‘We are looking for sustainable, quality tourism’ – Clayton Bartolo

Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said the government is targeting sustainable quality tourism as it looks ahead to better times after the Covid-19 pandemic, which put the industry on its knees.

Replying to questions by The Malta Independent, Bartolo said that “sustainable quality tourism is currently at the heart” of efforts by his ministry. Although there was a rise in Covid-19 cases in Malta and abroad, Bartolo played down long term effects on the Maltese tourism industry: “we are not only using sustainable tourism as a buzz word but as a way forward for the industry”

“As part of the sustainable tourism way forward, we are working on specific niches of tourists who we can cater to. We are rebuilding our tourism sector on these niches in order to attract specific tourists,” Bartolo said after announcing that the Auberge de France will be restored.https://player.vimeo.com/video/582449415

 “Our main attraction as a country falls in our cultural and historical value. Through investing in these areas, we can attract quality tourism to our country”

The Malta Independent asked Bartolo about marketing campaigns Malta is employing abroad in a bid to attract tourists.

“As a country we have never stopped our marketing efforts abroad. We were smarter in the way we marketed ourselves in order to get more value for money,” Bartolo said.

Bartolo also confirmed that the marketing campaigns are constantly being diversified in order to test the market and see “what markets are more adapted to Maltese tourism.”

“This year during the pandemic, we saw a substantial increase in French tourists compared to other years. That’s why we can factually see that our efforts are bearing fruit and our tourist market in Europe is becoming more diverse which is good news”, Bartolo said.

The Malta Independent asked Bartolo what his concerns were with regards to the public inquiry into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and what the government could have done better.

Bartolo said that “the Prime Minister was clear in what he said following the publication of the public inquiry report and I have nothing else to add.”