Released on = August 19, 2006, 12:45 pm

Press Release Author = Michael Johnson - YourMalta.com

Industry = Government

Press Release Summary = More poor visitor figures have shown that while some
Mediterranean islands are increasing tourist numbers, Malta is struggling.

Press Release Body = Government figures just released show a fall in the number of
visitors to Malta for the first six months of 2006 compared to the same period last
year, adding pressure to the Malta government to secure a deal to allow low cost
airlines to fly to the Mediterranean island to reverse the trend.

The fall of 2.4 per cent of visitors included a decrease in the important British,
French and German markets, but a welcome increase in Italian tourists.

Commenting on the news one local travel guide said \'if it hadn\'t been for the
increase in visitors from Italy it would have been far worse. The UK, Germany and
France still account for nearly two in three holidaymakers coming to Malta, and if
these markets decline further the island will become less and less attractive to the
tour operators to promote\'.

Rumours in the island\'s tourism industry earlier this year suggested that one of the
major UK tour operators was considering pulling Malta out of their holiday
brochures, which could have led to others taking the same action, but so far these
rumours have not become reality. If they were to it would have a major impact on
Malta\'s economy.

Unemployment is running at over 8 per cent in Malta, and tourism is a major industry
and employer.

The Malta hotel industry was particularly badly affected by the drop of visitors for
January to June, with a near three per cent drop compared to 2006.

Malta Hotels

The Malta travel guide also commented on the delay in the introduction of low cost
airlines to Malta and the possibility from that of an increase in tourist numbers.

With worrying signs that the number of tourists for the whole of 2006 visiting Malta
could be similar, or perhaps even down from 2005, the opportunity for the island to
have low cost flights operating from the UK appears to have slipped by for the all
important summer season.

The island\'s official airline, Air Malta, reported a drop of over two per cent in
the number of passengers it carried in the year from March 2005 to March 2006.

The hope among hoteliers and others involved in Malta\'s tourist trade is that at
least one of the low cost airlines will start operating from the UK and perhaps
other parts of Europe in the near future to boost visitor numbers.

\'With the holiday market vital to the Malta economy,\' comment the guide,
\'potentially millions in lost revenue will be lost this year because of delays in
agreeing to allow the low cost airlines to fly into Malta. In today\'s world Malta
has to compete with new destinations in Europe as well as Spain and her islands.
Cheap Malta flights aren\'t in themselves enough to sustain tourism at reasonable
levels anymore, although this will be welcome, but the trick of sustained tourism is
to have repeat business, and unless Malta attracts new first time visitors then
repeat business is an impossibility\'.


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