Enhancing the Gran Castello’s unique selling proposition

Abstract

The intrinsic value and outstanding potential of the Gran Castello are undisputed. A staggering 80.9% out of 1052 interviewees taking part in a comprehensive Tourism Locality Survey focusing on the town of Victoria (Malta Tourism Authority, 2004) confirmed that a visit to the imposing and strategically located Castello is a must for every self-respecting visitor to the island, while 16.8% of the same representative sample identified it as the most iconic resource in Gozo. An equally significant finding emerges from the periodic tourism surveys undertaken by the National Statistics Office (National Statistics Office, 2003) whereby it has been established that between 50 to 60% of all inbound tourists to Malta cross over to the sister island during their stay. This translates into some 600,000 international visitors, to this must be added several thousands of residents on mainland Malta who frequent Gozo as a holiday destination. Evidently, many of these international and domestic tourists make their way up to the lofty Castello, being the most dominating monument in central Gozo and a clearly visible feature from the greater part of the island and from several promontories along northwest Malta.