In my last article, I wrote about the attitude, lack of hospitality and lack of service in many of our hotels, restaurants and retail outlets. This is no measure for professionalism here. We cannot even begin to promote a tourism activity here (let alone dream of quality). In this article I will highlight just some of the facts I saw this week that defined a country in turmoil, a destination well below acceptable standards and an appearance that will keep people away not attract them to these islands.

Fact 1: You drive along most of our roads, in our villages and towns, that have such a quaintness and history about them but which, unfortunately, are being destroyed by developers replacing typical houses and buildings with grey, abstract flats and nondescript buildings. What happened to the important role that MEPA had, pre 2013, to prepare outline plans and designs for the island – ODZ meant Outside Development Zone, today this is land that is negotiable to the highest bidder (for want of another name) since payment is not made in the national interest but for personal gain. Today we look at the urban sprawl in most towns and villages and we see a disaster that indicates a different country, a country that has been sold for money and greed.

Fact 2: There is the persistent thought that building roads, taking them up again after only three months since they are finished (sometimes after three or four years) will solve the traffic problem. This actually aggravates the issue, it creates more traffic, more chaos and more harassment from irresponsible drivers. Roads will not solve these isssues, what we need is a holistic plan to reduce cars, encourage hybrid vehicles and organise a multi public transport system. Will that ever happen? What we also need is to invest in multi-storey car parks and remove parking from our roads and surfaces (these can be pedestrianised and made green).

Fact 3: The attitude and aggressiveness of some people is another point that must be addressed; we need to stop this belligerence, arrogance and downright “savage” behaviour.

Just three facts in this short article that I hope will continue to encourage more people to write in and assist in the compilation of the Guidelines to Stewardship by Q3 of this year. Thank you to all those who have already shown their support from as far as the UK, Switzerland and Germany (incidentally three of our key source markets). If we persist in ignoring these facts, then, as I have said before, tourism here will be an activity that may just attract sordid and nasty characters instead of the visitor who wants to be here – let us keep persisting.

This year I will be completing the Guidelines for Stewardship with the help of a number of individuals and NGOs who have already approached me and I hope to present this to you, as the community, to our politicians and to our authorities. We may, yet, be able to save these islands from total oblivion as a sustainable and quality tourist destination – that is my New Year’s resolution. Will YOU join me?

Recommendations and Summary

1.                   Let us build community spirit by developing the Guidelines for Stewardship together; I invite all those interested to contact me.

2.                  We should identify areas where we can regenerate local tourism for the quality visitor.

3.                  Recognise our duty as communities to enhance our environment and care for the precious trees that will add value to our moral, ethical and physical quality of life.

4.                  Those NGOs and persons (including local councils) interested in working with me on this project should email me on [email protected] or call me on 9916 7805.

5.                  Let us get going – let us really build better and reverse the horrendous state of this island.

I sometimes wonder – am I writing for the converted? Are there any other persons who agree or disagree with me? I frequently meet people who read these articles – but these articles are not just there to be read on a lazy Sunday afternoon, they are there to sow the seeds of change from apathy to commitment – to make tourism an activity we can be proud of. Let me know what you think and how you feel about tourism.

Dr Julian Zarb is a researcher, local tourism planning consultant and an academic 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