Two language schools which form part of international chains have decided to cut short their year-round operations in Malta because the winter months are not viable.
Geos and Bell, both affiliates of huge international language school networks, will shut down in the wintertime as the global recession takes its toll on tourism.
In fact, the decision follows news that language schools are expecting a double-digit percentage drop in the number of nights students spent here during what was described as a "horrible summer".
While Geos will be closing at the end of the month but will resume operations next summer, Bell has not yet decided whether to operate in the summer of 2010 even though it says there is still potential for seasonal programmes to be held here.
Geos Malta school manager Simon Agius confirmed that the group's directors in Japan decided it was "not currently viable to operate the school in Malta on a year-round basis".
He said Geos International was restructuring its international operations and as from next year was likely to operate in Malta only in the summer months.
Although the number of students studying English at Geos increased in July and August this year, which were busier than in the same months last year, numbers had dwindled the previous winter.
The school in Malta has been open since 1998 and employs some 23 people, including administrative staff and part-time teachers who are taken on in the summer months to cater for the peak season. Most will likely be laid off, as will the employees with Bell, but neither company specified what it intends doing in this regard.
Will Kinsman, the director of sales and marketing of the Bell Educational Trust, confirmed its Malta branch will be closing its year-round operations as a result of a review of Bell's operations around the world.
Mr Kinsman said Bell's review concluded that the Malta market for premium priced, specialist language training - in which the Malta operation specialised - was limited.
"In the context of our global operations, with over 26 teaching centres in 16 countries, Malta has always been a very small part of the business," he said.
He said this year proved to be a particularly challenging year, although its results for the year to date have been better than forecast.
"The decision to close year-round operations was not taken lightly and was not in any way directly attributable to current trading conditions. Indeed, we still see Malta as providing significant opportunity for language travel programmes and intend to continue to operate seasonal operations on the island in the future, for example, for young learners," he said.
Both companies form part of much larger global operations. Geos Malta is part of the Geos Corporation which was founded in Japan in 1973 but now has more than 500 schools in Japan and 50 worldwide, including in the US and Canada.
Bell International is a smaller chain of English language centres that cater for some 100,000 students.