English language schools must collaborate to help change the perception that Malta was a “cheap destination”, a meeting was told yesterday.

Managers attending the annual general meeting of the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations Malta (Feltom) noted that schools competed with each other, with hefty discounts on classes benefiting neither the schools nor the agents.

The English language training (ELT) sector attracted about 80,000 visitors a year, amounting to nearly five per cent of total tourist arrivals, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said.

The latest figures revealed that Europe remained by far Malta’s principal source market, at about 90 per cent of the total.

Italy, Russia and Germany remain the top three countries of origin, together accounting for close to 50 per cent of ELT arrivals.

Recent years have also seen the emergence of new markets that hold a great deal of promise, including Brazil, Turkey and Japan.

Despite challenging market conditions in its source markets, the ELT industry had still managed to register an increase in both student weeks and the length of stay, the minister said.

Although the summer months remain the busiest for English language schools, there has been an increase in visitors in the spring and winter periods, which now bring more than half of total ELT arrivals.

Cooperation between industry stakeholders remains the cornerstone of Malta’s ability to retain its standing as a successful tourism destination

The minister described 2014 as a landmark year for tourism, with arrivals expected to reach the 1.7 million mark, an increase of more than 123,000 arrivals over 2013.

For 2014, nights spent are expected to total 13.5 million and the expenditure is likely to surpass €1.5 billion.

The government would be working towards enhancing further airline connectivity. This factor had already facilitated the extension of the ELT sector’s market reach, particularly into Eastern Europe, Dr Zammit Lewis said.

“Cooperation between industry stakeholders remains the cornerstone of Malta’s ability to retain its standing as a successful tourism destination,” he said.

“Cooperation will also be key in facing any new challenges while presenting us with important opportunities for growth. This sector is a perfect example of the kind of synergies Malta needs to become more competitive.”

“We need to continuously revisit and update our marketing strategies and policies, listen to what the market is saying, particularly to those who work at the heart of it.”

Feltom CEO Genevieve Abela said the federation’s main commitment for 2015 was to implement its accreditation scheme, which had been updated through the training of all stakeholders, namely inspectors and accreditation officers.

Feltom will also be introducing agent accreditation, aiming to use the federation’s online presence to provide schools with a forum for exchanging information on agents while also providing a screening process for agents who are seeking to become Feltom’s trusted partners.

On the international front, Ms Abela added, Feltom’s commitment would be to enhance its presence at workshops, fairs and conferences.

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