sub-contracted, outsourced or re-organised and get it lean and efficient. The famous panina was the first sign of heading off in an ad-hoc direction.
It should also not be an isolated project in our tourism. In tandem with the fate of Air Malta goes the fate of our tourist resorts, in particular, at this time, the south.
Recently, we also had the topic of the ex-Jerma Palace Hotel in Marsascala resurfacing when proposals were made to demolish it and transfer the land for rehabilitation as an open area, like a natural park. Residents of Marsascala did miss the commerce and facilities of this hotel when it closed and was not replaced by any other venture. Indeed the Zonqor project, disguised as an educational establishment, but intuitively seen as a surrogate hotel, may have revived memories for locals of the time when Jerma Palace had their streets, bars and restaurants visited by many British and other tourists.
The fact of the matter now is that, like Air Malta, the south is seriously handicapped. That handicap is the new power station and especially the LNG tanker that will be sitting in Marsaxlokk bay for the 10 years or so.
Anyone in the travel industry can tell you that the lack of a fire escape or fire doors in a hotel can lead to health and safety contraventions for the tour operators. Many tour operators have to obey the authority of the agencies that are responsible for monitoring the health and safety for hotels, transport and all other elements of a holiday. Generally the agency is not even an in-house one but an independent agency offering its services to the tour operators who are obliged to ensure that all health and safety rules are observed, even for insurance and licence purposes.
Therefore, it is going to be very hard for tour operators to bring their clients down to Marsaxlokk, no matter how fresh the fish is, how many the hawkers and how important the excursion is to our product. The risk has not been classified yet and the danger is very real, if not physically, then minimally in the mind of those people who have to certify such risks. Marsascala is not far from the danger and anyway, the downgrading of Marsaxlokk will pull the rest of the region down with it.
It would be so much more in the interest of the residents of the area and of its councillors to seriously study the impact of the tanker on commerce and immediately push for a radical plan to ensure safety and enhance the potential of the area, also in view of negative fallout which may ensue from the loss of Zonqor and the clients it will bring with it. Will they have a positive or negative effect on tourism in the area? How feasible is it to continue investing in hotels at this point? Or is the interest from developers solely for high-rise and luxury flats? In all likely hood the value of property in the surrounding area of the bays, will drop.
It is another reason for seeing that the move of the Institute of Tourism Studies to Smart City will be the cause of a slow death to the training of tourism professionals in Malta and Gozo. Since most of the hotels are located in St Julian’s, Sliema, Bugibba, Qawra and the north including Gozo, it means that many students actually live in the north and work in hotels on a part-time basis whilst studying and after qualifying. For those students who live in the south, it is not too far to travel to St Julian’s. However, coming from Gozo or Mellieha all the way to Smart City will discourage any well intentioned youth. Or are we now to discriminate in favour of the students living in the vicinity (?) of Kalkara and nearby, who then will need to find work in the harbour region and the north with reverse travel problems? It does not make sense and will be detrimental to the prospects of the ITS. In fact, it is reminiscent of the bias that was shown against private school students during the Mintoff years, when applying to university or what was left of it. All the student-worker scheme and points system.
Serious consideration needs to be given to long-term impacts from the various threats facing the tourism industry and to shift from this dual standard with limited view.