PN requires emphasis on area of interest tourism, together with diving

The Nationalist Party is emphasising the need to properly develop niche tourism in Malta, arguing that a one-size fits all approach is no longer viable.

The topic was discussed at a press conference at the Dwejra inland sea, where party spokesperson Peter Agius argued that the diving schools and agencies that attracted thousands of tourists should be be helped by the government through a co-marketing scheme which provides up to €25,000 in assistance to marketing.

The sector should also be helped through the proper protection of Malta’s marine biodiversity and the quality of its seas, with Agius observing that to date, monitoring and enforcement was far from adequate. He also called for the scuttling of more vessels to serve as diving sites, and lamented that the wreck of the Hephaestus – the tanker which ran aground in Qawra in 2018 – had not been scuttled off Qala as promised.

Party candidate Darren Carabott observed that promoting tourism activities produced a trickle-down effect that benefited small business and workers in other sectors. He argued that the PN’s track record on tourism made it the most suited to provide peace of mind to tourism operators.