Thursday, 18th September 2008 - 10:48CET
Hoteliers seeing drop in repeat business
MLP leader Joseph Muscat greets MHRA president Kevin DeCesare, with Labour MP Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca looking on.
The president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants' Association said today that Malta has "lost a lot" of repeat business in tourism.
Kevin DeCesare was speaking during a meeting with Labour Labour Joseph Muscat.
The meeting was part of a series which Dr Muscat is holding with constituted bodies to discuss their expectations of the Labour Party as well of the forthcoming budget.
When he spoke on tourism, Dr Muscat underlined the importance of Malta remaining competitive in an increasingly tough environment and said productivity was key to achieving this purpose. He also stressed the importance of the environment for tourism.
Dr Muscat said the country needed to maximise the returns from the investment it was making.
Mr DeCesare said the first half of the year was positive for Malta's tourism industry. The third quarter was challenging and growth had slowed. The industry was now seriously concerned for the future, not least because of the financial turmoil and economic slowdown in some of the source markets.
The MHRA president said marketing remained very important, but Malta also needed to improve its product. Bad publicity by word-of-mouth was worse than a lack of marketing, he said, adding that hoteliers had seen a decline in repeat business.
The meeting was attended by, among others, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, Labour spokesman on tourism.
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Comments
Regarding the hotels, I have heard so many tales of woe. It is just unbelieveable what guests find in the rooms and the cleanliness? and the lovely disposition of the staff? and the food? Are the hotels monitored and do they deserve the star rating that they still carry from when they opened so many years ago? Malta is lovely but there is so very very much to be done yet, and no, it does not cost money - it is sheer common sense. Just remember that tourists are putting food on the tables of many Maltese. But, for how much longer?
TRANSPORT
- parkers pressure tourists at beaches or interesing archeological sites
- bus drivers short-change the customers
- taxi drivers charge extorionate fares for a trip
- bus routes are very infrequent esp. direct ones eg rabat to sliema and the last ones are at around 9pm if I am not mistaken.
- 50 euros for a short horse-driven cab ride
ENTERTAINMENT
- clubs close at 4am in Paceville - the entertainment centre
BEACHES
- Beaches and the sea are filthy at times, with loads of boats nearby. e.g. Comino
- Sunbeds and Deckchairs are placed on every inch of the bay e.g. Comino, Armier
NOISE POLLUTION
- construction at early morning during the summer months in tourist areas
- vine protectors sounding like a shot guns to frighten birds in gozo firing approx. every minute
- fireworks blasting into the night. e.g. consider 11:30pm curfew (enforce if already in place)
PRICE
Malta is not the only tourist destination in the world. There are other great destinations like Turkey, Spain, Thailand offering a great service and at times a lower price.
But the MHRA president would not be as direct as I am. His diplomatic way of saying what I said goes like this: Bad publicity by word-of-mouth was worse than a lack of marketing, so much so that hoteliers had seen a decline in repeat business.
This year he opted for a self catering appartment - in the Qawra area. I have been to this place and if I have to classify this premisses I would rather withhold the licence. The air conditioner and the washing machine could not be used as these are intended for long lets.
Water heather went bust after a few days but was not replaced or fixed. Bed sheets were only changed after a number of calls were made. No first needs available such as - coffee, tea, sugar, milk and perhaps some bread and butter - were made available and yes no toilet paper. Unfortunately my friend arrived late in the evening and he had to remain without supplies till the morning. What repeat holidays.
Clearly the money invested in advertising pays off because tourists visit Malta ... never to return after being ripped off.
When I met him again in England I am sure he had told practically everyone in our golf club (there are about 700 members) what a lousy holiday he had had in Malta. I was extremely embarrassed.
These hoteliers think tourists are stupid and do not repeat their experience to friends when they go back home. Well, I've got news for them-they do.
All the fancy advertising in the world is of little use when word-of-mouth contradicts the glossy image portrayed in the brochures.
Also, why doesnt Mr. Muscat use his popularity amongst bus drivers to introduce more stringent accountability procedures and aptitude tests for bus drivers?
Talks cheap gents.
I would like to move my young family over to Malta in the next few years as Britain is full but, I don't know if I'm having second thoughts. Although, does this mean double standards as I'd be an immigrant myself?
Probably not as I'd get a job!
Why would anyone go back to Malta?
Hate me for saying it but its the truth.
I've lost count of the number of times I've left a filled shopping basket at the till because nobody could be bothered to take my money.
I don't mind taking my turn in a queue but I will not wait for staff to finish their conversations with their friends; I just leave the basket - which means that the lazy staff have to put the goods back onto the shelves - and spend my cash elsewhere.
Customer service and good manners are alien concepts here, and they need to be addressed if you want the cash cows to return every year!
My point is that most foreigners think that Malta is a very nice place to go. This, does not mean that there aren't things in which we can improve. But I think that the propoganda embarked upon by the Government and MTA is giving good results.....I think!
Why does a plate of Lampuki, chips, salad and Maltese bread plus a bottle of beer cost less than 9 Euros in a restaurant in the south of Malta while one has to pay more than 15 Euros for the same menu in most of other restaurants where most of the tourists are?
And how obout over charging the tourists and Maltese alike on drinks, food, vegetables and a thousand other items?!