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Kurt Sansone
The carrot and stick approach Government adopted in the budget towards the Malta Tourism Authority by promising the organisation an increase of Lm0.5 million in its budget allocation if tourist arrival numbers increase, has raised the eyebrows of at least one Nationalist Party backbencher.
Speaking to MaltaToday, Nationalist MP Franco Galea says he was wary of the message given in the budget that gives the impression tourist arrivals are solely the merit of the tourism authority.
“It is positive that government budgeted Lm8 million for MTA but we must not give the impression that tourists come to Malta solely because of the work done by MTA. There are a lot of incoming agencies, tour operators and hoteliers who study the market, go abroad and target particular sectors in a bid to attract tourists to Malta. The people at MTA have to pull up their socks and deliver more in terms of marketing various aspects of Malta’s tourism product where it matters.”
Galea, whose family business is linked to tourism, asks whether the extra Lm0.5 million would have been better spent if offered as incentives to the private sector involved in tourism.
Galea says the MTA’s work has to be scrutinised with a fine-toothed comb. “We have to make sure that every cent invested in MTA goes to attracting tourists to Malta. We have to know where the Lm8 million is going to be spent, on what type of promotions and marketing campaigns and whether these are effective to sell Malta’s product to the suitable tourists.”
The MP argues that it is not enough for the MTA’s officials to collect business cards and entertain foreign operators at posh restaurants in a bid to attract tourists. “Every marketing effort has to be justified in terms of the end results it achieves. Anybody can collect business cards,” Galea says with a cheeky smile.
He says it is positive that the private sector is involved in the MTA’s running but cautions against re-directing the authority’s efforts to suit the needs of particular members.
Galea says that in the 1970s and 1980s Malta was known as the ‘pearl of the Mediterranean’. “Price was not our selling point because in some instances prices at the time were higher than what hotels are charging today. But we were competitive because of our simplicity and hospitality. It was a type of genuine hospitality that had character and was also visible in our quaint way of living.”
A Sliema boy himself, Galea reminisces about the lost character of his hometown. “The new buildings there have destroyed the town’s character. Slimizi feel the town’s character has been eroded, taken away from them. Is it a surprise the PN did badly in the EU parliament election there?”
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