Islands come with their own particular challenges, and the marketing and management of their vital tourism industry requires sober reflection, accompanied by reliable and up-to-date statistics and appropriate governance mechanisms.

These are some of the main conclusions of a day seminar held at the Gozo Campus of the University of Malta on Saturday 27 April 2024, as the highlight of the study unit on Island Tourism, offered by the Department of Tourism Management and coordinated by Dr Karl Agius, and with the assistance of Prof. Godfrey Baldacchino during the seminar.

The students were offered insightful presentations by Joe Muscat (Gozo Tourism Association), Daniel Borg (Gozo Business Chamber), Daniela Borg (Gozo Branch of the National Statistics Office) and Ronald Sultana (Ministry for Gozo and Planning).

The activity also included a critical textual analysis of the popular song Inti Djamant (by The Tramps, a Gozitan band) as well as a challenge that involved drawing the Maltese Islands in their right proportions on a sheet of paper.