Destination Gozo : myth or reality? : a service provider perspective

Abstract

Gozo is the second largest island within the Maltese Archipelago. The island of Gozo is known for its traditions, natural beauty, green valleys and picturesque landscapes. Tourism is one of the major economic activities within Gozo and various national attempts have been implemented with the scope to make the island a distinct destination. Albeit the numerous initiatives, the achievement of such goal remains questionable. In order to investigate whether destination Gozo is a myth or a reality, two research questions have been proposed in this study which are (1) ‘does Gozo have the potential to be a distinct destination from Malta?‘ and (2) ‘does Gozo have the potential to survive as a competitive distinct destination in the Mediterranean?’ The research was conducted with sixteen interviewees who represented five different private and parastatal sectors within the Gozitan tourism industry: (1) transportation, (2) restaurants and catering, (3) accommodation, (4) sports-activities-diving and (5) other service providers. An inductive qualitative research approach was applied whereby one-to-one in-depth interviews were identified as the appropriate research medium. The research outcome revealed seven findings which suggested that (1) the distinctiveness of Gozo is reflected in the island’s charm, natural environment, heritage, idyllic ambience and the hospitality of the local people, (2) for Gozo to be a distinct destination it necessitates more tourism promotion, more targeted projects and more infrastructural investment, (3) day trippers do not generate enough tourism demand to sustain Gozo as a distinct tourist destination, (4) Gozo is still dependent on Malta for tourist arrivals, (5) accessibility to the island of Gozo portrays an element of inconveniency, (6) the price competitiveness of Gozo is determined by low rent and employment costs but hindered by the inability to exploit economies of scale and (7) to a certain degree Gozo has the potential to be a distinct destination from Malta and the Mediterranean. A total of twelve conclusions have been presented in this study, whereby it was indicated that (1) there is a misconception about the use of the term ‘distinct’, (2) a destination does not survive by its aesthetics alone, (3) Gozo is unable to attract enough tourism volumes to sustain its tourism industry, (4) lack of profits is limiting the potential of the destination of Gozo, (5) Gozo benefits from the destination of Malta, (6) Gozo’s accessibility is not designed for a distinct destination, (7) inconsistency exists between national tourism authorities’ intentions and actual efforts, (8) Gozo is hindered by secondary tourism development priorities, (9) there is a lack of focus and leadership between the MTA, the GTA and the Ministry for Gozo, (10) Gozo does not have the resources to compete with the destination of Malta or other destinations in the Mediterranean, (11) destination distinctiveness is Gozo’s real potential and (12) Gozo is a destination for specialised niche tourism markets. This study recommends that (1) national tourism authorities need to decide whether Gozo is to be a separate destination or a diverse yet complimentary destination from Malta, (2) the development of Gozo needs to be directed under one master plan and not based upon multiple fragmented proposals, (3) it is important that Gozo is given adequate tourism promotional exposure and marketing attention, (4) the competitive advantages of the destination of Gozo need to be defined and highlighted, (5) accessibility to the island of Gozo needs to be improved, facilitated and ameliorated, (6) the local private sector needs to be incentivised and given assistance and (7) national tourism authorities need to emphasise the establishment of new and existing niche tourism markets for the destination of Gozo. Finally, this study recommends that the destination of Gozo should not be a separate destination from Malta and neither a sole destination in the Mediterranean. Instead, the research suggested that Malta and Gozo should be treated as complementary islands whilst each destination maintains its individual distinctiveness.