Identifying and developing a core village into a tourist destination : the case of Żejtun

Abstract

It is well known that tourism is very important to Malta. It is also known that this form of tourism is now changing into a more cultural experience. Yet it is still somewhat focused on the coastal belt of the islands, with many of the inland localities getting little or no attention with regards to tourism. In this dissertation, it is argued that if one looks at the socio-cultural setting of an inland locality, one may find interesting attractions that can provide a tourism product that offers an alternative to mass tourism. This may also provide new opportunities to the locality itself. This research identified Żejtun as a locality which has usually been left out of tourism plans, but having a number of potential attractions. These, and the opinions of the local community and its leaders were sought, to discover whether it is feasible to promote Żejtun as a cultural tourism destination. It resulted that Żejtun has the potential to offer a good cultural product. Tourism can actually rejuvenate Żejtun; it would be useful and locals seem open to the idea. Furthermore, this form of tourism is not mainstream and thus the number of visitors will not distabilise the actual state of the town. The dissertation thus concludes with a number of suggestions for building a destination from scratch based on local village culture, mainly because it can revitalise Żejtun, offer a cultural alternative, and be part of the future of the Maltese tourism industry.