Uthetha-thethwano lusezandleni zokuvula iindlela zomoya ezintsha eziza kudibanisa iMalta kwezinye iindawo ezahlukeneyo ezikhoyo ngoku ezinikezelwa yi-Air Malta okanye iinqwelomoya eziphantsi, uNobhala wePalamente wezoKhenketho uMario de Marco uthe ngeCawa.
Ngaphandle kokungena kwiinkcukacha, uGqr de Marco wachaza ukuba ukwandisa umthamo wezihlalo kwiindlela ezikhoyo ngumsebenzi onzima, ngenxa yokuba urhulumente akafuni nangayiphi na indlela ukuchaphazela kakubi i-Air Malta.
Kodwa kunokwenzeka ukufumana iindawo ezintsha zokubamba abakhenkethi abathi, okwangoku, kufuneka babambe uloliwe okanye iinqwelomoya ezimbini ukuya eMalta. Ukubanika ithuba lokuba nenqwelo-moya ethe ngqo ukusuka kwisikhululo seenqwelomoya esikufutshane nabo kuya kwenza ukuba uhambo oluya eMalta lube nomtsalane ngakumbi.
Iindlela ezininzi ezintsha ziqale kwezi nyanga zidlulileyo okanye kulindeleke ukuba ziqale kwakamsinya. IMadrid, i-Edinburgh, iBristol, iNewcastle kunye neTrapani ziphakathi kwezixeko ezisetyenziswa ngoku ngeenqwelomoya ezithe ngqo, kwaye iLiverpool, iOslo, iCopenhagen kunye neLeeds kulindeleke ukuba zijoyine kulo nyaka uzayo.
"Kuye kwakho ukuhla ngokubanzi kwezihlalo zokuhlala emhlabeni wonke, kodwa iMalta ikwazi ukubhalisa ukunyuka okuncinci ngexesha lehlobo," kusho uDkt de Marco.
Ukuwa kwenani labantu abafikayo kulo nyaka kuye kwaba ngaphezulu okanye ngaphantsi ngokuhambelana nokulindelweyo, ngokuqwalasela unyaka onzima oye waba kwishishini kwingxaki yemali yehlabathi.
“Sibhalise ukwehla ngeepesenti ezilithoba kwinani labahambi, ngelixa inani lendawo yokulala lehlile kancinci ngenxa yokuba abantu bakhethe iiholide ezimfutshane. Inkcitho yehle ngeepesenti ezilishumi elinesibini ngenxa yokuba abakhenkethi bachithe kancinci,” utshilo.
Iindawo zokuya ezikhuphisana neMalta, ezifana neSpain, Cyprus kunye nePortugal, ziye zafumana ukuwa okufanayo. Ukonyuka kweendawo zokusingwa zaseMntla Afrika kwabhaliswa ngenxa yokuba abantu baseBhritane babethanda ukuya kumazwe angeyiyo i-euro ngenxa yezinga lotshintshiselwano olungathandekiyo lwe-sterling nge-euro.
“Ngowama-2008, saba nonyaka orekhodiweyo, ngoko kuyacaca ukuba ukwehla ngenxa yeemeko zamazwe ngamazwe kwakukhulu kakhulu. Kodwa xa kuthelekiswa no-2007, inani labakhenkethi lehle nge-3.5 ekhulwini ngalinye,” utshilo uGqr de Marco.
Ezona zithonga zimbi zafunyanwa kwiinyanga ezintandathu zokuqala zonyaka, xa iinkomfa ezininzi zaye zarhoxiswa. Abantu ababeneholide yabo yesibini okanye yesithathu kwiinyanga zasebusika bakhetha ukuhlala ekhaya okanye baye kwiindawo ezikufutshane kwilizwe labo.
Izinto zaqala ukulunga ehlotyeni. “Embindini kaJulayi, u-Agasti ebengabonakali kakuhle kodwa ukubhukisha kade kwanceda ukuguqula izinto. Iinyanga zokugqibela enyakeni bezibonakalisa iimpawu zokuba izinto ziphucukile,” utshilo.
Kule meko inzima, urhulumente kunye ne-MTA baqaphela ukuba isicwangciso sokuthengisa iMalta sifuna ukongezwa ngakumbi. Inani leentsuku apho iMalta yapapashwa kumazwe angaphandle landa, kwaye oku kwaba nefuthe elihle kuba, ehlotyeni, iMalta ibhalise elona nani lincinci labakhenkethi abafikayo abavela e-UK abavela kumazwe aseMeditera, ngelixa kwakukho i-10. ukunyuka kwamanani asuka e-Italiya, mhlawumbi ngenxa yokuba amaTaliyane akhetha iholide ekufutshane nekhaya endaweni yokubhabha aye eAsia okanye eMelika.
Ebuzwa ngamathemba ka-2010, uGqr de Marco uthe umntu kufuneka alumke kakhulu. “Ukhenketho lishishini eliguquguqukayo; inokutshintsha ngobusuku. Ingxaki yemali yakutsha nje eDubai ngumzekelo,” utshilo.
“Siseza kuba neengxaki. Into endiyithethayo kukuba ukwehla kancinci kancinci kwaye ndinethemba lokuba izinto ziya kubangcono kungekudala. Enye yeenjongo zethu kulo nyaka uzayo kukuqhubeka nokusebenza ekwandiseni inani labantu abafikayo, kwaye yiyo loo nto kubalulekile ukuba sibe neendlela ezintsha. Ngale ndlela, inani leentsuku zokulala ezilahlekileyo ngenxa yeeholide ezimfutshane liya kulungiswa ngokunyuka kwabafikayo. ”
Kufuneka kukhunjulwe ukuba iipesenti ezingama-98 zamagumbi ehotele aseMalta athathwa ngabantu basemzini, ngelixa eYurophu iipesenti ezingama-48 zamagumbi ehotele athathwa ngabantu abahamba kwilizwe labo. Oku kwenza ukuba kunyanzelekile ukuba abakhenkethi baqhubeke betsalwa eMalta, njengoko ikuphela kwendlela ezinokuphila ngayo iihotele.
