New air routes contribute to record summer tourist figures

Spain and Scandinavia are becoming two of Malta’s key tourist source markets, Malta Tourism Authority CEO said in reaction to statistics showing record summer arrivals.

MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci told The Sunday Times the availability of new routes played a significant role in the increase in tourism arrivals, but he stressed that Air Malta still remained an essential player in the market.

Statistics published by the National Statistics Office last week showed that almost 200,000 tourists visited Malta in August, an increase in tourist numbers of 12 per cent over August 2009 and of 8.1 per cent over the same month in 2008.

June, July and August produced the highest ever recorded figures for tourists visiting Malta in this period.

The January to August numbers showed an increase in tourists of 12.1 per cent over 2009, and equalling the tourist numbers registered in the first eight months of 2008 by just exceeding the 900,000 mark.

Moreover, guest nights in this period increased by 11.3 per cent over the previous year and reached 2008 levels at just over 7.5 million guest nights.

Tourist expenditure figures for the January to August period saw an increase of 20.5 per cent on 2009 as well as an increase of €27 million over the same period in 2008.

Standing at €777 million for the first eight months of the year, the 2010 tourist expenditure is the highest ever recorded.

Mr Formosa Gauci said success relied on flight accessibility, effective marketing and product development.

Over the past two or three years, MTA’s priority has been to secure a sufficient and sustainable flight capacity to Malta.

“It’s pointless creating the demand, through effective marketing, without having the means to satisfy that demand.”

Over the past three years Malta has seen a number of low-cost carriers and other legacy airlines starting to operate new and under-serviced routes to the island. This year no less than 17 new routes have been introduced to Malta.

“In countries where a significant number of routes have opened we’re already seeing the effects. Spain is becoming one of our key source markets, as is the Scandinavian region.

Tourists from Italy have increased by more than 17 per cent over 2009 in the first eight months of this year. Numbers from the UK are increasing again after the slump registered last year.

“Being as dependent as we are on tourism, we cannot, however, put all our proverbial eggs in one basket, be it source markets or routes or airlines. In a world where variables are the norm and changing trends are de rigeur, it would be folly to become wholly dependent on one market or entity,” Mr Formosa Gauci said.

Although the various airlines now operating to Malta have been instrumental, Malta’s tourism industry is still indebted and continues to rely on Air Malta, which carries 60 per cent of all tourists, Mr Formosa Gauci said.

Air Malta had managed to weather the storms of aggressive competition, while providing excellent service and registering growth in passenger numbers, he added.

Air Malta also serviced routes that other airlines may have considered unprofitable, and had “made good” whenever there had been emergencies with seat availability on crucial routes.

“The national airline, on many occasions, has been obliged to take certain decisions that may not have been commercially viable but which, at times, have made a huge difference to the sustainability of our industry. It is essential for Air Malta to remain at the centre of all our efforts,” Mr Formosa Gauci said.