The Gozo Tourism Association has recently conducted its first Quarter Survey for 2012 amongst its members, coming from the following sectors: Hotels, self catering accommodation establishments, Restaurants, Diving, transport services, tourist attractions as well as DMCs and tour agencies.

Questions were related to the Gozitan tourist establishments’ performance during the first Quarter of 2012 in these respective categories.

In the GTA survey 56.1% of respondents termed the performance of their establishment during the first quarter of this year as ‘bad,’ 36.6% declared that their business performance as ‘fair,’ 4.9% stated that their business was ‘good,’ while the remaining 2.4% declared that their business performance as ‘very good.’

When asked how their business performed during the first quarter of 2012 when compared to the same quarter of 2011, 59% of the respondents classified their business performance as ‘less than last year’s,’ while 25.6% declared that the establishments’ performance was on the same footing of 2011. 15.4% declared that the going for January to March 2012 quarter, was in fact ‘better’ than that from January to March quarter of 2011.

Another issue covered by this survey was connected with the performance of the domestic market within this first quarter of 2012 period. This market has become generally known as a good sustainer of the Gozitan touristic sector and is thus well welcomed by all operators. This year’s first quarter’s performance was rated as ‘bad’ by 48.8%, 36.6% stated that the performance of the domestic market was ‘fair,’ while 14.6%, declared their establishments’ performance as ‘good.’

In this survey the Gozitan tourism establishments were also asked to rate the effect on their business by the domestic market during the first quarter of 2012, when compared to first quarter of 2011. 48.8% stated that the effect was on an ‘equal footing’ of last year, while 51.2% rated the effect of the domestic market on their performance as ‘less than same quarter of 2011.’

When asked about the foreign market’s effect on this quarter’s performance 56.1% of participants rated the business performance as ‘bad’, while 34.1% declared their establishments’ performance as ‘fair.’ The foreign market performance was classified as ‘good’ by 7.3% while 2.4% of respondents stated that it was ‘very good.’

The Gozitan tourism establishments were also asked to rate effect on their business by the foreign market during the first quarter of 2012, when compared to first quarter of 2011. Almost 36.6% stated that the effect was on an ‘equal footing,’ while 9.8% rated the effect of the foreign market on their performance as ‘better than that for 2011.’ On the other hand 53.7% termed the effect of the foreign market as ‘less than same quarter of 2011.’

The Gozo Tourism Association members were also asked to assess the revenue generated during the first quarter of this year. 62.5% of survey respondents stated that their business revenue was ‘bad’, 30% declared that it was ‘fair,’ 5% declared that it was ‘good,, while 2.5% of the respondents answered that it was ‘very good.’

When Gozo tourist establishments were asked to compare their revenue generated during the first quarter of 2012 with the same quarter of last year, 62% stated that the revenue generated was ‘less than that of last year,’ 20% declared that their revenue was’ equal to first quarter of 2011,’ while 20% of the respondents answered that it was ‘better than the first quarter of 2011.’

Finally the GTA members were asked what main factors are currently limiting their business performance. 4.9% stated that Shortage of employees is limiting their business performance,56.1% declared that Operating Costs are limiting their business performance, 58.5% stated that the main cause is Insufficient demand by clients, 22% declared that Financial costs is the main cause, while 12.2% of the respondents stated that Administrative Bureaucracy is the main factor.

The Gozo Tourism establishments were also asked how their business situation developed over the first quarter of 2012, 9.8% declared that it has ‘improved,’ 43.9% remained ‘unchanged,’ while 41.5% stated that it has ‘deteriorated.’

While thanking its members from all sectors of the tourism industry on Gozo for their encouraging participation in this survey, the Gozo Tourism Association confirms its intention of holding such surveys on a quarterly basis in order to get periodical snapshots of prevailing trends within the Gozitan tourism scenario.

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