Archaeological sites and the natural environment in Gozo : how do they contribute to Gozo’s distinctiveness?

Abstract

Cultural tourism is a leading sector of tourism which is evolving rapidly across Europe. The element of culture is appreciated by tourists during their holiday. This therefore drives destination managers to give more importance to their culturally related attractions in order to attract more visitors.

This long essay is about the tourist attractions found on the island of Gozo, notably archaeological and environmental sites. This research will discuss the role these cultural and environmental assets play in terms of tourism, character and uniqueness of the island.

The main outcome behind this study is to provide more awareness of the importance of these attractions as well as explore their role in the tourism industry. It presents statistical and the views of key stakeholders on the state of play of Gozo’s archaeological and environmental attractions. The research will discuss the work of Heritage Malta in relation to archaeological sites in Gozo as well as analyse the concept and effect of a niche market for this sector.

As advancements in technology enhance the tourist experiences, the research will explore marketing and other aspects of these sites in light of high quality international cultural and environmental destinations. The research also tackles problems mentioned by tourists in relation to language barriers, accessibility and mass tourism to improve the visitor experience on these sites.

This study analyses the use of archaeological site and the impact of the natural environment on tourists and provides further recommendation for improvements. The results of this study should throw light on how to consolidate even further the quality and quantity of the tourist flow to the island.