EJJA HA NITKELLMU , , ,

Dik xi haga minn Star Wars?

About the tourism industry…

Sadly, I have had to conclude that, as the infrastructure improved, so the hospitality industry’s attitude (and the public’s) deteriorated.

I remember when everybody smiled and chewed the cud with visitors; it was almost a privilege to be able to do something good, like showing visitors how nice Maltese people really are. That was the reason we had repeat visitors, not the dusty roads, dirty beaches and doggie-poo on every street. Of course, there were self-serving motives, there always are. But hospitality seems to have mostly fallen by the wayside. “Do only the essential” seems to be the modus operandi now.

I am also running out of restaurants to avoid because one by one, in my locality, I and my guests have been served food that was inferior to what was ordered.

It is not pleasant to order Beef Stroganoff at an established place in Qawra and be served with the remains of the day’s minced trimmings complete with leathery rind. WE all know it should be prepared with beef tenderloin (preferably mignon, rather than chateaubriand). But THEY think they are the only ones who know that.

It is not pleasant to order a fillet or sirloin steak and be served with a piece of so-called “cube roll” which is not suited for grill or griddle.

It is not pleasant to order mushroom sauce with your steak and be serve with a reduction of mushroom soup.

It is not pleasant to order a confirmed-fresh local fish that turns out to be fresh-from-the-freezer where is has been for some considerable time having acquired a taste to prove it.

I could go on indefinitely about my experiences. Naturally, these eateries never see my wallet again; they sank a ship for a ha’pworth of tar, you might say. So, I avoid them; you screw me once, shame on you; you screw me twice, shame on me.

I wonder how many foreign repeat-visitors come to similar conclusions, year in year out. Consolidating a clientèle is less costly and more useful than enticing a new one.

Staqsi lil-Bottom!!

“Ismahha gejja Mr. Speaker”

Big deal , British tourist’s form the 70’s were a more happy go lucky crowd, they were only ever accustomed to Butlins holidays before Malta opened up to mass tourism . Malta was paradise to them .

OK , who wants to wash in Sea water and in some cases pool water , this did happen .

By the early 90’s Malta was skinning alive the British tourists , with the Lira being way stronger that the pound . .

In the late 90’s the post war happy go lucky crowd faded , ( Bucket and Spade Brigade ) and what happened , they had kids , and other markets opened up which included , Ibiza , Thailand and Greece all offering better value for money .

All the Government did was to try to attract the Daily Mail crowd and substitute for the loss of British tourists with English language students .

Everybody knows that hotels in Malta are way over rated and offer very litle in the way of value . The cruncher is the fact that hoteliers pack out their accommodation with english language students effectively creating youth hostels, what a shambles.

If we cant get the hotels right Brand Malta suffers and it has and underneath the nose of this Government.

Ghax kulhadd ‘jiekol’ mieghu.