Tourism from Germany

The article "Tourism decline persists in February" (May 10) reported that arrivals from Germany decreased by 2,772 to 8,051, meaning a drop in arrivals from that country of 25.6 per cent when compared to February 2001.

With Germany being Malta's second largest tourist market, a drop such as this must be considered as almost catastrophic.

With so much being said about the marketing efforts which the Malta Tourism Authority is making in Germany and elsewhere, the obvious question is what is going wrong. Cruel tongues might wish to give the impression that the MTA officials are failing in their job and in their targets.

As a resident of Germany, however, I know about the tireless work done by the MTA's office in Frankfurt and its excellent cooperation with Air Malta's personnel here.

The events of September 11 have definitely left their imprint on German tourism, as has the recent tragedy near the synagogue in the holiday resort of Djerba (Tunisia) which claimed the life of 17 German citizens.

The situation has not been helped by the general economic situation in Germany, where unemployment had reached 10 per cent and the cost of living has risen.

An increasing number of Germans are opting to spend their holidays in Germany itself or just outside its borders.

The majority of Germans going on holiday, especially in summer, consist of families with children. A question, which one often hears at travel fairs, is whether Malta has facilities in this respect.

German parents seem to seek long sandy beaches that do not harbour the dangers of motorised traffic, and they are often disappointed to learn that Malta only has sandy locations that people here only classify as bays.

Germans are extremely educated as far as health matters and the environment are concerned. Cycling holidays offered in Germany are rather more sophisticated than hiring a bike in Malta to use on Malta's pot-holed roads. Similar criteria apply to horse-riding holidays and hiking.

One cannot possibly advise German tourists in Malta to walk along the coast road and enjoy Maghtab. But then again, Dingli Cliffs and the adjoining Buskett area are not much better.

German newspapers in the past regularly said the deutschemark had the highest buying strength in various countries. Malta was never among them. Even now, after the introduction of the euro, Malta is not competitive.

German tourists who opt for Malta in winter and the shoulder months would be interested in culture. What are the facilities in Malta for pensioners, often of relatively poor health, and tourists with such interests? Are adequate brochures, describing these facilities, available, and if so, where are they?

There is need of a comprehensive hotel directory with colour illustrations and detailed description of the respective hotels. Germans are accustomed to such a service.

Another comment I often hear from persons interested in visiting Malta at short notice is that they had called at a travel agency only to be told that the places available for Malta were fully booked. This fact cannot be congruent with a 25 per cent drop in arrivals from Germany.

Many of the contributions about Malta in German publications of populist character are a reflection of goodwill towards Malta. However, a higher intellectual class of Germans, who will probably resort to more sophisticated papers, would have read an article on Malta published in issue number 13/2002 of Die Zeit.

This article was entitled "Frosch auf dem Felsen", meaning "Frog on the rock". The author, Petra Reski, is an eminent travel correspondent. In the subtitle Malta was described as having an area as large as Munich but as not being so good humoured as Munich. It was also claimed that, as far as Malta was concerned, Europe was far away beyond the sea and only the Grand Prix de la Chanson was of real importance.

Reski added that the colour of the island, caused by the hues of new and old limestone buildings, possibly made one sad. She added that "Maltese speak Arabic and are more holy than the Pope" and that "Malta's appearance is that of southern Italy dressed as England".

Ms Reski attributed the description "Frog on the rock" to Prof. Oliver Friggieri, who, she wrote, tried to analyse and explain the Maltese soul to her.

Reski quotes Prof. Friggieri as saying that "the Maltese do not like the sea because it is an expression of infinity"!

Bird shooting and bird trapping are matters that definitely hinder German citizens from visiting Malta.

Two weeks ago we saw a television programme on Malta within the framework of countries joining the EU. The prime minister and the leader of the Opposition were prominently featured but possibly not as prominently as Prof. Friggieri and, as an ending note to the programme, the rat sanctuary of Maghtab in all of its inherent aura.

The point I would like to make is that the MTA is doomed to ultimately fail in its efforts.

The reason cannot be attributed to any incompetence in MTA's efforts. I rather believe that the unfortunate insular mentality of many persons associated with the tourist industry and its infrastructure in Malta is a significant factor.

The MTA can only advertise and try to sell what the local market offers. The market is probably already relatively over-saturated. It will be non-competitive if well qualified, fearless and innovative entrepreneurs are missing and absent.

Malta, quo vadis?