Learning and cherishing knowledge and best practice for tourism

In my last article, I wrote about the importance of the management of tourism to ensure that these islands reestablish some form of visitor confidence that will help build the goodwill and professionalism that can restore a successful tourism destination

This week I will discuss the importance of preserving the knowledge and best practice that have been gathered over the years, from those professionals who have invested their time, energy and many a time their finances, to ensure that they leave an industry better and able to withstand the challenges of the future.

Over the past two weeks we have lost yet another successful and dedicated entrepreuner and politician who has left a legacy of knowledge and best practice for the tourism activity today and in the future. Robert Arrigo was committed to this industry and was at the forefront of the struggle to build a succesful activity – socially, economically, culturally and in terms of quality. The last time I met and listened to Robert Arrigo was about a month ago, at his last appearance in public during a seminar organised by the Malta Chamber. His presentation was the one that clearly outlined a long-term vision, a constructive argument and the best way forward. It showed how, even as a politician, Robert Arrigo was able to indicate clearly how tourism is apolitical, and many a time we may agree on the strategy but we may differ on the outcome and the management because of the level of professionalism. Robert Arrigo was not the only person I have met who showed this strong ability of managing tourism successfully and professionally; during the time that I was researching for my publication about the History of Tourism Malta and Gozo, I came across a number of other important examples of those who helped build this activity into the socio-economic driver it is today.

What I think we are missing is our ability to cherish this knowledge and best practice for the future. During my time as director Tourism I was responsible for moving over 7,000 files from a depository in Valletta to the national archives in Rabat. These files included a number of important decisions and actions that formed the basis for our tourism activity between 1958 and 1999. These files were catalogued with the assistance of students of tourism from the University of Malta and are available for anyone who wants to learn about the way tourism in Malta has been formed. What I would like to see now is a Foundation for the Preservation of Tourism Knowledge and Best Practices that can record fine examples of the management of tourism for the future. If we are serious about this activity and look forward to growing better, not bigger, then we must learn from these examples of best practice and knowledge. Let us continue to do our part for tourism by working together on the guidelines for stewardship for tourism as a socio-cultural activity.

Recommendations and Summary

Let us build community spirit by developing the guidelines for Stewardship together, I invite all those interested to contact me.

We should identify areas where we can regenerate local tourism for the quality visitor.

Recognise our duty as communities to enhance our environment and care for the precious trees that will add value to our moral, ethical and physical quality of life.

Those NGOs and persons (including local councils) interested in working with me on this project should email me on welcomejuliette@hotmail.com or call me on 9916 7805.

Let us get going – let us really build better and reverse the horrendous state of this island.

I sometimes wonder – am I writing for the converted? Are there any other persons who agree or disagree with me? I frequently meet people who read these articles – but these articles are not just there to be read on a lazy Sunday afternoon, they are there to sow the seeds of change from apathy to commitment – to make tourism an activity we can be proud of. Let me know what you think and how you feel about tourism.

Dr Julian Zarb is a researcher, local tourism planning consultant and an academic 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.