9 - 15 August 2001

Gozo restaurants are busy, but patrons spending less

by Ivan Brincat

Restaurants in Gozo are reported to be as busy as last year but their patrons’ spending power is less, Joe Muscat, Gozo Tourism Association secretary general, told The Malta Business Weekly.
Although restaurants reported that they are doing fairly well this year, they have complained that both locals and foreigners are not spending as much.
Moreover, to attract clients some restaurants are being forced to put down prices, in turn, affecting profitability.
In general, there has been an improvement over last year with regards to self-catering apartments and farmhouses and also hotel
accommodation.
Mr Muscat said operators in the business sector have told the association that they either had the same level as the previous year or they had registered a slightly better performance.
Diving activities have, however, reported a slowdown in business and the main reason, they claim, is that there are not enough flights to Malta.
Mr Muscat added there was also a decrease in the number of day-trippers to Gozo.
“Coaches have reported a decrease of around 11 per cent between January and June.”
One of the reasons behind this is the fact there is competition from the recently launched two-day cruises as well as day trips to
Sicily. “Obviously a Maltese person selling such trips to foreigners would get a better commission because a day trip to Gozo is
cheaper and would cost around Lm12,” Mr Muscat said.
The Gozo Tourism Association, together with the Gozo Business Chamber is lobbying with the authorities for the introduction of
a fixed wing aircraft that would
operate between Malta and Gozo.
“We want the helicopter service to be upgraded with an alternative that is economically viable and which improves the service. We want the service to be frequent but economically viable for the com-pany which operates it; and that prices are cheap,” Mr Muscat said.
He said the association has raised the matter with the minister for Gozo and during a meeting with prime minister Eddie Fench Adami.
They are also calling for a common rated fare to be introduced. This would mean that a tourist going to Gozo would pay the same price as one arriving in Malta. “We have to work out a system to see who would pay the travelling costs for the tourists,” the secretary general said.
The association also hopes to see the terminals in Cirkewwa and Mgarr operational as soon as possible and are calling on the government to improve the cleanliness and state of the roads.