Small islands as ecotourism destinations : a Central Mediterranean perspective

A prerequisite for ecotourism development is the presence of natural environments, normally exhibited in protected areas, which serve as ecotourism venues. Little attention has been given to Mediterranean islands in terms of ecotourism. In this paper, nine islands in the central Mediterranean region were studied through a case study approach to investigate their potential as ecotourism destinations, taking into account the presence of protected areas and related aspects, including spatial dimensions and quality, to fulfil ecotourists. Larger islands with higher population densities were found to experience habitat fragmentation, and protected areas were thus in some cases relatively small and dispersed. In contrast, smaller, less populated islands were found to be more ideal ecotourism destinations due to limited anthropogenic impact and their capacity to fulfil the expectations of the ‘true specialists’, also known as ‘hard ecotourists’. Quality of ecotourism venues was found to affect ecotourist satisfaction. Ideal ecotourism sites on heavily impacted islands were found on the island periphery, in coastal and marine locations, with marine ecotourism serving as the ideal ecotourism product on such islands.peer-reviewe

MCPP activities during the past year

The 10th anniversary year has been a very busy one for the College. A range of activities were organised to enhance professional development and practice.peer-reviewe

Physicochemical characteristics of the Maltese grapevine Varieties-Gellewza and Girgentina

Two indigenous Maltese grape vine varieties (cv. Ġellewża and Girgentina) juice extracts were studied for their physicochemical properties at three different locations on the Island of Malta. The mean acidity for Ġellewża and Girgentina was 2.729±0.088 and 3.971±0.179 g/L, pH was 4.026±0.039 and 3.704±0.042 and a %Brix was 17.913±0.364 and 17.531±0.189, indicating similarities between the variety-location combinations. Spectroscopic analysis revealed significant difference between the two varieties. The Ġellewża variety exhibited a high colour index (3.055-10.774) while the Girgentina variety showed a high tonality ratio (2.656-3.111). Although, the total polyphenolic content of the two varieties was not significant differently in most cases (754.771-2643.552 mg/kg), the red grape Ġellewża had significantly higher anthocyanin content (708.236±68.451 mg/kg) compared to the white grape Girgentina (14.412±1.119 mg/kg). Principal component analysis confirmed the differences between the varieties and also exhibited distinctive location differences, based on their physicochemical characteristics.peer-reviewe

Does absence of charismatic species impact the ecotourism potential of Central Mediterranean islands?

Central Mediterranean Islands tend to be devoid of large terrestrial charismatic fauna which usually serve as target species for ecotourism. This has raised questions on the potential of ecotourism in such destinations. However it has been argued that absence of charismatic megafauna should not be considered as a limitation. Ecotours were organised on nine islands in the central Mediterranean region. Interviews and focus groups were held with participants of the ecotours and stakeholders. It has been argued that most charismatic species are marine, touting marine ecotourism as the ideal tourism product. Furthermore, rather than focusing on charismatic species, the ecotourism product on such islands should revolve around the various coastal environments and habitats and other smaller species including non-mammals, especially endemic ones thus facilitating a broader approach to conservation. Owing to the remarkable biodiversity of plant species, charismatic megaflora and plants have also been identified as important targets for ecotourism. Furthermore, due to the intense environmental pressure and limited size of protected areas the overlap with cultural, rural and adventure tourism has been suggested. In order for the ecotourism product to be more competitive archipelago tourism also referred to as island hopping is also recommended, a proposal which is supported by the presence of endemic and sub-endemic species. Results show that absence of charismatic species does not limit ecotourism development on such islands.peer-reviewe

Stroke patients' interpretation of symptoms and presentation to hospital

The aim of this study was to elucidate patient interpretation of stroke symptoms and to investigate factors which influence timely presentation to hospital. Methods: All patients admitted to Mater Dei Hospital with a diagnosis of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) between July and September 2011 were recruited prospectively. Data was collected by patient interview and with reference to medical notes in order to determine patient risk factors for stroke, knowledge on stroke, interpretation of stroke symptoms and time interval to presentation to hospital. Results: The cohort studied (N=54) had an average age of 67.9 years (SD=10.407). The risk factors for cerebrovascular disease most frequently found in this group were hypertension (56\%), hypercholesterolaemia (56%), family history of stroke (41%) and smoking (39%). Participants interpreted their symptoms as stroke in 33% of cases (n=18), whereas 48% reported that they did not know or suspect any particular cause at the time. The perceived severity of events at symptom onset was reported as ‘high’ by 41% and ‘low’ by 57%. Only 31\% of participants (n=17) recognised the brain as the organ primarily affected in stroke. Forty five percent of patients sought medical advice within one hour. Fifty-six percent (n=30) first resorted to their family doctor, whilst 28% (n=15) phoned the emergency services. Family doctor as first contact was associated with delayed presentation (p = 0.007); conversely, phoning emergency services was associated with earlier presentation to A\&E. Conclusion: The results of this study highlight limited knowledge about stroke in the population involved. It also serves to clarify factors contributing to high rates of late presentation. These findings show the need for an improvement in public awareness in terms of education on stroke and the importance of early presentation to hospital.peer-reviewe