The Gozo Tourism Authority recently held its 13th Annual General Meeting.

Present for the meeting was the Minister for Gozo, Giovanna Debono, who announced that the Ministry would be funding a project by the GTA through which an on-line booking portal will be established that connects self-catering accommodation in Gozo such as farmhouses and apartments.

During her address the Minister explained how in the thirteen years since the GTA’s inception a synergy had been created whereby the Ministry for Gozo together with other Ministries and bodies including the MTA, have all been collaborating together, achieving positive results through which job opportunities have been created in Gozo.

The Minister stated that in September 2011, full-time workers in Gozo amounted to 9166, of which 734 were employed in hotels and restaurants while 583 work in the field of property sales and rental, which included the services sector of farmhouses and self-catering accommodation. “This means that more than 10% of those in full-time work were employed in the tourism sector in Gozo.”

“Through the establishment of the Directorate of Tourism and Economic Development, the Ministry for Gozo has reinforced the work of increasing the tourism sector in Gozo through various projects as well as advertising specialised niches that can attract more tourists, including among others rural tourism, cruise clients and diving.”

The Minister continued, “between 2008 and 2011, the ETC had 2290 vacancies in Gozo. In 2011 the vacancies in Gozo were double the number they were four years ago. During the same period the ETC found employment for 699 workers including those in the tourism industry”

The meeting was attended by among others by Mario Demarco, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Environment and the Labour Party Spokesman for Tourism, Dr Gavin Gulia .

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