Malta's tourism growth lags behind

Malta registered just one third of the average growth in tourism experienced by southern Europe and the Mediterranean region last year.

National Statistics Office figures released on Tuesday show that tourist air departures from Malta between January and December 2005 increased by 2.1 per cent over 2004, though disappointingly total expenditure by tourists decreased by Lm4.8 million or 1.1 per cent.

However, statistics presented last month by the United Nations specialised agency, the World Tourism Organisation, show that international tourist arrivals in Southern and Mediterranean Europe increased by an average of six per cent. Turkey was the star performer in this sub-region with an increase of 20 per cent, while Spain (six per cent), Croatia (seven per cent), and Serbia and Montenegro (27 per cent) also recorded respectable results.

International tourism grew on average by 5.5 per cent. Europe recorded relatively modest growth of four per cent though in absolute terms it recorded the largest increase corresponding to some 18 million arrivals.

UNWTO Secretary-General Francesco Frangialli said: "The tourism sector has gained substantially in resilience over the past years. In spite of the turbulent environment we live in nowadays, destinations worldwide added some 100 million international arrivals between 2002 and 2005."

The report said that there are three major uncertainties in the tourism sector this year: terrorism, rising energy prices and the further spread of avian flu which it said could be a serious threat.