Opposition calls for tourism strategy

The Opposition spokesman on tourism, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, has called for a clear government strategy on tourism.

In a statement, she noted that arrivals on cruise ships in January declined by 23 per cent compared to January 2009, which was at the height of the tourism.

In contrast, arrivals at MIA increased by 7 per cent.

Ms Coleiro-Preca said the increase in airport arrivals was encouraging to the tourism industry but the general situation reflected a lack of strategy, as confirmed in an article by the chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority in a talking point in The Times on February 3.

Ms Coleiro Preca said the government was wrong in thinking that the tourism industry could be left to operate on its own, to perform according to global trends.

She said that apart from a strategy, the government also needed to repeal crippling financial measures which undermined tourism's competitiveness.