Hotels in Malta jets buzzed by Low Cost

By: Roger Munns

With an attendance of Malta static in recent years and facing new competition from the former eastern countries offering cheap holidays, the recent announcement by the Maltese government that negotiations were at an advanced stage with two airlines Low cost airlines has sparked hopes that the island will see a rise in tourists, much to the relief of certain members of the tourism industry worried about the future of Malta as a holiday destination.

Even before the new carriers to land island existing airlines have been offering return flights at prices that seem much lower than in the past to try to preserve their market share.

According to a local travel guide for airline negotiations have been tempered by the need for the government of the island to see the national airline, Air Malta is not damaged as it is one major employer in Malta.

Traditionally, the United Kingdom was the largest market in Malta for the incoming tourists, often making more than half of visitors to the island for a year, but some on the island see even this market under threat. And property buyers from the United Kingdom accounted for seventy percent of sales of goods to foreign buyers in Malta in recent years, settling in Valletta, Sliema, St Paul's, Mellieha, St Julians and Qawra.

A good number of visitors from the United Kingdom and purchases of goods to Malta in recent years have been ex-forces who served for the British during WW2 when Malta held out against Hitler's Luftwaffe, and then in peacetime through 1979, when the last of the British army left the island, and have returned for holidays.

But with the inevitability of this market down a new breed of Maltese holiday and hotel entrepreneurs see Malta's future as less dependent on tourism in the United Kingdom, and more cosmopolitan in its outlook.

Declining market and new opportunities

Malta real estate companies say they have noticed more buyers making inquiries of other countries during the past year. In particular, they say they have received inquiries from France, Germany and Italy.

The United Kingdom remains the foundation for overseas property buyers considering buying property in Malta, but the overall percentage is reducing more and more in continental Europe have visited Malta, and liked it so much that they want to move the island full time or buy a holiday home.

The arrival of low cost flights to Malta but could revive the British interest as three and four day breaks a few times a year becomes financially viable. If airlines flights to Europe too, the number of buyers for Malta property could rise in the short to medium term.

For the tourism industry in Malta three and four day visitors in greater numbers will be a welcome boost. There is debate on the island about the extension of opening hours of the club beyond the current 4:00.

Clubbers in the UK are used to 6am closing, and could be deterred from making a weekend with a flight of three hours only to find fewer hours available for partying.

There are new opportunities for Malta, and is the island decide to embrace and develop a new generation of visitors - or ignore them and lose an asset to the economy.

Malta has much to offer visitors in addition to being a Mediterranean holiday island. Malta has a rich culture and history, and can easily appeal to all generations from toddlers to pensioners. More Italians and other nationalities are discovering Malta as a destination. Malta will become more cosmopolitan. And while some elderly residents of more conservative may be a mixture cons younger and more diverse visitors what they were used to view change as something to fear, we believe that the island will embrace the more cosmopolitan feel, while retaining the features that make Malta a unique visit among her Mediterranean island neighbors.

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