World Report

The sparsely populated spot may be a bit difficult to reach, but that’s why it attracts the high end of the tourist market

here is more to Malta the country than the island of Malta itself. Malta is in fact an archipelago, and the second-largest of the islands, Gozo, has its own, very distinct charm. It is not surprising therefore that the ongoing campaign to boost the country’s tourism industry has made the promotion of Gozo an issue to be dealt with separately.

Gozo has a plethora of historical sites and forts to visit, not to mention the breathtaking panoramas, and the famous prehistoric temples of Xaghra.

“Why did we include Gozo as a segment?” asks Romwald Lungaro-Mifsud, executive chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA). “Gozo has its own characteristics. The fact that the international airport is on Malta can even be seen as a plus point: higher profile clients want more tranquillity. Gozo has got to be sold for its specific characteristics and we’re going to be doing that very actively,” he concludes. Although the MTA is working on promoting Gozo around the world, much of the incoming tourism is actually from Malta itself. Indeed, the internal market is Gozo’s mainstay during the winter months, and an important boost in the peak summer season.

A little more out-of-the-way, a little smaller and a little less populated, Gozo combines the ideal ingredients for attracting the higher end of the tourist market. With one-twelfth of the country’s overall population on one-third of the country’s overall landmass, the atmosphere is that much more peaceful. Its mainly agricultural economy, in some places still using age-old farming methods, ensures a sense of pastoral calm and rural quiet.

Gozo has had its own ministry since 1987, something which has helped speed up the pinpointing of problems and the finding of solutions. In addition, since Malta acceded to the EU, Gozo’s position of “double insularity”, being the smaller island of an island nation, has allowed it to benefit from targeted funding as a region with special needs.

Giovanna Debono
Minister of Gozo

‘One of my duties is to cater to the people’s needs, the other is to look after Gozo itself’

These funds are being used in key development areas, primarily transport infrastructure and education, although tourism continues to be Gozo’s main source of income and any improvements made to the island’s infrastructures are also positive developments for this industry. Improvements to the ferry terminals at Mgarr and Cirkewwa, the purchase of new ferries, the building of new roads from Mgarr to Victoria and across the island, graduate employment schemes and an arts and crafts incubation centre are just some of the projects on the go under the careful eye of Giovanna Debono, Minister of Gozo. “One of my duties is to cater to the people’s needs, the other is to look after Gozo itself,” she says. The minister is keen to see Gozo developing in all areas, from the environment to education to culture.

One project specifically dealing with the tourism industry is a services staff training centre, which should be completed by early 2007. Another focal area is diving, something for which the island of Gozo is renowned and which is seen as a niche area for growth. “We are building a decompression chamber, creating artificial dive maps and embarking on a scuba diving study,” says Minister Debono. A new sewage treatment plant will help ensure the cleanliness of the waters, and the refurbishment of the World Heritage site of Dwejra is running a three-year plan where the ministry is working together with the nature trust. “It is very important to keep in touch with the natural environment,” says the minister.

Work on the drafting of a Social and Economic Development Plan for Gozo continues. “The plan highlights specific issues, like employment, job opportunities, and projects that are EU funded within the second period settled till 2013,” says Ms Debono. “As well as featuring the problems that we have tackled so far, it also foresees what our future challenges will be.”

An exotic mix of myth and culture

For such a small territory, Gozo has a remarkable history. Phoenicians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, Knights of St John, the French and the British have all laid their successive claims on the island, while its citizens, over the centuries, have withstood attacks from Turks, Saracens and Barbary corsairs, not to mention slave-traders and pirates.

Gozo is a lush, rural idyllic haven for visitors.

Local legend is almost as colourful as real life: the megalithic Ggantija temples at Xaghra, the oldest free-standing structures in the world, are attributed to the work of a giantess, grown strong on a diet of local produce. Since the third century BC the island is believed to be Homer’s Ogygia, where the nymph Calypso kept Ulysses captive for seven years.

Yet the pervading atmosphere on this sun-drenched isle is one of peace. The villagers lead their lives at a leisurely pace, farming the rich land and practicing age-old crafts such as lace-making, pottery and silversmithery. At the centre of the island is the town of Victoria, Rabat to the locals, dominated by the ancient Citadel that has helped protect the islanders from sea-borne raiders.

This rich mixture of cultures makes Gozo stand out. The island is a haven for marine sporting activities, such as sailing and scuba-diving, but the local ministry and tourism industry are keen to promote the archaeological and historical wealth of the island, and are allocating funds accordingly.

“We have spent a lot of money on refurbishing our heritage centres, and we are turning the archaeological museum into a state-of-the-art facility. We are also trying to bring back the Brookdorf Circle remains, from a site similar to Ggantija, which were taken to Malta in boxes many years ago,” says Giovanna Debono, Minister of Gozo. “We have a unique heritage,” she adds. “Here you can find something quite different from other islands.”