Updated | ‘We had a good laugh’ – PL on satirical mock campaign

The Labour Party was reacting to a satirical ‘Visit Malta’ campaign circulated through facebook sparked off by remarks by PL Leader Joseph Muscat that Malta should capitalise on unrest in Egypt and Tunisia.

A party spokesperson said “we had a good laugh and won’t accuse the authors of lacking ‘savoir faire’.”

He added that however “the issue merits not just the original touch of humour by a commentator, but serious consideration and a well thought campaign which would attract tourists to Malta instead of other destinations which are in turmoil.”

On Sunday, Muscat maintained that government should have already unleashed a massive tourism publicity campaign with the intent to draw tourists to Malta, in the light of the on-going instability in North Africa.

He said that millions of tourists were planning to go to countries such as Tunisia and Egypt - major tourism destinations - and that Malta should be “aggressively promoting” its own attractions.

The remarks have led to individuals designing and circulating pictures depicting a mock Visit Malta tourism campaign, juxtaposing the wide-spread social chaos and suffering with a cynically humorous upbeat promotional message.

See pictures below.

Reacting to Muscat’s remarks, Alternattiva Demokratika said that “tying turmoil to tourism at a political level by a political leader is cynical, silly, and disrespectful, and shows a lack of political savoir faire.”

AD spokesperson on EU and International Affairs Prof. Arnold Cassola described the remarks as shameful.

"It is unbelievable and shameful how the leader of a party that aspires to be in government can be so cynical and, in the face of events that are changing the history of the world, can only think of exploiting the suffering and misery of our North African neighbours. Is this the political vision of the so called progressive in the Labour Party?”

On a similar note Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Mario de Marco last week pointed out that, while Malta regretted the chaos and social unrest playing itself out in neighbouring countries, major tour operators were re-directing planeloads of tourists to Malta from the UK (originally bound for Tunisia).

He was rebutting claims made by a caller during a radio broadcast phone-in show that the government was not doing enough to attract tourists that were cancelling holiday plans in Tunisia.

The Foreign Ministry reacted on Monday by describing Muscat's statements as 'intensitive' and maintained that Malta should - without any sort of paternalism - support Egypt and Tunisia as they progress along the path of reform, and not seek to profit.

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