Tourists aged up to 24 have increased substantially by 53 per cent in the first quarter of the year over the same period in 2007 while those aged up to 44 have risen by 32.5 per cent, the Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, Mario de Marco, said yesterday.
The growth showed that Malta was becoming more attractive to youths - and to those who may not be but still considered themselves so - and was in keeping with the government's aim to attract more young blood to the island, he said.
Last year, the youngest age bracket represented 15 per cent of tourists and the 24 - 44 group accounted for 36 per cent. This year's increase in both age brackets was higher than in the 45 plus group.
Dr de Marco was speaking at the Grand Hotel Excelsior during the launch of the first Malta Music Week, organised in celebration of the Isle of MTV Malta Special concert, scheduled for June 25.
The mega concert is already being promoted extensively on the MTV Europe network, with its "enormous captive audience" - about 20 feeds, hitting 147 million households, meaning about 300 million viewers.
The regular spots are part of the agreement reached between MTV and the government and include the promotion of a pan-European competition to win a VIP trip to the show at The Granaries, Floriana, and a promotional advert on Malta as a fun destination, the Malta Tourism Authority's communications and PR director, Kevin Drake, said. The spots were produced by MTV itself, which knows its market best, and have the distinctive and "inimitable" MTV touch.
More exposure for the island is scheduled in the run-up to the airing of the Isle of MTV Malta Special programme throughout the month of September and sporadically after that.
The Isle of MTV Malta Special is seeing the welcome return of heartthrob singer Enrique Iglesias, who is singing the official song of UEFA Euro 2008. Other bands include The Kooks, One Republic, N.E.R.D. and Lady GaGa.
This year's line-up of five artistes - both established and tipped to be the "next best thing" - counts two more than 2007 and the show is expected to run from 7 p.m. to about midnight, Mr Drake said.
More foreign performers mean no space for local talent, like last year, due to logistics. But top Maltese bands and DJs are bound to get their exposure anyway. They will be performing in the Paceville and Buġibba squares on July 23 and 24 respectively and will be filmed by a specific MTV crew to be aired on MTV News, which appears on the popular music channel every hour.
The two live music events form part of the Malta Music Week, aimed to extend the party vibe that climaxes in the mega concert and to offer a more complete package to tourists. It includes club nights at Gianpula in Rabat and La Grotta in Gozo on June 20 and 21 and a beach party at Amazonia Lido in Buġibba on June 22, Darren Casha from G7 said.
Three out of five are free of charge, as is the concert, while the other two are at a nominal fee.