The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has welcomed the call for low-cost travel from another four destinations and hoped that the routes being proposed would all be taken up and become operational as soon as possible. It was particularly positive that Bremen had been included.

It said the arrival of LCCs in Malta has been a major contributor to the turnaround of the monthly decline in arrivals over the first 10 months of 2006. However, the MHRA has said all along that so far they had only been scratching the surface of this fast-expanding mode of travel. Malta was now taking another important step in the right direction and accepting the changes that were developing in the global market place.

The MHRA said that the new routes could add substantially to the exposure Malta receives as a destination in these markets. It would also undoubtedly increase the number of visitors from these destinations.