A draft tourism policy for the next five years, focusing heavily on giving tourists 'an authentic Maltese product', was launched today by Tourism Minister Mario de Marco.
He told a press conference that the plan consolidates the achievements of the tourism industry and aims for growth.
But he stressed that growth could not come at any price.
The growth of the tourist industry, he stressed, should not come at an environmental cost.
The industry, he said , needed to be developed in a way which yielded more value added.
The focus, therefore, was on authenticity in anything from Maltese food to hotels, with the government keen to encourage the transformation of old, disused palaces into boutique hotels.
He said the government and the MTA were also keen on better promoting Malta's rich all-year cultural calendar and they wanted to extend Malta's attractions to include the charms hidden away in village cores.
The tourism industry was changing, Dr de Marco said, and and this change was being kept in mind in the new plan. For example, there was now a greater focus on internet promotion and on attracting tourists who wished to travel...
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