Tourism in Gozo: A Visitor’s Perspective – was the title of the first regional tourism conference organised by the Gozo Regional
Development Authority.
Mr. Mario Borg, CEO of the GRDA opened this well-attended conference by stressing why the Authority felt the need to organise this
conference and present the two studies on how tourists and visitors alike perceive Gozo.
Mr. Lawrence Zammit, Director at MISCO, presented the results of a survey among 401 participants. He provided a detailed explanation of
the results, as well as some interesting insights that were uncovered during the survey.
Economist Mr. Ruben Ellul Dimech provided those present with another study where he focused on an analysis of TripAdvisor reviews for
Gozo which provide some key insights in the strengths and weaknesses of Gozo as a tourist destination.
A panel discussion, moderated by journalist Fiorella Pace followed. Mr. Ronald Sultana, Director for Tourism and Economic Development at
the Ministry for Gozo, Mr. Leslie Vella, Deputy CEO at the Malta Tourism Authority, Mr. Joe Muscat, CEO of the Gozo Tourism Association;
and Prof. Marie Avellino, Director at the Institute for Tourism, Travel, and Culture at the University of Malta, gave their expert
opinions on the subject matter.
Minister for Gozo Clint Camilleri concluded the conference. He stressed the importance of continuing to invest in this important
industry for the island of Gozo and for the need to continue to give a “distinctive experience to our visitors,” which he
stressed, is the “cutting edge for our competing neighbours.”
Photo: GRDA