Gozo and the Santa Marija holiday: it’s a love-hate affair

Gozitans have developed a love-hate relationship with the Santa Marija summer break, as hordes of Maltese holidaymakers prepare to cross over for their annual spell of a few days on the sister island.
This year, the public holiday falls on a Wednesday. Residents of Gozo who spoke to The Sunday Times of Malta admitted that traffic on the island next weekend would be a nightmare, but they conceded the influx of tourists would be lucrative.
“We have become more accustomed to the influx of people but we resent the congestion,” one resident said.  “On the other hand, we put up with it because we earn money from these weekends.
“One elderly person told me that he was sick of all the tourists coming to Gozo but quickly added that if each tourist paid one euro, we would profit greatly,” he joked.
Gozitans have also become accustomed to an inflow of people over the weekend but some told The Sunday Times of Malta the situation had become worse over time.

“Weekends in particular are very hectic, but at the end of the day, we cannot stop the people from coming,” another resident insisted.
The frustrations do not stem from the influx of tourists but from an inadequate infrastructure, the...