"The Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise?s Leisure and Tourism Economic Group is concerned that the elimination of the Gozo based holidays segment from the Malta Tourism Authority Marketing Directorate leaves much to be desired."

The Chairman, Mr Tabone, said that both the MTA and the Ministry of Tourism have always sung the praises of Malta?s sister island as the showcase of the Maltese tourist offer, but it seems that the new MTA team are not that much in favour of such a statement and have thought it wise to eliminate it as a Segment Group.

"We feel that the time has come to create the ?Gozo Tourism Authority? which would be autonomous and would have its own independent structure to exclusively market and promote the Island of Gozo," added Mr Tabone.

Chairman Mr Vincent Tabone said this as a reaction to the interview given by Mr Sam Mifsud and Mr David Mifsud, MTA Chairman and Chief Executive respectively, to a daily newspaper on the 30th of November 2006, wherein it was stated that the original seven Segment Groups will be reduced to five Segment Groups, thus eliminating the Summer and Winter Sun Leisure Segment, the Gozo Based Holidays Segment, Growth and other markets Segment but including a new Cruise lining Segment Group.

The Chairman insisted that the MTA?s main aims are to market and promote the Maltese Islands, and thus the Group does not agree with the idea that the MTA should involve itself in paying for part leasing of an aircraft that will be used on different routes next summer. This should be the responsibility of our National Carrier Air Malta in liaison with MTA. The money earmarked for this project should be spent on the promotion of Malta and Gozo in new markets.

Mr Tabone stressed that fact that "now that the helicopter service between the two islands has ceased to operate, we recommend to the competent authorities to build an airstrip that can take fixed-winged aircrafts with at least a minimum of 20 seats so that the air link between the two islands will resume as soon as possible with better facilities and prices."

Concluding, Mr Tabone said that the Chamber?s Leisure and Tourism Economic Group has been insisting on a meeting with the MTA to discuss the Malta e-Tourism Portal and hopes that no decisions are taken before it is consulted.