This week I will be comparing strategies (I know, this is often seen as an onerous topic, especially, if both strategies were developed by political parties). But I simply cannot help sharing this exercise with you. I was involved in both strategies in terms of a consultative contribution. The primary difference is, that while the MTA and Ministry for Tourism consultation was carried out after the publication was launched, in the case of the 2+8 – A Way Forward for Tourism Recovery, it was prepared after the consultation with most of the key stakeholders, who were also present at the launch last week. I was also there.
First of all this was not a nine-year plan put together in some office at Smart City; this was a programme that was compiled after discussions with the various players, consultants and NGOs. People listened to each other instead of simply hearing the suggestions, knowing full well they would be putting down their own opinions and recommendations – it was an integrated programme, a holistic plan which can work, although there are a number of ifs and buts here.
This plan will work if the three principles, listed hereunder and outlined by Dr Bernard Grech in the introduction, are implemented:
- The long-term vision
- Empowerment to attract the right visitors (the difference between a short-term idea of handing out the fish rather than the rod, I think)
- Policies provide full support to the industry and stakeholders.
The report does not simply talk about touting for numbers, the quantitative aspect of the management of tourism, but rather looks at how to manage each component of tourism such as the marketing plan, the connectivity (here we need to insist on sustainability and responsibility – the impact of any carbon footprint on these islands and the Mediterranean); the accomodation and catering where we need to broaden our concept of accomodation to include the diversity of opportunities for all stakeholders, new investors and choice for the quality visitor; the infrastructire and the environment – considering the challenges of sharing tourism destinations and resorts with ongoing building sites and roadworks – we need to plan seriously instead of carrying work out in isolation; urban planning means we should start to look at the involvement of the local community, the host, in this shared economy.
Community-based tourism was first introduced as an alternative to the mainstream and quantitative mass industry, during my appointment as Director Tourism (2010-2013) and this project is still going on in six localities together with the University of Malta and the Malta Tourism Society; we have to consider our attractions – management, implementation and enhancement (in my next article I will discuss how we can convert that iconic 17th century garden in Attard into a relaxing, interesting and well-planned attraction instead of the shambles it is in today). Events should be linked to local culture and character – the idea of the “lost and found” free-for-all that attracts the type of visitor who would feel at home in any “demonstration” or “riot” back home (in other words, the hooligan) is certainly not tourism.
As I said, I was involved in the consultation processes for both strategies by the government today and the Nationalist Party and I have to admit I now feel more confident that the way forward to tourism recovery is clearer and plausible as outlined by the Nationalist Party than by some strategy that started its life not in an integrated approach with the stakeholders, but after being penned by one or two people behind closed doors at the MTA offices. We must face our responsibilities now in rethinking, reviewing and redesiging our tourism management and we must grow up in our very outlook on this socio-cultural activity.
Dr Julian Zarb is a researcher, local tourism planning consultant and a visiting senior lecturer at the University of Malta. He has also been appointed as an expert for the High Streets Task Force in the UK. His main area of research is community-based tourism and local tourism planning using the integrated approach