Fewer people are seeking employment in the hospitality industry because of unemployment benefits, according to Hotels and Restaurants Association President Tony Zahra.

Speaking during the presentation of a performance survey, Mr Zahra insisted that out of 7,500 registered unemployed only 76 had declared an interest to work in the sector.

"Its not true that there are no jobs, people just don't want to work in this industry," he said, adding that restaurant and hotel operators were being forced to turn to foreign nationals to staff their businesses.

The animated Mr Zahra insisted that the high tourism figures experienced this year were not part of a boom but down to the increased effort of all stakeholders.

He prophesied an increase of 50,000 tourists next year over the 100,000 visitor increase projected for this year.

The performance review, conducted by Deloitte, covered 114 establishments across the island and compared this summer period to that of 2012.

A spokesman for the auditing firm said that, of all the regions, St Paul's Bay was the only area to register a slow down in business this summer compared to the same period last year.

Valletta and St Julian's were the best players in terms of growth, while the Marsaskala- Marsaxlokk area showed the best improvement, having turned a 19 per cent decline in sales into a 1.8 per cent decline.

The spokesman said Valletta had shown a shift from its standard role in the retail market towards the entertainment sector.

"Valletta is definitely becoming more of an entertainment hub, however, other figures seem to show that more efforts need to be made in the winter months," the spokesman said.

The survey also found that payroll cost had increased across the board.

A study of table covers revealed continued dependency on weekend business across all regions.

Mr Zahra appealed to young people to consider contributing to the industry.

"Malta is one of the best tourism spots in the Mediterranean, we are giving you the world, don't let it go to waste," he said.