Fewer tourists arrive in April
Tourists arriving in Malta last month numbered 101,597, the same as in April 2007 but 3.1 percent less than in the same month last year. The drop took place even though Easter was in April this year, and in March last year.
Most tourists - 98.7 percent, came to Malta by air. An estimated 82,382 came to Malta on holiday, the majority from EU states. Another 11,534 visited the island for business purposes.
Meanwhile, total nights spent decreased by 8.3 percent when compared to April last year. Total nights spent in private accommodation decreased by 8.9 percent, while guest nights in collective accommodation decreased by 8.1 percent. Overall, the average length of stay was calculated at seven nights, down by 0.4 nights from April 2008.
The NSO said that arrivals for the first four months were estimated at 275,636, a decline of 12.9 percent over the corresponding period in 2008.
In absolute terms, the change was mainly attributable to a decrease in holiday visits from the British, German and Spanish markets. On the other hand, increases were recorded in the Libyan, Italian and Swiss markets.
88.5 percent of visits were by tourists from EU states, the majority of them choosing non-package travel. Demand for package trips dropped by 9.5 percent.
The largest proportion of inbound passengers were aged between 45-64, followed by those in the 25-44 age bracket. These two categories made up 74.2 percent of total tourists.
During the same period, total nights spent decreased by 13.7 percent when compared to January-April last year. Nights spent in private accommodation decreased by 5.8 percent, while guest nights in collective accommodation decreased by 16.2 percent.
The average length of stay was calculated at 7.7 nights, a decrease of 0.1 nights over the estimates for 2008.
In the period under review, total tourist expenditure is estimated at €187.7 million, down by 10.7 percent when compared to 2008. Decreases were recorded throughout all expenditure categories. The survey results indicate that the per capita total expenditure is estimated at €696, an increase of 3.3 percent when compared to 2008 levels.
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Edward James
May 28th 2009, 13:35
@Joe Galea
> ...and the general state of the country ... (especially the roads).
@ J Borg
> A couple hour flight from UK takes you to Benidorm , Majorca, with their ... good roads
Why the obsession here with roads and tourism? If you went to the Highlands of Scotland or Provence, you want and expect to see dirt tracks and bumpy roads. They are part of the charm. There's a good reason why photographers photograph dirt tracks and farm houses, and why painters don't paint normal roads.
When people come on holiday, they want to transcend *their* normality. When I drive visitors around Malta, the bit that gets the most ooh's and ahhh's is driving away from roads on dirt tracks. It's what they dreamed of. It's their first opportunity to escape from concrete Malta. A couple of wild donkeys would have made it.
@joe vella
> what about the roads leading to Armier,other bays in the north and Delimara?
Driving to a beach down a dirt track give the impression of adventure and the anticipation of arriving somewhere different and exciting. Don't destroy it.
Michael Fabri
May 28th 2009, 11:04
@joevella
"it is not fair to blame Dr Demarco" ..... maybe not but if not him then definitely Dr Gonzi for putting him there in the first place .... Malta went from being on the lips of many low-cost airlines as a new destination to the back burner until Dr De Marco found his feet in an area where he had no expertise and more importantly no will to listen to those around around him .... it is no coincidence that figures have fallen during his tenure as tourism "minister" ... too little too late was done ... malta could SO EASILY have been the people's choice of holiday during these difficult times had some people woken up earlier !!
Edward James
May 27th 2009, 23:55
@Joe Fenech
> We could have been like Provence had we valued our Mediterranean heritage
> and fauna, but NO - our greed took over and is now firing back at us!
There's a joke everyone probably knows already, which ends "... but the Arabs chose the oil and the Irish chose potatoes."
Provence chose culture and pure class. Malta chose concrete, noise and televisions!
> Who wants to come to a soul-less concrete dump?
Not me!
> It's not even attractive for tourist who just want a cheap holiday!
People do their dreary jobs all year and the one thing that keeps them going is the dream of going on holiday, of lying on peaceful beaches and having a drink looking out across the Mediterranean in the evening. What do they get here at their seafront cafe in the evening? Blasting televisions, loud awful music, tacky slot machines, and drunken football yobs attracted here by the MTA.
Concrete, noise, televisions, Malta!
W Spencer
May 27th 2009, 23:51
@ J Borg
As there is a global recession, as you quite rightly say, tourists / holidaymakers will want REAL value for their money. A couple hour flight from UK takes you to Benidorm , Majorca, with their beautiful beaches, promenades, restaurants, good roads, etc, will seem good value compared to what is on offer in Malta.
It must be remembered that so many of the UK holidaymakers prefer to keep their fond memories of the old Malta they knew and loved. Today Malta & Gozo are becoming concrete jungles, the roads are dreadfull, and the Islands need a good clean up, to name a few things.
