Nov 18 - GSD To Revamp Tourist Product
The GSD is looking to revamp and reinvigorate the Rock as a tourist product to make it more appealing to visitors and locals alike.
While discussing its tourism policy, the GSD also set out their transport policy, looking at the opportunity to introduce a points system, like that in the UK, to penalise drivers who break the law. The system aims to thereby free up court time which is currently taken up processing driving offences.
At a press conference held at the GSD headquarters in College Lane today, Elliott Phillips, Lawrence Llamas and Kim Karnani-Santos, put forward their policies on tourism and transport if they are successful in the upcoming elections.
The GSD is looking to maximise Gibraltar’s tourism potential and will conduct a study into its product and improve its holistic customer service performance, while looking at dual-purpose attractions that will serve the community and tourists alike.
This would feature various ideas such as zip-lining trails in the Upper Rock area as well as walking or hiking trails. They are also looking at an indoor play area at King’s Bastion for young children, a railway village for families at the Alameda Gardens, as well as a skateboarding and BMX park for teenagers. Following the popularity of GBC’s Ghost Trail, the GSD also proposes a London Dungeon-themed adaptation of the Gibraltar Tunnels, or using the tunnels for paintballing or lazer-tag.
The GSD also proposes a renovation of the cruise terminal, with the advantage of a “shop now, collect as you board” service for passengers to help increase Main Street trade.
The party is also looking to create a Gibraltar app, with input from restaurants and hotels, which will allow tourists to arrange their own bespoke itineraries in their key areas of interest. The app would also allow users to book and pay for various services such as hotel rooms, tourist sites or make restaurant reservations.
Mr Llamas also presented the idea of Gibraltar becoming a niche tourist spot due to its proximity to the sea – in particular, the GSD will look at setting up jet skiing tours, kayaking, and fishing trips for visitors.
With regards to tourism, Mr Phillips said: “Gibraltar has a unique history, a unique geography and a unique community, and what we must ensure is to provide a unique tourist product.
“I think we need to think outside the box with what we do with it and look at a number of ways Gibraltar is a unique proposition for tourists.”
Mr Llamas said numbers of visitors passing through the airport has soared over the last few years, and this is testament to the fact that Gibraltar needed a brand new international airport of a high standard which the GSD administration built while in office.
With regards to transport, the GSD priority is to re-start the runway tunnel project.
Other public transport policies aim to help ease parking and traffic congestion, with supervised school buses for children of all ages, with school buses being re-routed to serve catchment areas.
As for parking, Gibraltar residents would benefit from free parking in and around town, however tourists and foreign licensed vehicles would be required to pay. There will also be the opportunity for visitor parking in residential areas for a limited time.
The GSD is also committed to increasing the number of disabled parking spaces, and re-assessing the criteria for those spaces. There will also be specialist parking spots for mothers to ensure they are able to park close to amenities just before or just after giving birth.
With a GSD government, smoking in cars will become a criminal offence. Finally, the party stressed that it regards road safety as important, and will therefore seek to create more zebra crossings, more speed bumps, cycle lanes, speed cameras and CCTV installed to monitor drivers.
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