Tourism and strolling the discuss

In normal times we would now see the beginning of the peak of the tourist season. Of course, these are not normal times.

The country was hit by a medical emergency that quickly turned into an economic emergency.

Fortunately, the fiscal measures taken by the government have cushioned the worst impact on workers in the industry. The vaccine success in most European countries has given good reason to hope that the worst will soon be over and that the number of tourists will increase significantly by the end of this year. However, there remains significant uncertainty that could frustrate operators and workers alike in this important island industry.

The UK market remains a vital element in our tourism industry. Unfortunately, the emergence and rapid spread of the Indian variant of COVID in the UK has dampened our initial excitement that Malta could soon be added to the UK traveler green list.

The UK medical authorities are now advising their citizens not even to travel to green list countries unless necessary.

The Tourism Authorities, represented by Minister Clayton Bartolo and the Chair and CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, remain optimistic and promise to do their best to put Malta on the UK Green List as early as possible.

You should not be under any illusions about your influence on this matter and not be blamed if it does not happen soon. What matters more are their long-term plans for the industry.

Bartolo announced the creation of a think tank to turn the island into a “center of tourist excellence”. He argues: “We don’t want this to be a buzzword, but a mentality for how we will work from today for the benefit of future generations.”

Many frustrated industry analysts may not be as impressed with this new urgency to banish mediocrity that is the unconfirmed hallmark of the government’s tourism strategy. You are right to ask if this time the minister and his MTA officials will hold the interview and show genuine commitment to making the tough decisions it will take to breathe new life into the industry.

The word excellence is often misused in business communication. Excellence means size – the best. What is preventing us from excelling in this important industry?

It is the ongoing destruction of our rural and urban environments. It is the lack of political will to enforce sound civic rules against those who believe they can break those rules with impunity. It is the tolerance of low standards of service provided by various operators in the industry.

It is the ugliness of our coast by those who have the right to occupy public land for their exclusive use.

It’s never too late to recalibrate our tourism strategy. Hopefully the new think tank will not resort to platitudes that are not backed by a steely political determination to invest in best practices to foster excellence.

Think tank members must have the independence of thought to rock the boat if it is necessary to get policymakers and operators out of the delusion that the industry needs higher traffic.

The tourism industry may suffer from groupthink and ignore the realities that challenge its future.

It’s time to have the conversation if we want an industry that creates more value for those who visit the island and for the local community that hosts it.

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