Turiżmu f’Għawdex

Jeżisti sodisfazzjon kbir f’Għawdex (bħal f’Malta) dwar kif mar… jew għadu sejjer… l-istaġun turistiku dis-sena. Ħafna miri ntlaħqu u nqabżu.
It-tentazzjoni tkun li tifraħ b’li ksibt u ma tħarisx aktar ’il bogħod: l-Ingliżi jużaw l-espressjoni let well alone. Hu forsi parir tajjeb imma xorta tajjeb li wieħed jistaqsi wkoll ftit tal-mistoqsijiet.
Per eżempju: iż-żieda fid-dħul mit-turiżmu f’Għawdex dis-sena sar l-aktar minħabba ż-żieda fin-numru ta’ turisti li żaru, jew ġie ukoll minn titjib fid-dħul ras imb’ras mit-turisti li waslu, kemm Maltin, kemm barranin?
Per eżempju: dad-dħul mit-turiżmu f’Għawdex hu komparabbli mad-dħul f’Malta u kif?
Aktar minn ta’ Malta, l-ekonomija ta’ Għawdex saret tiddependi mit-turiżmu. Għandu jsir kull sforz biex il-gżira tgawdi minnu l-aqwa benefiċċju. U l-aħjar żmien biex jitwettaq dan l-eżerċizzju hu meta l-andament ekonomiku jkun sodisfaċenti.
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Terremot
Fl-aħħar terremot li seħħ fl-Italja, kien hemm villaġġ fejn kulħadd baqa’ ħaj, waqt li fil-madwar ħlief qerda u mwiet ma tarax. Dan għax xi tletin sena ilu jew aktar, saret ħidma kbira fil-post biex il-binjiet kollha jinġabu f’sura li jkunu jistgħu jilqgħu għaċ-ċaqliq tal-art.
Bla dubju, meta nbdiet din l-inizjattiva, qamu r-reżistenzi. Uħud qisuha ħela ta’ żmien u flus. Illum, intweriet bħala ħidma ta’ għaqal kbir.
Forsi ta’ min jikkopjaha f’Malta. Ma ninsabux wisq bogħod miż-żoni tal-Mediterran fejn ta’ spiss iseħħu t-terremoti. Tliet sekli u nofs ilu, terremot kbir laqat lil Malta u mietu ħafna nies. Daqs mitt sena ilu, terremot orribbli ieħor ħarbat il-belt ta’ Messina.
Safrattant jidher li maġġoranza kbira tal-binjiet f’Malta ma jifilħux għal terremot qawwi. Ma tkunx ħala ta’ flus u ta’ żmien jekk minn issa, jittellaq programm biex il-binjiet kollha ta’ pajjiżna jingħataw din is-saħħa.
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Carachi
Diġà għaddew għaxar snin mill-mewt ta’ Pawlu Carachi. Kien raġel sinċier: dak li għandu jgħid, igħidulek. Kien osservatur stuż tar-realtajiet Maltin, jifhem mhux biss il-ġrajja kif tidher, imma wkoll x’hemm fiha li ma jidhirx. Kien ġurnalist u kittieb bi stil ċar u ħaj, bla xniexel żejda. U kien lest idaħħal dawn il-kwalitajiet tiegħu fil-ħajja politika.
Kien wieħed minn ġenerazzjoni ta’ politiċi, komunikaturi u trejdunjinisti tax-xellug li b’kitbiethom u ħidmiethom, taw dimensjoni soċjali lill-moviment xellugi favur il-ħelsien. Ma ħallewhx ikkakkmat mal-ideali tat-tradizzjoni folklorika jew reliġjuża.
Lil hinn minn hekk, Carachi kien bniedem li tieħu gost fil-kumpanija tiegħu għax żgur se tisma’ mingħandu spunti ta’ diskors oriġinali u akut dwar il-ħajja f’Malta.

English Version – Gozo Tourism

There is much satisfaction in Gozo (as in Malta) about how well this year’s tourist season has done… or is still doing. Many targets were reached, indeed exceeded.

One temptation is to be happy with this achievement and stop worrying: there’s an English expression that tells you: let well alone. This might be good advice but it still makes sense to put in some queries.

For instance: is the growth in tourism income in Gozo due to the increase in tourist numbers, or did it alsoarise from an improvement in the per capita contribution made by visiting tourists, both Maltese and foreign?

For instance: is tourism income in Gozo comparable to income from Malta, and if yes, how?

More than Malta’s, Gozo’s economy has become dependent on tourism. All effort must be made to ensure that the island benefits as much as possible from the sector. The best time to carry out such an exercise is when as now, a satisfactory economic performance is registering.

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Earthquake

Following the recent earthquake in Italy, there was one village where all inhabitants survived, while all around death and destruction prevailed. In that place over thirty years ago, a huge effort was launched to bring buildings up to scratch so they could withstand earth tremors.

No doubt when the initiative started, there was resistance. Some will have considered it a waste of time and money. Now it has been revealed as a project that showed great foresight.

Perhaps we should copy it in Malta. We are not too far away from zones in the Mediterranean where tremors are frequent. Three and a half centuries ago, a big earthquake hit theisland – many lives were lost. About a hundred years ago, a deadly earthquake levelled the city of Messina.

Even so, it appears that most Maltese buildings cannot bear the crush of strong tremors. It would not be a waste of money and time, if as from now, a programme is launched to make all buildings of the island quake resistant.

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Carachi

Already ten years have passed since Paul Carachi’s death. He was a sincere man, always prepared to say it how it is. He was an astute observer of Maltese realities, comprehending events not just from the outside, but also with a good understanding of what lay beneath the surface of things. He was ajournalist and writer with a limpid and clear style, shorn of too much ornament. And he was quite prepared to deploy these qualities when making his contribution to politics.

He was one of a generation of left wing politicians, communicators and trade unionists, who with their writings and action, provided the left wing movement in favour of freedom with a social dimension. They did not allow it to remain trapped within the ideals of folkloric or religious traditions.

Beyond this, Carachi was a man in whose company it was pleasant to be for you would certainlybe regaled with a stream of original and acute comments about life in Malta.