Tourism depends on security, safety and good governance at a destination. Visitors do not feel comfortable at destinations where these qualities are lacking or are threatened. The community on these islands must realize that any behaviour towards them by government will not do.

In my last article I wrote 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 thing to god-like-humans! This year, around Pwales, Ghadira, Sliema, Ta’ Xbiex, Salina, Golden Bay – the ex-Military Camp and the site of the Hal Ferh Holiday Village (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 in many more areas (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 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:

·                     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.

·                     The so-called Planning Authority must be penalized 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.

·                     Local councils must insist on the cessation of these works during summer.

·                     Planning must be properly developed, managed and monitored in future to make sure this chaos does not happen again.

·                     Finally, 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.

·                     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.

This week I must emphasise that the feeling on this island is one that is tense, stressful and reflects an existence rather than a life. The idea of offering hospitality and service is on the back burner and people here must realize that this negative situation will do nothing to create a reliable and welcoming tourist destination (let alone one that attracts quality tourism). Do you think the sight of a massive crowd outside the PM’s office last week will inspire the responsible tourist to visit these islands? Can we really promote these islands as that friendly, service-oriented destination if the local community is worried about how its workers are being treated and the increase in number of unnecessary and fatal incidents at work? As always, I will give my six points on how to avoid this sad and disgraceful state of the nation:

1.                  Once again I call on the Planning Authority to ensure safety at all the construction sites (especially making sure these sites are necessary, sustainable and will add value to the character and culture of the islands);

2.                  The developer should be made totally responsible for staff safety and deaths as a consequence of bad management on sites. This means heavy fines, compensation and loss of their license for a significant time frame (sometimes including a prison sentence);

3.                  These islands are fast losing their value as a destination that will attract the visitor because of its depiction of a constant building site;

4.                  You need to make up your minds – when will enough development be enough? You have certainly crossed that point of no return in destroying the islands we all remember 10, 15 and 20 years ago;

5.                  This is not an island where development is part of a local or national strategy but where this is part of a devious and unethical way of making money illicitly; and

6.                  Finally, you all need to wake up and stop this rot from eating away at your islands – that way is called the democratic right and duty to tell the authorities: “Enough is enough!”

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 in 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, 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 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

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

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

·         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.

·         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.

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.