The flourish and serving of exquisite dishes and culinary delights is rarely, if ever, associated with the basic ingredients that, through imagination and painstaking hard work, are intricately amalgamated into the mouth watering final presentation. This also applies to any achievement, where the very results showing success are rarely linked with the efforts made in achieving them. The satisfaction of reaching goals very often overshadows the planning and energy previously applied in order to ensure performance. This glorious summer which we are enjoying is just such a case in point. The bountiful visitor arrivals and the vibrant and throbbing cultural scene are no coincidence. Shakespeare wrote that “Nothing will come of nothing”, and this summer is no exception. It is the fruit of well planned and co-ordinated toils that brought together, in synergy, all the factors that needed to be put into play in order to ensure this well deserved success for all of us. A belief in what we have to offer contributes in no small way to the energy and impetus that are invested in our work. Referring to our country as a gem in the Mediterranean is no cliché, but a reality of which we are proud. We offer a history and a culture that are second to none, which together with our beaches and landscape have the potential to attract visitors from the four corners of the globe. It is not enough, however, to assume that this precious stone of ours can just sell itself and like the proverbial goose regularly laying its golden egg without the lifting of a finger from those entrusted with its care. Like any other diamond in its natural state, the process of maximising the value of the finished product, from a rough diamond into a polished gemstone, is both an art and a science. And that is precisely what we have been doing intensively on all the facets making up our product, our country. Let me mention just a few of the initiatives that make up segments of the holistic approach that we have taken vis-à-vis the tourism and culture sector. Following lengthy discussions and assessments, we reached agreement with major low cost carriers to establish new routes and increase the availability of Malta as a destination. With the assistance of European Union funds, we introduced, administered and implemented schemes whereby upgrading projects in both commercial establishments and in their surrounding areas were partly financed. The development and improvement of sandy beaches were projects that further enhanced the holiday nature of our island, helping to exploit better the attraction offered by our surrounding seas. The human resource element was not ignored. Through courses offered under the auspices of the Malta Tourism Authority, and even with the help of EU funding, we have trained a number of people who come into direct contact with visitors to our islands, to be better prepared and informed of the role that they play in the larger picture of the tourism sector as a whole. This exercise was not limited to the “traditional” players such as hotel and restaurant staff, but extended to other areas such as taxi drivers and bus drivers. The response was encouraging to say the least. Our historical wealth is also being better presented with Heritage Malta sites being upgraded to ensure a positive experience for visitors. Besides the investment in improving the all round tourist product, we also invested in ongoing marketing activity in all our markets, putting our polished diamond at the forefront of the display window. We also need to keep in mind the plethora of events that took place throughout this year. Through the support and active participation of my Ministry and its entities, culture in its universality, is being presented for the enjoyment of Maltese and tourists alike and together. We’ve had Shakespeare in the ruins of the opera house and the Chinese terracotta warriors at the Museum of Archaeology. The MTV concert on the Fosos was a colossal success both from a marketing perspective as well as from a pure fun point of view for our younger generation. The more mature music lovers had the possibility to appreciate first hand the voices of such notable artists as Jose Carreras, Claudio Baglioni, Gianni Morandi, Riccardo Cocciante, Bryan Adams and many more. The setting up of the Mediterranean Music Academy under the guidance of world renowned Riccardo Muti, who also conducted concerts and seminars at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, apart from last Wednesday’s “Stabat Mater” at St John’s Co-Cathedral was the cherry on the cake. I could go on and on, but simply listing achievements is not the aim of this article. Success is no coincidence, but the result of hard work and input. It is time to sit back and savour the success but the euphoria must be contained and not be allowed to have us resting on our laurels. Getting there is only half the job, the job that we have worked on and managed to achieve in a spirit of togetherness that knows no political divide, sectoral divide, no cultural divide and no precedent! Perhaps the greatest achievement of them all, from this Ministry’s end, was the creation of a climate and environment where all players could interact and work together in synergy for the mutual benefit of all. We now have to work on the staying there, the consolidation, maintenance and continuance of these results. Together we have arrived. Together we can stay and move further! Francis Zammit Dimech is Minister for Tourism and Culture