Fewer tourists in January

Johnny Tanti

Feb 26th 2009, 17:57

@ Malcolm Agius

maybe it's better if you learn how to read before commenting. Both 2007 and 2008 were record years in their own right...

so the fact that we had less tourists than January 2008 but as much as January 2007 which was also a record year, means that although it's not something good, it's neither the armageddon being depicted by some commentators on this blog...

Ftiehmna????

Malcolm Agius

Feb 26th 2009, 17:33

@ "Johnny Tanti"

Skuzani siehbi, WE ARE IN 2009. The record year was 2008. January 2009 figures are similar to January 2007 (NOT January 2008).

Albert Gauci Cunningham

Feb 26th 2009, 16:32

What can I say?? If anyone here, (most especially those who sit in awe and watch a particular TV station saying how exceptionally well and good we are doing) wants to see why our product is a mess all they should do is get Bus no.49 and come to Bugibba!!!

PM, Ministers wake up, pull your socks up and invest in our product!!! ( and I dont mean quarries in the middle of Valletta please!!!!)

Brian Fenech

Feb 26th 2009, 15:27

@M.Fleri, as you said it's ONE of the reasons illegal immigration and not the whole reason, I have also given a few other reasons if you read properly, therefore I appreciate that before you call my comment poor, be more analytical and not judge by the first sentence. If I had to give all the reasons for the drop then I would write a whole volume!

Johnny Tanti

Feb 26th 2009, 14:28

"The National Statistics Office said that the number was also similar to the number of arrivals in January 2007." - which by the way WAS A RECORD YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!

stop moaning....

hearing some people on these blogs one would think that they are not living in the real world...

GROW UP...

E. Attard

Feb 26th 2009, 14:15

of course who would want to come to such a disorganised and dirty country like ours !! I am not proud to be Maltese even though I should beacuse with our rich history we have alot to offer but Maltese don't preserve the natural history and authorities are ruining everything nice we have in Malta and believe me we have nice things and things to boast about but we don't take care and appreciate these things !!! Come on, can't you see what is happening in Malta ... with all these immigrants !

Liam Kelly

Feb 26th 2009, 13:54

It doesnt really take a expert in tourism studies to see this comming; the powers that be will clamber to the excuse of the worldwide economic downturn....but your not fooling me.

Ryanair et al gave us a huge boost in the past year and now that the novalty value of comming to Malta cheaply has wore off; the tourists are looking to the tourist product itself; no investment in improving key roads, public transport and taxi re-forms going at a snails pace, where has all the money spent by tourists gone?

So called experts need to be taken out of their comfort zones and face the fact that Malta relies on tourism and consistantly innovating, improving and correctly promoting the product should be at the forefront of their minds at all times.

Giving Hotel owners a moratoriam on loans is just forther providing a false sence of security.

M.Fleri

Feb 26th 2009, 13:44

@Brian Fenech

Using illegal immigrants as one of the reasons as to why there is a drop in tourists is a poor one. Apart from recessions badly effecting both England and France maybe you should look closer to home as to some of the reasons why there may be a drop in tourists. Here are some reasons why they may be a drop:

a. Bad and poor customer service
b. No value for money
c. Timeshare touts
d. Rubbish littering our streets including dog excrement
e. Overdevelopment

These are the most common reasons tourists give as complaints (and these can be read in letters published in the Times) when visiting our country and these problems are created by the majority (not all) of Maltese people. Until we learn lessons of importance then the decline in tourists will increase year by year. So instead of using the black man as part of your reasoning starting looking closer to home. If Malta has a decline in tourists from year to year then it only has itself to blame.

Michael Bugeja

Feb 26th 2009, 13:30

The bubble has burst .... or rather, those up above let it burst .... we cannot just afford to sit back and relax because 2007 was a record year and the first 5 months of 2008 were just as great ..... the government has stopped investing in new routes which were all the rage in 2007 and early 2008 ..... now the election is won and we're tightening the belt ... no more new routes ... on the contrary, we let some low cost airlines slip out of malta or route frequencies cut ..... then in a major panic we get Bristol, Newcastle and Edinburgh which will help numbers this summer ... but in the meanwhile we had a disastrous 2nd half of 2008 and first half of 2009 ..... wake up minister ..... less flights = less tourists .... its simple mathematics

Mike

lgalea

Feb 26th 2009, 13:24

Who said that we are in recession?

Karl Abela

Feb 26th 2009, 13:22

Comments like the ones below really makes you realise how bad politics has had an affect on the middle and older generations of our country's society.

The fact is that massive cuts in hotel and airline rates did not do the trick.

The government's investment on advertising during this recession period, although it is beneficial in the longer term, will not have any instant benefits.

The best we can do is hold tight, take care of the costs and get our act together until the recession is over.

Uncalled for and politically biased comments on the situation is useless and damaging to both the country and to the party they sympathise with.

Brian Fenech

Feb 26th 2009, 12:58

We're loosing everything, why would tourists want to come to Malta when there is so much pressure! Part of it is because of the illegal immigrants! Malta will not see much tourists anymore due to inflation in prices, illegal immigration and there is no fun. Do you know what English asks me all the time? Do you have beaches in Malta? And students wants fun and there's better places to go in the world then Malta. Furthermore, keep advertising Malta with our churches and festas and in 2 years time we won't have any tourists at all! We are like 100 years behind time!

michael cutajar

Feb 26th 2009, 12:16

more and more bad news for this Government. The last guy standing here is kindly asked to switch off the lights

Lorna Borg

Feb 26th 2009, 12:09

Dr Gonzi and Dr Demarco you better do something really quick. If this downturn picks up more momentum we will start reading about hotels closing down and tourism employees laid off.

Gerald Fenech

Feb 26th 2009, 11:34

The facts are there for those who want to see them. Almost one in five of every tourist who came last year in January 2008 did not return. The slump is probably going to get much worse and all this bravado talk about exploiting the recession is nothing but talk in the air. The government simply stares and does nothing. Incredible incompetence!