Holiday proposal could be ‘logistical nightmare’

Shifting national holidays to a Monday to have long weekends and boost tourism in Gozo could amount to a “logistical nightmare” and still fail, constituted bodies have warned.

Yet the man behind the controversial proposal, Labour MP Franco Mercieca, who, unsurprisingly, hails from Gozo, insisted this was a “win-win” situation.

“On a global scale, this is a positive measure because it will result in more family time and more opportunities to go on holiday,” he told the Times of Malta yesterday.

Dr Mercieca floated the idea recently in Parliament, saying the proposal would attract visitors to the sister island during the low-season. Way back in 2008, Alternattiva Demokratika included such a proposal in its electoral manifesto.

The Gozitan MP said the mechanism he was proposing would not apply to religious feasts but only to Freedom Day, May Day, Sette Giugno, Independence Day and Republic Day. Official celebrations should still be held on the day proper, he said.

While the Gozitan business community welcomed the move, constituted bodies warned its implementation could be chaotic, questioning its net effect on tourism in Gozo. “Such measure could have negative repercussions because...