Ragusa Marina is about to be handed over to Maltese investors for management_with plans to offer daily catamaran tours

Maltese businessmen are planning to establish a new catamaran route linking Malta and Sicily following the imminent acquisition of Ragusa Marina, sister newspaper Business Today reports.

Paul Gauci, co-owner of PAMA Village and PAVI Shopping Center, is leading a group of investors to complete the purchase of the marina on the southeastern tip of Sicily.

Gauci plans to develop a wide range of projects around the marina including retail and residential units, as well as renovate existing ship repair facilities, Italian online travel and news portal BusinessToday reported, citing sources.

At a meeting earlier this year chaired by Ragusa Mayor Pepe Cassi, the logistical issues associated with regular visits to the port by medium-sized catamarans were explored.

According to sources, reports emerged in early October that Ponte Ferries would suspend catamaran services between Valletta and Augusta, a year after launching the route.The news appears to give an even greater boost to the possibility of a catamaran connection between Malta and Marina di Ragusa.The route between the Maltese Islands and Marina di Ragusa has always attracted much attention.Since this route connects two beautiful islands, it attracts many tourists.The development of catamaran services has also provided tourists with a more convenient choice.However, the suspension of services by Ponte Ferries appears to have given greater impetus to the possibility of a catamaran connection between Malta and Marina di Ragusa.Although this news brings some inconvenience to tourists, it also brings new opportunities for connections between the two islands.It is foreseeable that the possibility of establishing a catamaran connection between Malta and Marina di Ragusa will be further strengthened after the resumption of services by Ponte Ferries.I believe that more and more tourists will choose to travel to these two beautiful places by catamaran.

Virtu' Ferries is a long-established company that offers daily catamaran services between Valletta and Pozzallo.

The tourist port of Marina di Ragusa was developed in 2005 after a 60-year lease was awarded to Tecnis, a consortium of Italian companies.This development project received financial support of 3000 million euros from the European Union.

However, the company entered liquidation in 2016, and several senior executives were investigated for alleged fraud and embezzlement.

BusinessToday reports that the Maltese investment group, mainly Gauci, has assumed the debt Tecnis still owes to Italian banks and will take over the lease of the Marina di Ragusa port, pending judicial approval.

In a video posted online, Maurizio La Micela, editor of the TursimoIbleo online news portal, said the deal with "Maltese investors" had been warmly received in Ragusa, with locals hoping the deal would increase tourist numbers.

Marina di Ragusa's marina is one of the best equipped in Sicily, with 700 berths capable of berthing yachts up to 50 meters long.

According to Cassì, the port of Marina di Ragusa is of key importance to the region and is a reference point for ships heading to southern Sicily.

Maltese shipowners, including Prime Minister Robert Abela, frequent the marina.