Restaurants report fall in covers over Easter period

A survey conducted by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association among its members over the Easter period shows that the occupancy levels in the majority of hotels in the Sliema and St Julians area were better than last year.

However, in the Bugibba and Mellieha area, in the south of the island and in Gozo, occupancies were below last year's levels in spite of the fact that this year the Easter period fell in mid-April.

Most restaurant operations in hotels and stand-alone restaurants reported worse cover take-up over the Easter period compared to last year. Few indicated a better performance this year over last year's results, the MHRA said.

"The main patrons in restaurants are normally locals and restaurateurs fear that the drop in covers is mainly due to the drop in the spending power of the locals in view of the exorbitant energy costs they now have to bear," the MHRA said.

MHRA president Justin Zammit Tabona expressed concern about the restaurant sector which, with the exception of some, was suffering badly in generating revenue and meeting the ever rising costs.

"The government must look at this sector and extend some incentives for these to remain sustainable. They provide employment and service to locals and visitors alike and these must remain competitive," Mr Zammit Tabona said.

In another survey conducted by the MHRA, five star hotels in March reported an increase in their occupancy levels of around six to seven per cent while hotels in the four and three star categories reported a drop of around seven and 15 per cent respectively.

The major drops were registered in hotels in the north and south of the island while the hotels in the Sliema/St Julians area fared only slightly worse than last year.

For April, five star hotels are predicting a similar increase as in March, while four star hotels are at par with last year and three star hotels are around seven per cent lower.

The MHRA said it had set up the task force proposed during an extraordinary general meeting held on April 11.

The MHRA president is the chairman of the task force, which will examine the government's proposals to attract low-cost airlines to Malta.