As the tourist season enters its peak month, it is inevitable that operators in this crucial industry fret about the likelihood of achieving satisfactory occupancy levels at this busiest time of the year. Official forecasts by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association vary with the most optimistic predicting hardly any decline from last year's levels to the more pessimistic not excluding a fall of up to 50 per cent.
The industry is becoming more reliant on last-minute bookings. It seems that this year this phenomenon has increased considerably. In the months of June and July, travellers who usually plan and book their holiday requirements in advance left it to the last minute to do so. If this trend continues, it will be difficult for operators to plan their business activities with any degree of certainty. They may refrain from recruiting further staff and even put off major investment projects until they see evidence of whether the season will indeed be a good one.
The real issue is whether the industry's difficult prospects are merely the consequence of the recession in European countries from where visitors come or whether there are indeed structural weaknesses in the industry that need to be addressed.
The president of the MHRA has commented that more needs to be done to address basic issues like noise pollution and lack of cleanliness that is making many of Malta's tourist areas look shabby. This concern was also echoed by the Prime Minister who has repeatedly appealed to the public to be more conscious about the importance of tourism for the economy by not littering the island in such a careless way.
Ultimately, the consideration that most visitors will make when deciding whether to choose Malta where to spend their holidays is the level of value for money the country can offer. Value is a multi-faceted concept. It includes both objective and subjective considerations. But some aspects are generally accepted as being clear signs of good value for visitors.
These include decent transport facilities, good food at reasonable prices, ease of visiting historical sites that need to be well preserved, adequate beach facilities, high standards of cleanliness in hotels, restaurants and other places frequented by visitors as well as a friendly attitude by those who get in contact with tourists. All these need to be provided at a price that is competitive when compared to other destinations.
Many argue that Malta is underperforming in most of these areas. Policing the system is not the best solution but vigilant tourism authorities are indispensable to ensure that regulations that in some way affect the visitors' experience of Malta are in fact enforced. The announcement that the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism has now been entrusted with the implementation of the Mepa reforms has raised concerns among operators in the industry. Steering tourism out of the prevailing downturn is a full-time political task. The person entrusted with this task needs to be in touch constantly with what is going on in this sector on a daily basis. Anything that distracts attention from this onerous undertaking can only have negative consequences.
As the season draws to a close in a few months' time, it is important that all those involved in the industry roll up their sleeves to discuss the challenges. The objective should be to reinvent the tourism industry in order to make it more attractive to prospective visitors. Marketing alone is not likely to secure the desired results.