Developing Maltese band clubs into a cultural tourism product : a proposal

Abstract

One of the most popular tourist attractions, especially during the summer months, relates to the outside celebrations of the Maltese village festas. This dissertation looks at the Maltese festa, nominated by Malta for the UNESCO world intangible heritage list, and takes a closer look at the local band clubs. It is argued that the band clubs, one very important element of these festas, are not being given their due importance, and tourists are thus missing out on a significant component within the festa tradition. The aim of this study is, therefore, to identify whether band clubs are interested in developing themselves into a Maltese cultural tourism product and what facilities and activities they can offer in line with this evolution. This dissertation proposes a set of guidelines that can be followed by interested band clubs that wish to achieve this aspiration. This dissertation analyses the cultural heritage of the Maltese band clubs and new trends in tourism, to evaluate whether band clubs can be successfully marketed as a unique experience to tourists. The combination of band club activities and tourism requisites, highlights the benefit that may be derived towards the preservation of these clubs and to encourage more volunteers to join. Qualitative data was used to gather detailed information through interviews and a focus group. The data gathered indicates the existing interest in implementing such a proposal and that there are numerous benefits both for the band clubs and the Maltese tourism product. Nevertheless, there may also be barriers that band clubs need to overcome if they wish to develop such a product, while possible solutions are also discussed. The findings suggest that band clubs should collaborate with tourism stakeholders to offer an authentic and competitive product. The study concludes with the proposal of numerous recommendations and a set of guidelines to help interested band clubs identify the process towards becoming a tourism-oriented facility.