Insider Special Edition 2015 | Page 19

From the Opposition Spokesperson Antoine Borg All hands on deck T ourism is the backbone of our economy and thousands of livelihoods depend on its success. Hence, one wrong decision would transmute into a downturn in our economy, and would immediately impact Malta’s industries. Thankfully, tourism has been a success story for several years. That Malta managed to keep its tourism industry on a high despite the international economic meltdown of some years ago is no mean feat. What undoubtedly kep t it going strong is good decisions and the current success in the sector is a result of the steady foundations on which it has been built. INSIDER SPECIAL EDITION As the new Opposition spokesperson for tourism, I meet stakeholders in the field on a daily basis. They face huge challenges and competition is tough. Resilience, though, has always been the hallmark of our tourism industry. However this alone is not enough; it needs to be coupled with the right decisions and long term planning. Malta is blessed with an excellent climate - but that too is not enough. Gone are the days when sun, sea and sand alone did the trick. To complicate matters, the Mediterranean region, and beyond, is going through turbulent times. The threat from some extremist groups is a constant fear. As I write this, Lebanon is reeling from a massive terrorist attack; France is at war, following the worst ter- 2015 17