DETOCS First Regional Stakeholders Meeting - Malta
The first Interreg Europe DETOCS project regional stakeholders meeting was held on 27 June 2023 in Malta, aiming to engage with the identified regional key stakeholders to set the baseline for the status quo of the Tourism Sector with regards to decarbonisation in Malta. This was carried out through preparatory works for the analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) from six perspectives namely, Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal (PESTEL) aspects.
Ing Krista Rizzo, Dr. Anne Marie Thake and Prof. Ing. Charles Yousif from the Institute for Sustainable Energy of the University of Malta together with Ms. Kim Vella, Ms. Marie Fleur Gauci and Ms Amanda Zammit from the Ministry for Tourism have jointly organised the event. Funds were taken from the University of Malta’s budget.
The key participating stakeholders were:
The Malta Business Bureau, Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Sustainable Development, Ministry for Gozo - Policy Development and Programme Implementation, Gozo regional Development Authority, Malta Tourism Authority, Ministry for the Environment, Energy and Enterprise Sustainable Development, Energy and Water Agency, Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Development University of Malta, VisitMalta, Funds and Programmes Division, Office of Permanent Secretary – Ministry for Tourism, Building and Construction Authority, Planning Authority, Chamber of SMEs, Energy and Water Agency, Malta Tourism Authority, Department of Public Policy, University of Malta, Association of Catering Establishments, Ministry of Finance and Employment - Policy Dev. & Programme Implementation, Ministry for Tourism - Perm. Sec. Office, Transport Malta, Planning and Priorities Coordination Division (PPCD), and the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.
The objective of the Interreg Europe DETOCS is to provide assistance in the recovery of the European Union's tourism infrastructure sector in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic, while also addressing the energy crisis, and promoting sustainability and low-carbon practices. DETOCS aligns itself with the long-term policies of the EU for achieving decarbonisation of the economy. Throughout the implementation of the project, partner regions in Slovenia, Greece, Malta, Finland, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, and the Netherlands will collaborate to identify and exchange best practices in sustainable tourism. Simultaneously, project partners will strive to enhance related policies within their respective regions through capacity building efforts in the participating areas and the adoption of successful policies implemented in other regions. Refer to:
In light of the productive discussions among the stakeholders in the different groups, a PESTLE/SWOT analyses report will be prepared and submitted by the next interregional meeting due to be held in November 2023 in Finland.
A summary of the outcome was shared among the participants and following on the conclusion, Prof Ing Charles Yousif stressed the fact that this is not the end of the project but rather the beginning. He thanked the active participatory spirit that prevailed during the meeting and explained the next steps that the project is intending to make. The meeting was concluded by a networking stand-up lunch.
