The Ministry for Gozo has said in a statement that “this summer Gozo has seen economic growth and continued success and record levels in various areas of the tourism sector.”

Officials figures from Gozo Channel also show that during this summer no less than 1.872 million passengers and 550,000 vehicles crossed to and from Gozo through 8386 trips, many of them additional to the usual summer schedule. This was an increase of 3.4% in passengers and 7.7% in vehicles on last year, the Ministry said.

Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana argued that, although summer is the peak for this vital sector to Gozo, “today we have reached a stage where we have overcome the challenge of seasonality, because now the island has become a tourist attraction all year round.”

She spoke about a cultural calendar in Gozo “that is packed with weekly thematic festivals, culture and popular entertainment shows, as well as more effective promotion of the natural, artistic and historical heritage on offer.”

Dr Caruana explained that all this is the result of “intensive work by the Ministry, with the full cooperation of the private sector, local councils, constituted bodies and voluntary organisations.”

“We managed to discover and promote more attractive niches which are making our island a distinct destination attracting both local and foreign tourists, with varied interests and tastes at any time of the year,” said Minister Justyne Caruana .

“This has been made possible through major publicity campaigns and dedicated work by all those involved.,” said the Minister.

Dr Caruana praised the staff of the Ministry as well as the various entities, such as Gozo Channel. She also referred to the enormous success of the addition of a fourth ship to the fleet, which, she said, is instrumental in hundreds of thousands of travellers, enjoying a more efficient and convenient service.

Mr Joe Muscat, CEO of Gozo Tourism Association, said that this summer has been one on the same level as previous years, where the number of tourists to Gozo, both foreign and local, have continued to increase every year.

“This has led to an increase in the number of accommodation establishments with private sector investment. So this has actually created more internal competition to fill these establishments,” said Joe Muscat.

He stressed that a niche diving season was a “daunting challenge,” given the fact that diving in Gozo is competing against destinations, such as Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey, which offered strong competition. This scenario has led to mixed reactions from various establishments in each category of the tourism sector, Muscat said.

Mr Muscat concluded that the prospects for the months of October and November appeared to be bright, which shows that the challenge of seasonality is alleviated.

Photograph by Alain Salvary

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