         |
| EDITORIAL | Sunday, 12 August 2007 The great Gozo project
The Gozo survey carried out by our newspaper reveals a sister island which is heavily steeped in traditional values, but at the same time changing, albeit slowly. There can be little doubt that the concerns and values of Gozitans, though similar, are not identical to those of their cousins across the Fliegu.
The Gozitan’s main concern is unemployment. Traditionally, much of the availability in the job market involved employment in factories, where our traditionally low wages allowed Gozo to compete in attracting investors to open up factories in Malta. This is no longer the case. The writing has long been on the wall that such investment will no longer be attracted to our shores. Gozo, no differently from Malta, has to acclimatise itself to attracting added value employment. The key to such success is a highly educated work force. Only further investment in and a commitment to education will allow Gozo to retain its standard of living, and to shift employment from low-wage factories to high-wage information technology driven employment. This is the biggest challenge facing our sister island. The survey also shows a trend against unlimited development. This is a break-through in Gozitan thinking which has for years resisted a Maltese preference to keep Gozo in its pristine form. It is clear that just as uncontrolled development has taken place, public awareness has grown on the environmental front. The once unspoilt countryside is no more. This clearly explains the reluctance of a majority of Gozitans to see further projects taking place in Ramla il-Hamra, Ta’ Cenc and Hondoq ir-Rummien. There is less of a conviction that development will solve economic problems. This represents a sea-change in public perception and thinking. It points to added value jobs, built on the foundations of a good education rather than concrete jungles, as the way forward. The most worrying thing about the survey is its revelation that Gozitans tend to rely on patronage networks. This Sicilian way of operating is a matter of concern to the creation of a fair and just society. It calls for some soul-searching and for the minister to act as a minister for Gozo, and not for the Gozitans. The survey is an eye-opener on the best way forward for Gozo. The hallmark of the Gozo project must be an appreciation that Gozo should be seen, sold and accepted as a separate project from Malta. Its unique selling point is that it offers a different experience to Malta. Accordingly, its accessibility is the corner stone of its success. Recent direct transportation from our airport is a marked improvement but does not go far enough. The recently launched sea-plane is a great step in the right direction and all further means of accessibility, including the re-launching of the helicopter service, should be given priority. Once in Gozo, the experience should be different to that in Malta. All attempts in years gone by to establish Gozo as an upmarket destination were spot on. Regrettably, recent development has tarnished the Gozo brand. The way forward for Gozo is quality, not quantity. Gozo should stop its senseless quest for numbers. Gozo needs fewer numbers and more high spending tourists, visiting the island with the specific intention of getting away from the maddening crowd back home. Malta can never achieve this sense of peace but Gozo is tailor-made for a hassle-free, quiet destination. The emphasis must be on quality service, a well trained and educated work force, good value for money and reliability in standards of service. These qualities are of the essence in any tourism resort. Gozo at the end of the day is a tourist destination which can only further thrive if acceptable standards of service and accommodation are scrupulously observed. Maintaining a higher destination rating involves doing things very differently. The project must be product driven. It is unacceptable to take so long to complete the first road to Victoria after disembarking from the ferry boat. We have serious reservations on the recently completed terminal. It dwarfs the previous beauty of the Italian designed port, just like the Chambray project has diminished the grandeur of the fortifications. Gozo need not be maintained as “a crib”, as the islanders often accuse the Maltese of secretly wanting; but it certainly does not need to throw away all its natural beauty in the name of progress.
Any comments? If you wish your comments to be published in our Letters pages please click here |
 |
NEWS | Sunday, 12 August 2007 PN support in Gozo in free-fall Bortex fires Maltese, hires Chinese Forget the bedpans, let’s talk travel plans… ‘Our pharmacy licences are now safe and more valuable than ever’ AFM calls off search for missing migrants Musicians give hope to immigrants Mangion stands by Pender Place sale Mangion stands by Pender Place sale European gays appoint Maltese activist as policy officer Ostreopsis not an alien species Rockers, relax – cult programme will be back MMA official bluffed with junior to corrupt him Mistake paves way for Marsa hazardous waste incinerator PBS schedule ‘turned into auction’ UTV fracas: Former director to sue priest for libel To Gozo, and beyond Rector wants a ‘Gozitan Lourdes’ in Ta’ Pinu The road to Smart City – over 600m of tarmac through arable land |
