Mediterranean Tourism Foundation aims to make region a tourism powerhouse
The Mediterranean Tourism Foundation is about bringing Mediterranean countries together to again make the region a powerhouse in the tourism sector, Foundation President Tony Zahra said while convening the first Board of Governors meeting yesterday.
Mr Tony Zahra launched a Manifesto of 30 actions which the foundation pledges to promote through its initiatives, which the Foundation will present to the Prime Minister and the Tourism Minister tomorrow. These actions revolve around the organisation of conferences across the Mediterranean countries, the setting up of the Mediterranean Institute of Tourism Studies and the promotion of tourism events across the Mediterranean region with a view to address the seasonality issue.
The Mediterranean Tourism Foundation is a voluntary, nongovernmental organisation initiative led by Malta. It was established by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) on 28 November 2013 and the Statute was formally adopted on 4 December 2015.
The MTF aims to encourage the implementation of actions that promote the sustainable growth of tourism across the Mediterranean region by developing tools and opportunities that support the various stakeholders in achieving this objective. It also aims to serve as a catalyst by presenting and disseminating existing initiatives to inspire the replication of pilot projects and good practices. The MTF is comprised of individual and corporate members from all over the world who share an interest in Mediterranean tourism-related matters.
The Manifesto read that voluntary mechanisms, access to training, fostering communication for transferring of knowledge, access to financial mechanisms, as well as consultations with local communities based on sustainability parameters, all have a key role to play in constructing tourism as a part solution to peace and stability across the Mediterranean.
“In order for all forms of tourism to become more sustainable, there needs to be improved governance by rethinking the existing infrastructure at destinations, especially with the assistance of relevant public and private operators, identifying innovative modes of travel, and strengthening the development of various ‘niche’ tourism segments (ecotourism, community or rural tourism, heritage or cultural tourism, etc) to become a more significant share of the market and a major form of tourism for some countries.”
The Manifesto includes 30 actions which the foundation pledges to promote through its initiatives.
One such action revolves around promoting a level playfield for all participants in tourism business. “The ever increasing number of owners renting private apartments and holidays as tourist accommodation, especially through on-line distribution channels, and without always having to abide by the regulations applying to the hospitality sector, constitutes a threat to consumer protection and to jobs on the hotel industry.”
Another mentions that food information regulations are making it harder for restaurants to use fresh food. “Legislation should encourage the use of fresh food as is so much practiced across the Mediterranean countries.”
The manifesto also mentions the need to ensure fair competition in online distribution. “Enforced best price guarantees due to the dominant position of Online Travel Agents (OTAs) make entrepreneurs lose control over their prices and businesses. The dominant position of OTAs needs to be reversed.”
They also call for the promotion of initiatives to attract skilled workers and upgrade skills of current employees in the industry, creation of a common base a Euro-Mediterranean network of vocational training courses while establishing recognition-accreditation of skills and diplomas through the creation of Mediterranean Tourism Foundation’s Mediterranean Institute of Tourism Studies (MITS), the support of a harmonised hotel classification system with common criteria and procedures through self-regulation by Hotels across Mediterranean countries, and encourage the public authorities and the private sector to apply a tourism lens to policy and program development.
The actions also call for supporting start-ups and R&D in the tourism sector to promote innovative business development through the application of technology to sustainably enhance the tourists’ experience as visitors.
They also speak about the preservation of a territory’s natural values and the functionality of coastal ecosystems, to form integrated funding budgets for the restoration and protection of historical sites.
Legislation should encourage the use of fresh food as is so much practiced across the Mediterranean countries