The Ministry of Tourism needs to get its act together, no more TALK ,just more ACTION.
Emily Xerri
May 27th 2009, 18:56
Yes thats what i think less harm been inflicted on Malta and not only that with less tourists arrivals i can say that there is less rubbish left lying about in the streets and off the bins. i was walking about the Bugibba promenade and i was surprised how clean the road looked and also the bins were also in a tidy state, this just proves that the culprits are not only a small minority of the locals who tend to be careless but also mostly from the younger generation foreigners who flood our country in the summer season,but this year its all quiet on the western front, and Malta is safe from discarded pizza boxes and so forth.
emanuel bajada
May 27th 2009, 18:09
Patience- the period covered was the low season when there is not much activity around. Now let's see from May onwards where as a rule the building and construction season starts in earnest in the popular resorts. It will be an attraction for our visitors to experience the sights and sounds of the building sites from 6 am onwards. Here in Xlendi as of the Lejlet Lapsi week we had 2 construction sites that resumed their activity which was suspended for the winter last end October, because close season for construction here in Xlendi starts 1st November till mid May to go hand in hand with the tourist season. As of this particular week also another site started to begin work at 6am.....It is open season for construction now in Xlendi ....This attraction should increase the numbers quite significantly............Agro touri..no Ecotour.....no CONSTRUCTION TOURISM IN GOZO
T Galea Sant
May 27th 2009, 17:13
At least, less harm has been inflicted on the environment of Malta.
A Galea
May 27th 2009, 15:02
@ J Borg: Like your PN used to 'work together with the government' in the 80's or between 96 to 98, seeing to make everything possible to grab power to then leave us in the mess we are? Of course!!!
Joe Galea
May 27th 2009, 15:01
@Joe Vella: At least you admit that you voted back a tired government wthout any direction or will. However, are you still going to support this government in the coming elections?
Ok we can put some of the problems on the global economic downturn, however, this government did the best possible to continue ruining the situation by imposing new taxes, higher utility bills, now higher entrance fees, and the general state of the country which is left in a bad state (especially the roads).
6th June is a chance to give a lesson to this arrogant and incompetent government.
Joe Fenech
May 27th 2009, 14:54
ACCEPT IT....MALTA'S FINISHED!!
Who wants to see a country full of horrid flats! Not only they're all over the place but most of them look like student residences!
We could have been like Provence had we valued our Mediterranean heritage and fauna, but NO - our greed took over and is now firing back at us!
Who wants to come to a soul-less concrete dump?
It's not even attractive for tourist who just want a cheap holiday!
J Borg
May 27th 2009, 14:53
It seems that some people feel thrilled when bad news is published. This for partisan reasons and for the staisfaction of having new ammunition to fire at the opposing party.
Please do yourself a favour to ... grow up, mature, undertsand that it is not Gonzi or Demarco who will feel the pinch, its you, me and our families and friends. Lets all accept that the current global recession is everyones problem and we all need to work together to survive, keeping politics away.
joe vella
May 27th 2009, 14:21
I don't think it's fair to blame Dr Demarco for all of this, after all it's not his fault that there is an economic downturn and the euro -gbp exchange rate is not of his making
True enough he is a member of a tired government, but then we voted them back in so we share the blame as well.
The problem is that we keep hearing that sites of tourist attraction will be revamped, eg bugibba, the temples etc however progress is slow and in some instances it is simply the policy of cosmetics, at which this government has become an expert!
what has happened to the joint ministerial committee, chaired by the PM that was supposed to be the answer to our ailments in this field? who is checking prices in bars and restaurants (and don't tell me they have not gone up astronomically)?
if we are going to revamp bugibba, when? are we waiting for the peak of summer to be here so that people can see the works being done and hopefully rope in some votes?
what about the roads leading to Armier,other bays in the north and Delimara?
A.Borg
May 27th 2009, 13:44
When figures of 2009's first three months were published, it was noted that fewer tourists came to Malta compared to the first quarter of 2008. We were told that that since in 2009 Easter happened to be in April we'd have to compare 'the first four months altogether' and went on to assure us that April would therefore be a positive month. But now that even April figures are out showing a -3.1%, what's the new excuse?
dusty williams
May 27th 2009, 13:32
ADRIAN AGIUS
No this is not bad news, if you ask the prime minister, his are always on bright side.
Tony Borg
May 27th 2009, 13:28
And wait till May figures are published. Dr. Demarco pls wake up and smell the coffee!!
adrian agius
May 27th 2009, 13:04
3.1% less than last year when this year Easter was in April and last year it was in March!! WOW, that's really bad news!!