Can we still boast of our character and culture?

Continuing thoughts from a small island

In my last article, I wrote about the lack of project management expertise and how we are tearing this island to pieces with over-development and haphazard road building today; I think I will continue along that vein because I feel there is another, equally important issue that is related to that subject and is certainly damaging our profile as a quality (or potential quality) destination – our character and cultural heritage.

Our towns and villages are being ravaged by unethical and unscrupulous development practices that are resulting in the demolition of the traditional and characteristic Maltese and Gozitan buildings and the construction of some abstract and obscene concrete mausoleum we call apartments and flats! So now, not only are we destroying the little countryside we have but we are tearing into the village cores and town centres and turning these into ghettoes. One of my latest assignments in the UK has been my appointment to the High Streets Task Force – a simple enough task – to give communities back their high street experiences; I take a look at the High Street here in Malta – Naxxar Road in Birkirkara, Independence Avenue in Naxxar, Constitution Road in Mosta or Paola Square and I see exactly what we have done here. We have taken out the very soul of the community from our high streets here and implanted a cold and abstract heart of retail and monotonous shop windows that have removed the community life and the socio-cultural spirit. Our localities have become mere dormitories where communities are strangers and not neighbours, where neighbours are simply faceless people and not friends and where homes have become houses.

If we want to attract quality visitors for any community-based experience whether this is for culture, religion or gastronomy then we have to create homely and hospitable localities that have a Malteseness and a Gozitan air about them. Once again, we need to ensure that we do not act when it is too late. This means that it is through our collective efforts that we can succeed. Can we honestly bring the authorities, local communities and businesses to realize that by continuing to destroy the character and culture from these islands we can ensure a sustainable and quality lifestyle in the long term? Here is where we need to learn from places like Calvia (Majorca) and the efforts all the key stakeholders made to ensure that quality of life. We cannot go from one shortterm plan to another, being dominated by the politician and the businessperson.

This is our home, our collective home and as that battle cry went out during the Brexit brouhaha (I am certainly not a Brexiteer and I do apologize for the use of that B word!) “We must take back our country” – that much I fully agree with and support.

Communities give life to localities, communities give a social flavour to the high street and communities provide the hospitality and service for visitors. It is never just about retail and products but it is about experiences. Only we can make that happen effectively – let us preserve our character and culture before it is too late. It will certainly pay us to do that for future generations in a sustainable and responsible way.

“Our towns and villages are being ravaged by unethical and unscrupulous development practices that are resulting in the demolition of the traditional and characteristic Maltese and Gozitan buildings and the construction of some abstract and obscene concrete mausoleum we call apartments and flats!”

Dr Julian Zarb is a researcher, local tourism planning consultant and a visiting senior lecturer at the University of Malta. He has also been appointed as an expert for the High Streets Task Force in the UK. His main area of research is community-based tourism and local tourism planning using the integrated approach.