Gozo has been the centre of much attention during this summer, with much focus being put on the threat of overdevelopment and the ramifications it may have on the island going forward.

In July, the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) published the results of a survey among tourism operators. The results from this survey showed that the entirety of operators were greatly concerned with overdevelopment leading to the island losing its charm, and would result in both foreign and domestic tourism decreasing.

The Gozo Business Chamber (GBC) organised their own surveys, with which they found that the primary concern for businesses is the issue of overdevelopment and the Gozitan economy’s over-reliance on the construction and tourism industry.

The CEO of the GTA, Joe Muscat, has previously said that it cannot be allowed for “Gozo to become like Malta”, referring to the situation of development and construction on the island.

The Malta Independent reached out to Muscat and spoke to him regarding the ‘8-point plan’ published in May 2023 by ‘Ghal Ghawdex’, a group made up of seven key Gozitan entities representing different sections of Gozitan society. The purpose of this plan, according to the coalition, is to outline “long-term, positive changes to construction and development policies in Gozo” and ensure “the fabric of Gozitan society, and the built and natural environment are respected, while promoting the sustainable development and prosperity of the island.”

When speaking with Muscat, The Malta Independent mentioned the results of the aforementioned surveys detailing how overdevelopment has consistently been the primary concern for Gozitan businesses, and asked the GTA CEO if enough is being done to curb overdevelopment on the island, as well as if he believes it may be too late for areas such as Xlendi and Marsalforn.

He answered: “Well, in Ghal Ghawdex's eight point plan we are basically excluding those areas you mentioned. We are saying that at least, let us preserve those areas which have not yet become like Marsalforn and Xlendi, which are now basically committed areas. The development that has already happened means it is pointless to make restrictions there because you can't fix anything. However, those areas which are intact or not as developed, then this plan applies to them.”

He added that Ghal Ghawdex is trying to convince the relevant authorities to understand and accept their concerns. “We wish to see development which respects the character of our island, an island which we promote with tourism.”

He said that these efforts do not mean that they are against development, but that “development needs to be in line with that which we project our island to be, distinct and different.” He continued that with the current level of development he does not believe that Gozo will be any different from Malta, which would end their argument that Gozo is truly distinct.

The Malta Independent asked Muscat if Gozo presently has the infrastructure to deal with the current level of development, to which he answered: “If we continue to develop all these residential units, we need to see to it that we fix, invest in, and advance our infrastructure to deal with this development. Parking areas, roads, drain systems, etc.”

He said that with a greater volume of people living on the island, it is not feasible to keep using an infrastructure set in place 30 years ago. He referred to recently published statistics from the National Statistics Office (NSO) “which show that the foreign population in Gozo has increased by over 400% within the last 10 years.” He said that the infrastructure and services need to improve to meet the increasing demand. “We are already strained when we have visiting tourists, let alone when there is an increasing number of people living here permanently.”

Muscat was asked about his thoughts on whether the Government has been receptive to calls from Ghal Ghawdex regarding their requests. He said that he does think that the Government has been receptive to their wishes for new regional plans and policies, and that “the authorities understand that something needs to happen”.

The question of Gozo’s connectivity was then brought up. In an interview with The Malta Independent in June 2023, Minister Aaron Farrugia confirmed that the Gozo tunnel plans had been shelved. Muscat was asked whether Gozo’s connectivity is currently adequate, and how it could be improved if it is not.

The GTA CEO said: “We believe that inter-island connectivity needs to continue improving. This can be done by deploying a fourth ferry on the same level as the other three we currently have. We need to make sure it's on the same standard as the other active ferries. The fast ferry needs to continue offering reliable services.”

He also mentioned his association’s support for the Government’s plan to establish an airfield within Gozo, which would allow tourists to directly come to Gozo as well as allow Gozitans to travel without having to go into Malta. He also said that the tunnel system would add on to Gozo’s struggles, which is already in a situation where it is “too much to handle”, acknowledging concerns related to the tunnel and how it would intensify development.

Muscat continued by emphasising that the Gozo Tourism Association is not against development, “far from it”. He said that their sector is one that requires continuous improvement. He added “However, it needs to be development which improves what we already have, not destroy or decrease the prestige of what we currently have.” He said that when talking about aesthetics, “we need to ensure that it is synonymous with what we are used to seeing in Gozo, an aesthetic which draws the eye and that tourists will enjoy.”

He said that it “needs to be an aesthetic which improves Gozo visually, not uglifies it.” He concluded, “We need to continue developing, but we need to do it responsibly. Responsibly.”