What happened to the legal notice requirements for construction and demolition work in tourist areas during summer? Another proof this destination is far from a quality venue

In my last article, I wrote about the way tourism is being developed in the post pandemic period simply as an activity that continues to grow exponentially in terms of the quantitative aspects that focus on productivity and scales of the economy. This week we have heard of yet another three-star hotel, that was sanctioned by the Malta Tourism Authority (which should be there to manage tourism not destroy a socio-cultural activity), along the Sliema seafront. Yet we have hotels in the northern resorts of the island that are still experiencing seasonality issues; we even have an increase in bed-stocks at these resorts despite the seasonality and we employ people in tourism who know nothing about hospitality, service and professionalism and the local character and culture – they are just here for the ride, for a job that pays a pittance and expects little in the way of quality. I think the time has come to assess the professionalism and the quality of our tourism activity seriously not by commissioning carrying capacity studies in Malta and now in Gozo that are just there to boost the government “feel-good” factor instead of the long-term sustainable vision. These are the steps we need to take if we are serious about sustainability and quality tourism:

• Institutions and the authorities must carry out a tracer study for graduates in tourism from the MCAST, ITTC and ITS;
• These studies must include an analysis of the skills, competencies and qualifications that are evident in the workforce as well those gaps that are still missing;
• Create working groups that include academics, industry practitioners and authorities that will act as a core group for ensuring that professionalism and service are successfully implemented;
• Work carefully to ensure the implementation of the Global Code of Ethics (UNWTO) to ensure responsibility by both the host and visitor community; and
• Finally, tourism needs to have a long-term vision that is managed by the working group and not by politicians.

This week my article is all about the “ignorance” of LN 295/07. A legal notice that was introduced during my time as director Tourism to avoid the chaos of tourists and locals having to manoeuvre around the island because of development and obstacles such as trenches. It worked beautifully until 2013 when this regime decided that developers were the next best thing to God! This year, around Pwales, Ghadira, Sliema, Ta’ Xbiex, Salina, Golden Bay – the ex-Military Camp and the Hal Ferh Holiday Village site (I wonder why there was no NGO who kicked up a fuss about the destruction of the 100-year-old camps as the same NGO did, rightly so, at the destruction of the Tigne Clock tower in the late 1990s) and the other many roads (I nearly forgot Constitution Road in Mosta – a popular place for visitors in summer), there is no sign of enforcement – but then how do you enforce the enforcer? This group of demi-Gods seem to be above the law and speak the language of money – they care little for the national interest and tourism for them is a quantitative industry that is a distraction to their real goal of destroying the attractiveness of these islands for a few silver pieces of “blood money”.

So now we are not only destroying the character and culture of the islands but we are also destroying a tourist activity that was once the envy of the Mediterranean – well done to those who still dream and lie about introducing a quality tourism industry!

As always these are my solutions to this pathetic and despicable situation:

1. The MTA and the Ministry for Tourism must be the catalyst here to enforce the Legal Notice. The business community and the local community must show their strength in numbers and make their voices heard by insisting that the works are stopped immediately;
2. The so-called Planning Authority must be penalised by heavy (and I mean heavy) fines and the removal and/or the resignation of key staff and even operational staff who fail to do their duty;
3. Local councils must insist on the cessation of these works during summer;
4. Planning must be properly developed, managed and monitored in future to make sure this chaos does not happen again;
5. Developers and contractors who break this legal notice twice in succession should have their license revoked for not less than 10 years and a heavy fine put on them; and
6. Finally if we want to be serious about that quality destination then we must first weed out the irresponsible and callous workers who ignore the legal documents that were intended to build a serious and attractive destination.

By following these six stages, we can ensure that these islands are managed professionally, sustainably and with the idea of developing a quality activity that attracts the visitor who wants to be here. Travel and tourism to these islands today is about quantitative gains for the greedy and uncouth. We need to put professionalism and hospitality back into the equation.

Still more 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 2023. 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 many times in my previous articles, tourism in Malta 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 Stewardships 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. 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