Tourism on the road to recovery but sector still very fragile - MHRA president
Last year was very bad for tourism but positive signs started to emerge in the later months, according to the BOV/MHRA hotel survey for the fourth quarter of 2009.
The decline in tourist arrivals started in the second half of 2008 and persisted throughout 2009, Raphael Aloisio, partner in Deloitte, which conducted the survey, said.
There was a drop in the decline towards the middle of last year and some positive signs could be seen in some of the markets towards the last quarter.
Collectively, hotels last year experienced a drop of €54 million in income and a decline in profits of €29 million. They also spent less on wages as they employed less people.
MHRA president George Micallef said there were signs that the recovery had begun but cautioned that the situation would not be easy. He refrained from making any predictions for this year since the sector was still very fragile.
The speakers insisted there were no quick fixes and that a lot of hard work had to be done by all concerned to see the industry through the next two years.
Mr Micallef praised the government and the MTA for issuing a number of assistance schemes but said the cost of higher water and electricity would continue to drag the industry down.
A crucial aspect was that room rates were still very low with those for five-star hotels being only marginally higher than 2006 levels.
He said that to witness an increase in room rates, more tourists had to come and, more significantly, spend more nights in Malta.
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W. Krasser
Mar 19th 2010, 15:54
Do same as we dop Bettina go to Turkey Malta is turning out to be very expensive, and money doesn't grow on trees espercially here in germany, besides we have been to Turkey and its really nice friendly and very reasonable, but for Malta.....i leave that to you.
g.c.Forte
Mar 19th 2010, 18:09
You are absolutely right W.Krasser, our government is handicap in this sector . Our Minister for tourism is a nice man, coming from a great family of great lawyers, but I am afraid to say that tourism is not his bread and butter. This government never took this industry seriously, and let it fall down like a piece of paper. I think not just Turkey is becoming better than my country, but in a very few years time even Iraq, will be better.
E. Azzopardi
Mar 19th 2010, 11:25
I spent almost my entire working life in hotels operations. There are still actions we have to take as regards the country in general, We have been talking about these actions for a long long time, but talk is cheap. In fact talk is cheap all over the world, but it seems that in this country it is the "cheapest !!"
If we want more tourists to come, in fact we should say "more better quality tourists", we have to act. Then you can increase your average room rate besides your occupancy. Occupancy only means nothing.
Bettina Bareuther
Mar 19th 2010, 11:14
My family and I would like to visit Malta more often, but there are no flights from budget airlines. A return flight alone with AirMalta or Lufthansa costs more than an all-inclusive one week holiday in a 4 star hotel in Turkey, flights included! Tough decision?
g.c.Forte
Mar 19th 2010, 09:41
Although I have spent 30 years of my life working in this industry,I still cannot understand this sector. On one hand, some weeks ago one of the biggest hotelier we have in Malta came out boasting that he is going so strong that he is going to keep on investing and open more Hotels. ( good luck, if it is not a propaganda to lift the government`s moral ), and on the other hand we are seeing the Association moaning, so the government go easy on them, regarding the energy tariffs............M.H.R.A........You had the cans to show your pain and tears, but you chose to go on the table,to negotiate, with an arrogant government . So now as the Maltese say " tobzoq fis sema u jigi f`wiccek ".. @ NET, ONE,and PBS T.Vs... Will you please respect your respectful viewers and come out with the same story on the same issue. On this matter we had three different versions. It is like we are living in three different countries, or three different time.
Edwin vella
Mar 18th 2010, 22:21
When we realize that sports tourism is the only way foward we might see an increase in shoulder months.
Cyprus invested heavily in sports tourism and today they are experiencing an influx of athletes in shooting sports. When Malta realize what we are missing in this aspect, perhaps we will wake up. better late than never.
It is about time that we plan a sports city that would attract more quality tourists to our island.
A national shooting complex like the one in Cyprus only needs 5% land of a golf course, but garanties 200% well off shooters and their teams to our island between October and May when all shooting complexes in northern europe are closed due to their bad weather.
I have visited Dubai Sports City in 2005 when our Maltese shooter William Chetcuti took part in The ISSF World Cup Final and saw the difference in the way they treat sports tourism.
In every roundabout we could see the Maltese flag amoung the twelve nations that were finalists for that event.
When we have a National Shooting Complex, The ISSF World Cup will be organized in Malta.
Public Relations Officer
Malta Shooting Sports Federation
Edwin Vella
Joesph Caruana
Mar 18th 2010, 20:35
says who?
a.dalli
Mar 18th 2010, 17:43
Collectively, hotels last year experienced a drop of €54 million in income and a decline in profits of €29 million. They also spent less on wages as they employed less people.
So afterall you think of your pennies. When Airmalta does the same you outright dish-out accusation of high prices and in the meantime push government to support LCC and cry that the utility bills are unsustainable. How come you are not threatening to layoff staff?