Hotels occupancy down 11% in March

Joe Galea

May 26th 2009, 08:05

@R Spiteri: What is your point in quoting those figures? An across the board reduction of tourists from all countries apart from the global recession mainly is due to that Malta is very much less competitive with other destinations were prices are much lower. Our intelligent government increased the utility tariffs, introduced a hell lot of taxes and now the entrances to attractions. Tell us dear R Spiteri your analysis of the figures you have quoted. I think seeing blue only is the problem of this country.

Nigel Lawrence

May 26th 2009, 04:51

@R Abela Since when have the PL played fair?----------

You are suggesting GonziPN is playing fair? That's rich!

Douglas Bagnall

May 25th 2009, 16:19

I recently stated the fact that tourism in Majorca had increased this year.
I passed this on as I care about Malta. So called students drove us away from beautiful Sliema and taxi and bus personnel who just think we will be back so why bother. , I would invite anyone who still doubts my figures to go on-line and read Majorca Daily Bulletin Friday May 2009.
This is part of it:
MAJORCA IS STILL BRITAIN’S TOP SUMMER HOLIDAY DESTINATION
By Humphrey Carter

PALMA
THE British tourist industry has been forecasting a late surge in demand for summer holidays in Majorca this year and it appears that late bookers are going to be returning to the Balearics.

Over the past two weeks, bookings for Majorca have risen by nine percent and the island continues to be the UK’s most popular single holiday destination.

Despite the continuing of strength of the euro against the pound, an increasing number of Britons have decided to return to eurozone destinations this summer as hoteliers drop their room rates to attract British holiday makers.
If they can do it, so can you.
Need I say More
D Bagnall
England

Eddie Dowse

May 25th 2009, 15:07

I don't think somehow Malta as yet grasp the seriousness of the world's economy , i for one will give the islands a miss for the first time in 15 years, we booked a party of 31 people from the N.Birmingham area to a none Eu country, for a change it works out alot cheaper then Malta, sorry but when one shops around we tend to go for the same thing but with a cheaper tune to it. and believe you me there are plentry of better places to visit for half the price Malta quoted us. so tally ho friends maybe when your prices meet our approval then we might reconsider,but if other places turn out to be just as good then its good bye from me and goodbye from her.

A.Borg

May 25th 2009, 14:56

@R.Spiteri

Give us the link if you want to be taken seriously. Furthermore quote other countries which are direct competitors to Malta like Tunisia, Greece, Cyprus and Balkans to name a few.

A. Borg

May 25th 2009, 14:51

@ R. Spiteri: So we should stop grumbling and start contributing to increase tourists? Are we not contributing enough with the surcharge that was supposed to be lowered, high taxes etc? And what are we getting in return? You better take off those blue specks you have and start to see reality!

E. Azzopardi

May 25th 2009, 14:39

Part and only part of it is about the recession. Most of the fault lies with us Maltese and do not look further. Malta is filthy and shabby and that includes the popular beaches which should be kept clean at all times but are not. One very popular foreign TV station called us "a shabby town" and we got offended !!!!!One example of many" Just go around Sliema, St Julians and other popular tourist centres and notice the amount of rubbish behind doors AFTER COLLECTION and that stays there for 24 hours Service is not what it used to be during my days. Certain hotel and restaurant personnel think that they are doing a favour and they are not trained to "notice" their clients. Horrible driving with utterly selfish drivers with likewise horrible roads. Need I go on as the list is endless. Malta is a beautiful country which is a gem BUT WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PRIDE . And where is the discipline we were promised? Where are the green wardens ? Why don't we have the tourist police like, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus etc. I could go on forever.

a.camilleri

May 25th 2009, 14:11

am in the uk at the moment visiting my family, 2 of my sons that usually come to malta already booked to go somewhere else this year, the other is coming over for a week because he likes the village feast, they say its cheaper to go to non EU these days.

Galea. L

May 25th 2009, 14:10

R Abela
Your optimism to defend your government will still not change the real figures. Wait for the May figures.

R. Pace

May 25th 2009, 14:09

@ R. Abela: So another PN apologist are we? And what is your beloved GonziPn doing to at least counter this? Blaming the hoteliers. One cannot say that GonziPn is not a proactive Government, Mr Abela, as it is always ready to blame something when things go wrong. The problem is that everything is going wrong. So maybe the fact that we don't have enough doctors may be the fact of recession as well? But didn't we say that recession hasn't got us?

R Spiteri

May 25th 2009, 13:55

The following table explains it all....it's not an issue of the Prime Minister doing things wrong....so all MLP bloggers stationed at Hamrun should stop grumbling and start contributing towards growth and job creation. Grumbling leads to nowhere...except to the opposition benches.

Difference (%) in bed nights between Jan –March 2009 & Jan – March 2008


France
- 4.8

UK
-24.8

Italy
-11

Germany
-24.5

Spain
-35.6

Belgium
-16.3

Switzerland
-20.1

Scandinavia
-11.3

Russia
-18.5

United States
-19.1

R Abela

May 25th 2009, 13:40

@Michelle Mizzi
You obviously did not bother to read the article. Malta gets an influx of tourists for Easter, which this year fell in April not March - as it did last year. So it is to be expected that incoming tourists would be higher in April not May this year - which is what happened. That explains the shortfall in March, which will not be the case in May.

Unfortunately, Malta is not immune from the global recession and there has to be a negative impact on our tourism in the coming months. Dr Gonzi is not to blame for the global recession but I see the PL and its supporters will be associating any negative impact on any sector of the economy as being GonziPN induced - which it is not. Since when have the PL played fair?!?! A new dawn or a new yawn??

m. schembri

May 25th 2009, 13:29

don't worry..we'll make it up by charging higher entrees fees at museums ;-)

A. Mizzi

May 25th 2009, 13:16

Hotels occupancy DOWN and costs of tourist services UP from Museum fees , commercial Water & Electricity and Gas tariffs to licences for Hotel pools.

Something is definitely wrong somewhere. Maybe we should start an advertising campaign to visit Mickey Mouse Land in the Mediterranean with free trips to Orlando Park at Mistra.....

Michelle Mizzi

May 25th 2009, 12:11

And much worse is bound to follow. And don't blame it all on the recession. People in England are booking their holidays as in previous years. Blame it all (or 80% of it) on the government for not looking after our prime industry these past 22 years. And for giving the tourism portfolio to a series of blundering, incompetent persons. Thank you Dr Gonzi.