Sample artworks of press advertisements promoting Malta in the UK were discussed by senior executives of the Malta Tourism Authority with Malta holiday specialists at meetings held during the World Travel Market in London earlier this month.
The delegation to the WTM was led by MTA chairman Sam Mifsud and included CEO David Mifsud.
The chairman explained that it had been decided that the MTA would fork out some more money in order to ensure wider exposure of Malta in the UK as a tourist destination. The adverts will all be in colour and will appear on the main national newspapers.
The WTM offered the MTA executives and representatives of the Malta tourism industry the opportunity to meet most of their colleagues and competitors under one roof.
"Things have changes and such events no longer serve to break into new markets or tap new business. That is done continuously nowadays but something like the WTM allows you to have personal contacts and have a better first-hand feel of what is going on," one tourism operator said.
The WTM Global Trends Report 2006, conducted in association with Euromonitor International, was launched at the opening of the London event.
In the section on Europe, the report asks whether the continent is prepared for the rise in tourists from Asia. Inbound arrivals to Europe from Asia hit 14 million last year and Chinese and Indian tourists are estimated to have spent about $2,300 per trip this year. Euromonitor International predicts that by 2010 the number of Chinese outbound tourists will have grown by 190 per cent to 110 million and will generate $94 billion worldwide.
Euromonitor International deems it "critical that national tourist offices and governments review their current product offer, filling in the current gaps in terms of specific transportation, accommodation and payments needs" to exploit growing Asian outbound tourism.
Also launched at the WTM was the Country Brand Index 2006. The top 10 country brands were: 1. Australia; 2. the USA; 3. Italy; 4. France; 5. Greece; 6. the UK; 7. Spain; 8. New Zealand; 9. the Maldives and 10. India.
The index lists the five top practical considerations (needs) and the five top experiential motivations (wants) that people prioritise when selecting a country to visit.
Needs: 1.safety; 2. value for money; 3. ability to communicate; 4. proximity and 5. weather.
Wants: 1. natural beauty; 2. authenticity; 3. art/culture; 4. lodging/resort options and 5. outdoor activities/sports. The study also goes into what it terms as the "channels of travel decisions", or, rather, what initially makes a person show interest in a country. Family and friends would be the biggest lure, at 29 per cent, followed by the internet at 19 per cent; TV shows and films - 13 per cent; articles in newspapers and magazines - 10 per cent; special package offers - nine per cent; travel agents - six per cent; adverts - four per cent; "others" - 10 per cent.
Once interest has been established the top three ways of obtaining information on a particular country are: The internet - 66 per cent; travel agents - 13 per cent and family and friends - nine per cent.
The study is critical of adverts and brochures that feature "sweeping and generic words like 'truly' or 'amazing'. They feature hero shots of sky, beach and other stereotypical images of 'paradise' and 'culture', employing a wide palette of bold colours.
This attempt to grab consumers and invite them to think about vacationing as the realisation of dream, discovery and relaxation has become undifferentiated in a saturated marketplace".
It says the idea of a country brand "is not merely a marketing wrapper, but a value proposition that changes perception and preference, drives usage and increases the economic interests of the country".