Minister spotlights tourism boom with tour of hotels

Malta's thriving tourism sector was yesterday summed up perfectly by an 11-year-old boy from the UK who believed that Malta is where everyone should be.

"It's a great country, the food is exceptional, the people are friendly, the weather is nice and it's a cheerful place," Tony Garofalo enthused, munching away on his Pringles.

On holiday with his family for two weeks at the Hotel Riu Seabank, in Mellieha, the young boy sidled up to Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech, who was given a tour of the hotel by sales manager Trixy van der Kooi.

He was so animated, raving on about the island that you would think he had just jumped out of an advert promoting Brand Malta.

Dr Zammit Dimech joked that the young boy was such a great promoter that he would get him on board and give him a job.

Dr Zammit Dimech, together with Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association president Josef Formosa Gauci and Malta Tourism Authority chairman Sam Mifsud, yesterday toured four hotels in Malta and one in Gozo to look at their situation first hand.

The first stop was to the five-star Radisson SAS Baypoint Hotel, in St Julians, where they visited the hotel's pool and kitchen, meeting staff and residents.

The situation in the country's tourism sector has changed drastically in just one year, moving from bleak prospects to full hotels.

Dr Zammit Dimech described this summer as one of the best in six years in terms of volume with June, July and August witnessing significant increases in arrivals and occupancy rates.

Low-cost airlines, which would have brought 160,000 visitors to Malta by the end of the year, coupled with a strong promotional campaign were among the reasons for such a recovery, he said.

Winston Zahra Jnr, Island Hotels Group operations, sales and marketing director, had been one of the strongest critics on Malta's situation last year.

How did he feel things had changed?

"The criticism was not just criticism for the sake of it. It was followed up with a lot of work and advice to the government that was taken up and we are reaping the results," he said.

The next visit was to the three-star Sunflower Hotel in Qawra where Carmen Zammit, sales and marketing manager, and Keith Pace, hotel manager took the group on a tour of the 108-room hotel.

"This summer has been one of the best in the four years since we've been open," Ms Zammit said.

The four-star Dolmen Resort Hotel in Bugibba was next. General manager Alex Pace spoke about how the perched beach had made a difference.

"As a summer it's more or less the same as previous ones - good. This winter we are concentrating on attracting conferences and opening up packages for tour operators," he said.

Mr Pace said that the increasing trend of on-line booking had provided the hotel with the opportunity to "play" with the rates.

"With tour operators we have to draw up the package one year ahead. The internet provides us with the ability to offer rooms at a better rate if we would have some availability," he added.

The trip ended at San Lawrenz Kempinski Hotel in Gozo.