The opposition is reiterating the same complaints while ignoring the international economic crisis and its effect on global tourism, Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario De Marco said.

Reacting to comments by Labour Party spokesman Marie Louise Coleiro Preca that a tourism strategy should be drawn up while ensuring that the country remained a tourist destination all year round, Dr De Marco said the government had intervened as soon as the effects of the crisis were forecast.

He said it had discussed a moratorium with banks on hotel loans, subsidised embellishment works in hotels, subsidised foreign conferences, doubled the amount spent by the private sector on tourism advertising, assisted sports organisations with international events, launched a scheme to assist the private sector in creating sustainable projects in tourism and helped local councils organise events with a tourism element.

The tourism authority's budget was also doubled to strengthen advertising and assist airlines.

"In fact, this year, the advertising continued even in the summer months and, as a result, as the President of the (Hotels and Restaurants Association) said, hoteliers did much better than expected in August."