John Culatto
GIBRALTAR’S new minister for tourism said he wants to get the government working with local companies after he took part in the World Travel Market in London recently.
Organisers of the event on November 6-8 describe it as ‘the most influential three days in the travel industry’, and this year Gibraltar was in the thick of it.
Minister Christian Santos manned the Gibraltar stand along with tourist board CEO Kevin Bossino and even writer Esme Young, one of the speakers at this year’s international literary festival.
For Santos it was his first international tourism conference as minister, after his predecessor Vijay Daryanani lost his place at the last election.
And the newly elected minister has taken to his new role wholeheartedly, like he has every other challenge in his life.
“As the Minister for both Culture and Tourism, I am absolutely committed to showcasing the many wonders of Gibraltar, to tell our story, and to invite the world to share in the experience of our world-class destination,” he said in a government statement.
He pointed to more work ahead to see what the shops and companies need.
“One of my key priorities is to foster stronger partnerships between the public and private sectors,” he said.
“Attending events such as the WTM in London are vital in our endeavour to attract more tourists to Gibraltar.”
He said he was ‘very impressed with the way Gibraltar is viewed and respected by the international community’.
Santos, who is a cultural guru himself as a playwright, said this reputation was a credit to Daryanani’s work over the last few years.
“We had three highly productive days filled countless meeting and I am looking forward to delivering more positive outcomes for Gibraltar,” he added.
The World Travel Market London started in 1980 at Olympia London with 350 exhibitors and nearly 8,000 visitors.
Nowadays, there are about 5,000 exhibitors and about ten times as many attendees every year.
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