Last week was a tumultous week for these islands (not that it has been very serene in the last decade)when the Mosta Local Council decided that having trees in the main square was an eyesore. It sickens me that these arrogant and ignorant (yes, this time I use this description to denote the total lack of intelligence rather than the levewl of ignoring an issue)persons in some councils sing from the same song book of their beloved leaders in government just like people experienced in many a dictatorship. Now I really know there is no civic sense of duty and responsiblity in many of these councils. This behaviour cannot go on if we are to taken tourism seriously. This behaviour will lead to modern day barbarism across the island!
In my last article, I wrote about another serious issue in tourism – the successful application of tourism policies and sustainability that we have been speaking of for the past thirty years but have forgotten in the last decade. This is another result of a government and authorities that lack the national interest and civic responsibility to address these factors – we are treating tourism as an industry without looking at the very soul of this activity – the socio-cultural aspect, the quest for adventure, for knowledge to understand cultures, communities, history and heritage. The measurement for tourism depends entirely on the quantitative statistics of arrivals, bed nights and global revenue instead of the type of visitor, the needs and experiences of that visitor and the hospitality and service we must offer in a professional and not an amateur or bad-mannered way.
We must consider our threats and weaknesses in this respect, today, if these islands are to be recognized by visitors as a place for good value in experiences and budgets. The alternative, these islands will soon become a sad and decrepit concrete jungle run by sinister and criminal minds that look to their own gain than that of the country. Policies and strategies are there to show all stakeholders the way forwards, they must be designed through constant and continuous consultation not the result of some ghost writer in some dingy government or authority office. Here now are my six suggestions for applying successful policies and strategies for a government that intends to walk the talk in tourism:
- Policies and Strategies need to be designed by a working group of experts who work consistently and constantly using two simple methods – The integrated approach to planning and the tourism planning triangle and the TEN CTS (Commitment, Trust and Synergy) Process for Implementation. These methods include continuous participation by the three key stakeholders – the local authorities, the local community and the local business community. YOU are a key factor in the success of such policies and strategies.
- Implementation can only be successful when the stakeholder takes ownership and understands their role in the strategy and policy. Policies and strategies for tourism are public documents and not private property for governments and authorities.
- The policies and strategies must be monitored through regular meetings with the stakeholder, listening to ideas, difficulties and methods and making sure to implement these. Monitoring is not the remit of some group of government lackies that formulate a list of excuses or purile explanations why this or that policy or strategy has not been implemented.
- There need to be regular updates for the success of tourism policies that describe the management as well as the qualitative factors that have achieved this success. Quantitative results such as tourism numbers are not representative of this success.
- The stakeholders must organize regular workshops and fora to draw up serious reports – the activities carried out by NGOs that just represent employers and businesses is certainly not enough since these are skewed towards the interest of that small community.
- Finally, these steps must be carried out by a government that is set to rely on action (walking the talk) not some politician or business person whose only interest is egocentric and personal.
It is almost ironic that this week I have to write about a total lack of administrative duties and policies in some of our councils and here I must bring up the case of the Mosta Council who decided that a cluster of wonderful old trees in the main square were an eyesore and a hindrance to the development of a copy of Tiananmen Square or Red Square in Mosta, completely destroying the character and culture of this space. But, truthfully, this is not the first time the authorities and councils have defaced the natural environment here in the last ten years – there was the case of Attard and the utterly useless central link; the development of spaghetti junction in Marsa where more trees went for the chop along the Marsa Sports Club and so many more. Is this how that developer went on television to say that “Malta has never looked so beautiful in the last twenty years!” But, as usual, let me give six ways in which we can add our voices and action to make sure these uncivil actions are avoided in future:
1. We all need to attend our local council meetings and voice our dissent at any uncivil actions being planned for our towns and villages – it is your right and your duty.
2. Do not dismiss council actions as decisions taken which cannot be changed – you voted for the councilors and they have a duty to listen to you and not ignore you – do not whisper your complaint, shout it out from the highest point in your locality.
3. Councillors are public SERVANTS not Demi Gods, if they will not listen make them listen by persisting in your complaint till it is solved.
4. You are part of any decision that concerns your locality, do not ignore this right and duty.
5. If you want to see quality tourism some day in your locality and island then start now to make sure you are part of that project.
6. Finally, understand that councilors and the authorities are answerable to YOU and not vice-versa.
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 not the one 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 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, 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.
In the next month 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 – that is my New Year’s resolution. Will YOU join me? Let us get together now to start to compile these guidelines.
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. Recognize 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 99167805.
5. Let us get going - let us really build better and reverse the horrendous state of this island.
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.