“IMalta lelinye lamazwe ambalwa apho inani labakhenkethi minyaka le liliphinda kathathu inani labemi bakhona. Nangona kunjalo, ukuba inani lebusuku lokulala liyaqhubeka ukuhla, oku kufuneka kubuyekezwe ngokufika abaninzi; kwaye kungenxa yoko le nto urhulumente esebenza nzima ukutsala iinqwelomoya ezingabizi kakhulu ukuba zisebenze ukuya nokubuya eMalta, okanye ukwandisa inani leendlela eziqhutywa ziinkampani zeenqwelomoya ezinexabiso eliphantsi esele linonxibelelwano lwaseMalta,” utshilo uGqr de Marco.
Enye yeendlela zokwandisa inani labakhenkethi abafikayo kukuququzelela imisitho ebusika nangeenyanga zamagxa, kwaye kule nkalo, amabhunga asekuhlaleni anokuba luncedo olukhulu. Abanye, njengoVittoriosa, sele bethathele ingqalelo kwaye baququzelele imisebenzi kwindawo yabo - ukutsala abakhenkethi kunye nabantu baseMalta. Abanye babonakala beyiqonda intsingiselo yezi ziganeko yaye ngoku balungiselela ezabo.
Kunyaka ozayo, amabhunga asekuhlaleni angama-52 aya kufumana inkxaso yokuququzelela imisitho kwindawo yawo. Oku kuya kuqhutywa phakathi kukaJanuwari noJuni, naphakathi kuka-Oktobha noDisemba, nto leyo ethetha ukuba kuya kubakho iimpelaveki ezinemisebenzi engaphezu kwesinye. Ezi ziganeko zikhupha izithethe kunye nenkcubeko yaseMalta kwaye kukho abakhenkethi abaninzi abajonga ezi ziganeko kwi-intanethi kwaye babhukishe iholide yabo ngokufanelekileyo.
Ukuthathela ingqalelo ukuba iipesenti ezingama-55 zabakhenkethi beza bodwa eMalta, ubukhulu becala ngokubhukisha umntu rhoqo okwenziwa kwi-intanethi, imisebenzi enjalo kwiinyanga ezibuthathaka kufuneka ithengiswe kakuhle, utshilo uGqr de Marco. Urhulumente unikezela ngenkxaso yemali neyombutho kumabhunga asekuhlaleni anqwenela ukubamba imisitho yoluntu kwindawo yawo.
Omnye ummandla wabakhenkethi obone ukwehla ngo-2008 yayilishishini le-cruise-liner, kodwa kuqikelelwa ukuba kuya kubakho ukwanda okuncinci kunyaka ozayo kunye nokunyuka okukhulu ukususela ngo-2011 ukuya phambili.
UGqr de Marco uthe, ukusuka kwi-2011, ii-TUI zokuhamba ngenqanawa ziya kusebenzisa iMalta njengezibuko lasekhaya lokuhamba ngenqanawa empuma nasentshona yeMeditera, kwaye oku kuya kuthetha ukuba ezinye iinkonzo ezincedisayo ezinxulumene nokhenketho ziya kuzuza. “Abakhenkethi bazakube bebhabha beza kuqalisa uhambo lwabo lolwandle ukusuka apha, emva koko baya kubhabha baphume xa uhambo luphela. Sisebenza nzima ukubakhuthaza ukuba bachithe ubusuku obunye okanye ezimbini eMalta ngaphambi okanye emva kohambo lwabo, ”wongeze watsho.
IMalta inenzuzo yokunikela kakhulu kwindawo encinci. “Sinembali eninzi kunye nelifa lemveli eliboniswayo. Imozulu yethu epholileyo iyanceda nayo. Ibiya kuba yimpazamo ukutsho nje ukuba iMalta inelanga nolwandle. Kwakhona kuya kuba yimpazamo ukuthi sinikela ngenkcubeko kuphela. Ngumxube ofanelekileyo wezo zimbini inika iMalta incam. Abantu bangonwabela ulwandle kusasa baze bachithe ubusuku eMdina.”
Ukongeza koku, kufuneka kubekho inzame enkulu yokusa abakhenkethi kwiilali needolophu eziqhele ukunxulumana nokhenketho, kwaye kungekuphela nje kwimisebenzi yebhunga lendawo ekhankanywe ngaphambili. Wathi: “Iindawo ezifana neSiggiewi, Zebbug neZejtun zinokunika iindwendwe.
Ukuhlaziywa kweValletta kuya kunika indawo entsha yokuphila kwisixeko esikhulu. Ngaphandle kweprojekthi yeSango lesiXeko, uGqr de Marco ukhankanye ilifti eza kwakhiwa phakathi kweValletta esezantsi kunye negadi yase-Upper Barrakka njengebalulekile.
“Amashumi alithoba anesibhozo eepesenti zabakhenkethi bandwendwela iValletta, kodwa ipesenti encinci kakhulu ityelela ulwandle okanye indawo yezibuko. Ukunyuswa kwakuza kubakhuthaza ukuba batyelele le ndawo yaseValletta. Ukongeza koku, abakhenkethi abafika ngezibuko baya kuba nokufikelela lula kumbindi wesixeko esilikomkhulu.”
