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Gozo Tourism Association laments low-cost airlines effect
The Gozo Tourism Association says low-cost airlines negatively affected domestic tourism, reiterates call for airstrip.
7 January 2013, 12:00am
Staff Reporter
Staff Reporter
2 min read
The GTA said the Mgarr harbour is not big enough for yacht berthing.
While the introduction of low-cost carriers has attracted more tourists to Malta and Gozo, more Maltese persons are opting to go abroad rather then visit Gozo, the Gozo Tourism Association (GTA) said.
In its list of electoral proposals presented to political parties, GTA said that although the "positive" government intervention to attract more tourists to Malta through low-cost airlines was benefitting the sector in Malta and Gozo, "it also had a negative impact on domestic tourism towards Gozo."
Echoing the government's proposal in the botched 2013 Budget, the GTA argued that Maltese persons who spend more than one night in Gozo should pay the same Gozo ferry tariff as Gozitans in the winter months.
Among a range of other proposals in its 20-page document, the GTA reiterated calls for an airstrip in Gozo "to improve accessibility to Gozo" and make the island directly accessible to tourists who would no longer need to land in Malta first.
The association pointed out that the airstrip should be accessible to small aircraft that can carry up to 20 passengers. It also called for the reintroduction of an air-link between Gozo and the Malta International Airport to offer tourists another means to reach the island apart from the ferry service.
GTA also insisted that the Mgarr harbour was becoming too small and proposed the construction of a quay in Marsalforn to cater for ferry services to Sicily.
Another proposal tabled by the GTA is that of turning part of the Marsalforn bay and other bays into yacht marinas.
On the controversial proposal to construct a tunnel linking Malta and Gozo, the GTA said that a detailed impact assessment on the positive and negative effects on tourism should be carried out immediately. It added: "it makes no sense to sideline such an important sector such as the tourism industry from the consultation process."
While pointing out the importance of investing in niche tourism such as diving, agro-tourism, religious travel, cultural and conference tourism, the association also called for more investment in improving bays and diving facilities
GTA also called for a reduction of VAT on accommodation from 7% to 5% and for a reduction of utility bills for all tourism establishments in Gozo.
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Mela fl-ahhar l-GTA stembhet u qed tara fuq xiex ser twahhal ghat-tnaqqis fit-turisti Maltin li dejjem qed jonqsu milli jaqsmu l-Fligu. Il-GTA zgur li jafu l-problemi minn fejn gejjin u qatt u qatt ma jippruvaw jindirizzawom ghax jirfsu xi kallu u kif jafu wkoll li jekk tirfes kallu Ghawdxi ma jahfirlek QATT. Biss dik il-farka bahar hi l-akbar problema ghax kieku jinghaqdu l-gzejjer (bridge u mhux tunnel kif mghaqudin gzejjer zghar ohra) zgur li Ghawdex jiffjorixxi bil-kbir ghax l-investiment f’kollox jizdied…biss fil-passat dejjem l-Ghawdxin ippruvaw li jzommu lill Ghawdex kwazi gzira indipendenti fejn kull minn jaqsam hu kkonsidrat bhala barrani irrispettivament jekk hux Malti jew Turist. Gara wkoll li dawk il-Maltin li xtraw ir-residenza hemmek wara zmien dejjem jitkelmu li saru Ghawdxin!!!!!, dejjem hemm dik id-differenza bejn Malti u Ghawdxi u ghallhekk dejjem baqaw xettici li jinbidlu. Il-problema dejjem kienet li kull Gvern kien jaf li l-voti Ghawdxin kienu jaqilbu kull gvern meta u x’hin iridu u hekk ser jigri f’din l-elezzjoni. Mhux kullhadd jaf bl-evazjoni ta’ taxi (VAT etc) citazzjonijiet lill vetturi Maltin u l-Ghawdxin le!!Lill Maltin jafuhom bhala QREJJAQ. U l-prezzijiet li jintalbu lill Maltin/Turisti fir-restoranti, farmhouses etc etc. U l-hars ikrah jibda hekk kif tirfes fuq il-vapuri li jaqsmu l-Fligu. Gzira tal-Genn ghaz-zbuhija izda problematika.
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Ghawdex ilu sejjer lura ghal hafna snin. Il- boom li kien hemm fl-80s u fin 90s sfixxa fix-xejn. Dawn tal-Gozo Tourism Association illum twieldu jew kien reqdin u issa stenbhu? Mela l-affarijiet imorru hazin jew tajjeb f'salt? Ghax ma baqux reqdin dawsxejn ohra; jekk ma iridux jippontaw subghajhom lejn l-Partit li hu responsabli ghal dan id-didzastru li hemm f'Ghawdex illu,. L-Ghawdxin jixraqilhom ahjar! Viva Ghawdex taghna llkoll!
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Dear Gozo Tourism Association, go say all the above to Simon Busuttil. He considers that the arrival of low-cost airlines was an asset to tourism - he said so during his debate with Louis Grech.
