If there is one area where successive governments have got it right, it is tourism.  Year after year, we have been registering record numbers of tourists and this year was no exception. After being involved in the signing of a code share between Air France and Air Malta and bringing British Airways back to Malta, veteran Karmenu Vella has now passed the baton on to the up and coming Edward Zammit Lewis. His first engagements were to welcome new routes to and from Malta. One is operated by Air France & KLM low cost carrier Transavia and services Nantes in France. The other in another route being opened up by Hungarian low cost carrier  Wizz Air. It will be flying to and from Gdansk in Poland.

Air Malta has fared well in the face of restructuring and competition and it is now back on its feet. There is no doubt whatsoever that more connectivity results in more passenger arrivals – the numbers speak for themselves.

Getting bums on seats is, however, the crucial factor. Airlines – low cost or not – will only fly into Malta if the seat load factor is not conducive to making flights worthwhile and profitable. At present, everything seems to be going pretty smoothly. Planes are full, hotels are full, and we are also seeing more and more visitors in the shoulder months when things have traditionally been tough for hoteliers and entertainment establishments. We must also not forget that these new routes also facilitate travel for Maltese people who want to get away for a cheap holiday or want to connect to somewhere else.

As we have already stated, we are doing something right, although we do have a lot of things that are going in our favour. The one thing that the government needs to realise is that it needs to continue riding on the wave that Malta is one of the ‘in’ places to be at the minute, attracting visitors from far and wide – most of them to see this quirky little place that is a unique sprawling city state slap bang in the middle of the Med. On top of that, we have the weather and the beaches. Our cuisine is good and as a destination, we offer something for everyone.

Summer, no doubt, will bring the glut of Brits, language students and Italians that round off their summer here in August. That is all well and good, but more work needs to be done during the shoulder months. While figures have improved dramatically, we still have a long way to go before we can call Malta  true all year round destination. Getting more bums on seats is key – if that happens, and the numbers are sustained, then there will be more accessibility and connectivity all year round.