Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
One theme that keeps emerging in debates
is the extent to which the images presented
abroad actually reflect the product on offer. The
following section will explore the changes that
have been implemented in the creation of a
new image for Malta.
wider (popular) appeal and would reach a
bigger audience.
The two major brochures have a central
image spread with much smaller pictures aligned
along the perimeter of the pages. Each set of
pages describes a theme relevant to the Maltese
islands: two themes are based on the natural
and physical environment of water and climate,
and four are related to heritage and culture -
history, buildings, hospitality, and feasts.
The islands are depicted as idyllic settings
with honey-coloured stone buildings, sunrises,
harbours and fishing villages: as a 'tranquil
celebration of sea and sun' inhabited by a
population that is 'lively, warm-hearted, typically
Mediterranean'. The Maltese are described as
having 'a unique sense of welcome' extending
back to mythological times, with figures such as
St Paul and the Knights of St John being
depicted as having benefited from Maltese hos-
pitality. For the first time, Malta's historical past
is referred to as '7000 years of history', a strap
line adopted with repetitive use. For example:
Widely known as a sun-drenched land of mystery,
Malta is much more than a bridge between sea
and sky. It is an image of its past: 7000 years
of history which, from the megalithic temples
built at the dawn of humanity to the grandiose
saga of the Knights of St John, have endowed
Malta with extraordinary heritage [emphasis in
the original].
'Malta: More than meets the eye' - a new
destination image
To complement its new image, the MTA
launched a new set of brochures in 2000: one
each on Malta and Gozo, and five smaller bro-
chures focusing on the segments/themes of div-
ing, prehistory, history (including monuments
and high culture), leisure and sports, and learning
English. The strap lines of the Malta and Gozo
brochures - 'Malta: The Island at the Heart of
the Mediterranean' and 'Gozo: The Island of
Love and Honey' - were carefully chosen:
'island'
denotes
the
underlying
geogra-
●
phical characteristic of Malta;
'heart' signifies the warmth and hospitality
of its people;
●
'honey' is closely associated with one of
Gozo's agricultural products (although in
fact this is not entirely correct, as it is the
name of Malta and not Gozo that originates
from the word
melith
meaning honey); and
●
(MTA, 2000b, p. 7)
Finally, the MTA makes it a point to remind
the visitor that although the islands are historical
they offer the visitor a number of modern activi-
ties, such as water and land sports and enter-
tainment. For example, the visitor is invited to
'live to the rhythm of your dreams' and then,
after dancing the night away, to head for a
well-known local tea-shop to eat
pastizzi
(a local
savoury) in the early hours of the morning.
Parts of the text accompanying each theme are
written in bold, with highlighted text referring to,
for example, megalithic temples ('heritage') and
St Paul ('historic figures'). In this manner, the
bold text acts as a 'marker' (MacCannell, 1976)
for history, thus identifying those attractions and
characteristics that, according to the MTA, are
worthy of tourist consumption. The MTA is act-
ing as a mentor indicating to the visitor 'this is
what you should look out for'. This approach
permeates the literature.
'love' refers to the myth of Calypso who is
believed to have kept Ulysses prisoner for
7 years in a cave overlooking Ramla Bay in
Gozo.
●
Both strap lines were designed 'to capture
the imagination of the potential traveller' (tour-
ism public sector informant, personal communi-
cation). The images used on the brochures are
well-known tourist landmarks. The Malta bro-
chure depicts the lower parts of Valletta, Malta's
capital city, the bastions and St Paul's Anglican
Cathedral overlooking the Grand Harbour,
while in the foreground is a girl and her mother
preparing fishing tackle. The Gozo brochure
depicts the Azure Window in Dwejra Bay and a
small
luzzu
(traditional fishing boat). In contrast
to the tourist literature published in the previous
years by NTOM (NTOM, 1989), the MTA litera-
ture is more image-based. Tourism personnel
argued that the new approach would have a
