Fun, food and fireworks in Gozo

Happening during the first four days of May, Gozo 1234 offers over 99 things to see, do and eat, promising to be the best holiday in Gozo ever.

Every morning and afternoon there will be a wide range of events taking place simultaneously all over Gozitan towns and villages. Take your pick and see Gozo like you have never seen it before. From picking your own fruit to a walk down a WWII shelter, from an arts & crafts market to an exhibition of classic cars, from Kids theatre to horse riding to a historical re-enactment. At night, Gozo 1234 will turn into something even more special. On each of the three evenings there will be concerts, shows, specialty food, street entertainment, buskers, and fireworks.

Press conference

MTA embarked upon initialives to improve the facilities in Gozo and promote the destination, including the imminent opening of a brand new tourist information and administration office – Dr. de Marco

Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism Dr. Mario de Marco emphasised the considerable importance being given by Government towards the overseas marketing of Gozo as a distinct destination. Dr. de Marco quoted figures from NSO’s statistics for 2007 for Gozo, which state that out of all tourists visiting the Maltese islands last year, 650,000 took a day trip to Gozo, 19,000 visitors spent one night on the island, 36,000 tourists split their stay between Malta and Gozo, whilst over 67,000 guests vacationed there exclusively. Dr. de Marco added that these figures are very encouraging and that all efforts are being made by Government in order to increase these figures further in 2008.

Dr. de Marco also referred to other initiatives that the MTA embarked upon to improve the facilities in Gozo and promote the destination, including the imminent opening of a brand new tourist information and administration office in one of the most central areas of Victoria. This, he added, is further evidence of the Government’s commitment towards ‘Destination Gozo’

Exerpt from press release issued by the Ministry for Gozo

Waqt li kienet qed tindirizza din il-Konferenza Stampa, l-Onor. Giovanna Debono, Ministru għal Għawdex, fakkret kif din l-attività se tkompli fuq dik li nbdiet is-sena l-oħra, f’Lejlet Lapsi. Hi qalet li l-għan priċipali ta’ attivita’ bħal din hi dik li permezz tagħha jiġi promoss il-prodott turistiku Għawdxi mas-suq domestiku fix-xhur relattivament kwieti tas-sena. B’hekk tkun qed tiġi sostnuta l-industrija turistika f’Għawdex billi tittaffa l-istaġjonalita’ li hi problema partikolari għat-turiżmu fil-gżira ta’ Għawdex. Karatteristika ewlenija fl-avveniment ta’ din is-sena hija dik li l-attivitajiet ser jiġu organizzati madwar il-gżira ta’ Għawdex u b’hekk jiftħu l-perspettiva fuq id-diversi kwalitajiet tal-gżira.

Il-Ministru Debono fakkret fid-diversi proġetti mwettqa mill-Gvern matul l-aħħar snin, li kienu mmirati biex itejbu l-prodott turistiku Għawdxi li jagħmel lil din il-gżira destinazzjoni distinta. Il-Ministru spjegat ukoll kif kuntatt kontinwu ma’ dawk involuti fis-settur wassal għal riżultati pożittivi fl-industrija turistika f’Għawdex, kif kien imħabbar permezz ta’ statistiċi mħabbra dan l-aħħar. Dawn kienu jinkludu l-ġarr ta’ 800,000 passiġġier permezz tal-vapuri tal-Gozo Channel matul l-ewwel tlett xhur tas-sena kif ukoll żieda sostanzjali ta’ 19% fit-turisti barranin li għażlu li jqattgħu vaganza f’Għawdex fl-2007 meta mqabbla ma’ dawk li kienu waslu fl-2006.

This issue is available at: 0408.