Tourism Minister Mario de Marco this afternoon underlined how the tourism sector has been consistently setting new records and said the economy as a whole was benefiting as a result.

Speaking at a Nationalist Party press conference, Dr de Marco said a new PN government would continue to support and boost the tourism industry.

He said that while the growth in tourism had translated into more business for hotels, restaurants and the usual tourist attractions, the government was working for the benefits to be more widespread.

It was for this reason, for example, that EU funds were being used for the rehabilitation of village cores, making them tourist attractions as well. This process would continue, and the owners of large old buildings were being encouraged and assisted to rehabilitate them, possibly converting them to boutique hotels or new attractions.

Some €30 million had also been earmarked for the restoration of forts St Angelo and St Elmo, which would make them primary attractions in the Grand Harbour. The restoration work was already providing considerable work, he said, and the forts would create a considerable number of jobs once they were opened for visitors.

Other new attractions, he noted, included the rehabilitated ditch around Mdina, due to open this evening and the new aquarium.

Other sites had been improved, such as through the new Visitors' Centre in Hagar Qim, and a number of beaches which were upgraded to Blue Flag status.

Dr de Marco noted that between 2007 and last year, the number of people directly employed in hotels and restaurants rose by almost 3,000.

Tourism was generating new business for retailers and the number of employees in that sector had risen from 13,860 in 2007 to 18,139 now.

The number of restaurants increased by 200 in five years.

Dr de Marco said that while diversifying the tourism product through a range of activities and attractions - from the Baroque Festival to the Isle of MTV - and from diving sites to heritage sites, the authorities were also continuing to diversify the source markets. An example was the growth of arrivals from Israel.

Diversification of source markets was also taking place in the growing market of language studies. This sector was also attracting more mature students and not just young people.

An ad hoc section had also been set up within the MTA to focus on Gozo's tourism needs.

Malta, Dr de Marco said, was also continuing to enjoy success in the cruise sector, with a record 600,000 cruise passengers brought to Malta last year.

He stressed that Malta's tourism sector needed to remain competitive, and the proposed new night electricity tariff would be especially beneficial for hoteliers in this respect. 

PL: TOURISM SECTOR NEEDS BETTER PROFITABILITY

Meanwhile, the Labour Party said a new Labour government would give all necessary support to the tourism industry.

Labour leader Joseph Muscat, who this morning visited the InterContinental Hotel, said that while the number of tourists had increased, profitability needed to rise too. That, he said, was what a new government would aim for through the reduction of water and electricity tariffs.

Increased profitability would mean more jobs as well as better jobs, Dr Muscat added.  

 

 

 

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