The Gozo discovery bus : a successful experiment

Abstract

The introduction of a tourist discovery bus in Gozo came about as a result of an EU Project which is part of the Interreg III B Archimed programmes in which the Islands and Small States Institute of the University of Malta participated. Other countries participating in this programme besides Malta, represented by the Islands and Small States Institute, are Italy, Cyprus and Greece. The discovery bus service was aimed at encouraging more tourists to come to Gozo and enabling them to visit strategic places of interest, some of which are not usually reached by public transport. The idea of having a discovery bus in Gozo has long been debated by the Gozo Tourism Association and came to fruition only after several consultation meetings between local authorities and enterprises whose interests lie mainly in tourism. The intention of this service is to have more tourists come and stay in hotels in Gozo rather than coming over for day trips. Having tourists stay overnight in Gozo, generates more employment and income for local businesses in which case the tourism industry in Gozo will be rendered more sustainable.