Consultation over Air Malta

The Labour Party has complained that it is not being informed and consulted on the restructuring of Air Malta.

It also rejected the “hostile” way in which employees were being treated.

Tourism spokesman Gavin Gulia asked whether this was the right time for the government to recall its €52 million loan to Air Malta, a reference to a line in the Budget in which the government in 2012 undertakes to recoup the loan it gave the beleaguered airline last year, with interest.

Acknowledging the increase in the number of tourists, Dr Gulia said the average length of stay had decreased.

He compared the situation with other Mediterranean countries, pointing out that, according to a report by the World Tourism Organisation, the number of tourists in Greece between January and September had increased by 14 per cent while those in Portugal and Cyprus increased by 11 per cent. Malta, on the other hand, only had a seven per cent increase, so there was a lot more that needed to be done.

In a reaction, the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Mario de Marco said that by diminishing the achievements of the tourism industry Dr Gulia was insulting all those who worked so hard in the sector.

He said that facts showed the tourism industry was doing very well all round. Projections indicated that 2011 would be a record year. In the first nine months of the year, there had been an increase of some 70,000 tourists visiting the island when compared to the same period last year.

The same applied to the number of bed nights, with an increase of over 300,000 nights. So far this year, cruise passengers already surpassed the total registered in 2010.

He said the total expenditure of tourists had also increased, up from €916 million last year to €997 million this year.