Creating the Mediterranean as the ultimate Christmas destination was one of a number of topics discussed during master classes organized by the Mediterranean Tourism Forum.
The master classes were held at the Hilton in St Julian's, and saw the participation of several international speakers.
The faith-based tourism class focused on Christmas, reflecting on the potential and the role of religious tourism and sacred sites as tools for socio-economic and cultural development.
As the Mayor of Beit Jala, Palestine, remarked, "the Mediterranean is where Christmas began".
Speaking at the forum, Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) chief officer of strategic planning, Leslie Vella, said that MTA along with its partners have begun to work on a programme to promote religious tourism.
"The parties we are working with have all been tasked to show and discuss their ideas to produce a faith-based experience and faith-based product for the coming months." Vella said this is being done to help promote the notion of the Mediterranean being a Christmas destination.
The MTA official said Malta had gone from a country of one million tourists per year some years ago to one that was visited by 2.3 million tourists in 2017.
He explained how tourism has now become an all-year-round activity, recognising that one the main reasons behind this was Malta's efforts in diversifying and attracting all types of tourists.
A panel discussion also took place, with the President of the St John's Cathedral Foundation, Wilfred Buttigieg, discussing the importance of maintaining the religious aspect core to attracting tourists in the Christmas period. "I do worry that Christ is being forgotten from Christmas and it is essential to keep Christ at the centre of this festivity if we are to attract religious pilgrims who are going on a journey for more than just the obvious touristic sites," he explained.
Slovenian National Marian Shrine Managing Director Andreja Erzen spoke on the preservation and protection of religious sites. Erzen explained the threats to such sites, including natural disasters, pollution, vandalism and theft. Preservation of sacred traditions involves good practices in terms of universal accessibility, which shows the competitiveness of tourism destinations.
Mediterranean Tourism Foundation advisor Mona Khalilieh referred to the importance of connection between religious tourism development through cultural routes and a network of destinations, and the importance of attracting pilgrims around the globe. Tourism routes can sometimes cross countries and regions, offering opportunities to develop ancillary products and services, therefore offering possible partnerships. Governments in this region must therefore plan strategic actions to enable substance and promotion of such touristic routes, she explained.
The main session of the Mediterranean Tourism Forum will be held today.
from The Malta Independent http://ift.tt/2CR5rbY
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