Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco told Parliament yesterday that last year was a record one with 1.3 million tourist arrivals spending €1.1 billion and increasing bed nights to 11 million – an improvement over the previous three years. However, he predicted a difficult 2011 because there were still substantial challenges ahead not only because of the uncertain situation in the Mediterranean and the Libyan crisis but also because of rising fuel costs for airlines.
Winding up the debate on the budget estimates for the Malta Tourism Authority, Dr de Marco spoke also of good results achieved in the first quarter of this year.
He said that MTA had a strategic plan and managed to increase connectivity from 57 to 76 routes during the last three years. Ryanair, Norwegian Airlines, Air Berlin, Easijet and Air Malta were among the airlines which increased the number of routes.
MTA also worked on diversification increasing the number of tourists arriving from Italy (2,000), Spain (50,000), Scandinavia (20,000), France (13,000) Ireland (10,000) and Israel (7,500). MTA also addressed the decline in charter flights from Europe.
In 2010, Malta also registered the highest increase (13 per cent) in tourist arrivals. Spain registered an increase of one per cent with Turkey registering the highest increase after Malta at 5.7 per cent.
Malta had registered the best results among Mediterranean countries and the second highest increase in Europe.
Although seating capacity had reduced marginally, the percentage of passengers carried by airlines to Malta had increased.
MTA addressed advertising for bookings over the internet and led other campaigns to cater for the 45 per cent of passengers brought over to Malta by tour operators. MTA entered into three year agreements based on incremental growth with these operators.
Investment was also made on the interactive Malta website and an international call for tender for a media consultancy campaign was to be adjudicated by the end of the month. The MTA also invested €1.7 million for a number of projects gaining EU funds. It was also managing 7 of Malta’s beaches two of which had earned the blue flag. A survey was underway to see whether Xemxija Bay could be replenished with sand. A driving master plan was to be concluded by the end of the month. Malta was the first Mediterranean country to treat sewage before it ended in the sea making Maltese coastal waters the cleanest in the Mediterranean.
MTA invested in another project and applied for €2 million in funding to make interventions in the countryside around Safi, Żurrieq, Qrendi and Siġġiewi because it envisaged that these areas were potential tourist attractions.
Referring to salary increases raised by Gavin Gulia (PL), Dr de Marco said that some €150,000 were due because of the five per cent increase in the collective agreement. Another sum of €50,000 was earmarked for tourist information offices while the rest were being budgeted for existing vacancies in the authority.
Gross operating profit per room for the last quarter registered by five star hotels increased to €1269, this being the highest during the last five years. As regards competitiveness, Malta ranked 26th out of 139 travel destinations.
He said that the government offered schemes to hoteliers to invest in alternative energy in order to curb higher utility costs. Other schemes provided subsidised loans for refurbishment. Another scheme with a vote of €10 million aimed at co financing tourist related projects up to 50 per cent. Training was being provided for supervisory and managerial personnel at a cost of €3 million. Another €2 million were to be spent for embellishment of five cores in Tarxien,Marsaxlokk, Valletta and Balzan.
Turning to Gozo he said that there were more beds in farmhouses and furnished flats (2900) than there were in hotels (1,700). The NSO did not keep statistics on private accommodation. However in March 2011, an increase of 8.6 per cent and 9 per cent were registered for collective accommodation and non-residents respectively.
Five new tour operators from the UK, another four form the Netherlands and one from Sicily were serving Gozo.
He said that a number of group visits and conference to be held in Malta had to be cancelled because of the Libyan crisis. MTA worked with operators and embassies to give reassurance that Malta was a safe destination.
Air Malta was the MTA’s strategic partner and carried 56 per cent of all passengers. It could not afford to let Air Malta collapse and would give it necessary support to cater for the tourist sector.
Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono and Nationalist MP Ċensu Galea also contributed to the debate.