The number of tourists visiting Malta in 2014 is set to be an increase of around 103,000 over the previous year, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said.
Dr Zammit Lewis was speaking on the Tourism Ministry’s budgetary estimates.
One did not need to read the statistics to see the successes registered in the tourism sector. Valletta and other tourists hotspots are always full of foreign visitors, he said.
Dr Zammit Lewis said the government is improving good strategies introduced by the previous administration. Malta has to have a strong and flexible connection with various countries and an adequate seat capacity. A number of low cost airlines are operating yearly flights to destinations such as London, Vienna and Nantes. Others are operating frequent flights to and from summer destinations over the summer. A number of airlines have increased their flights.
Speaking on the Institute for Tourism Studies, Dr Zammit Lewis said he is happy with the number of students choosing a career in tourism but would still like to see more join up.
The Tourism Minister admitted that overcrowding on Comino beaches is affecting the tourism product and the issue has to be tackled. He noted that there were few accidents this year, thanks to the work carried out by the MTA.
The authority is also working on a campaign to grant restaurants a Quality Assured Seal. “We cannot have quality tourists without offering a quality product, and the product comes first.”
The tourism budget has been boosted by €1 million for route development. “Is it enough? As Tourism Minister I have a duty to keep pushing for more but in the meantime we will work with what we have. We have to be successful with the funds we have.”
Dr Zammit Lewis said the ITS allocation was boosted by €24,000. €200,000 have been allocated for the introduction of a new course: Foundation in Tourism Studies.
The government is drafting a tourism strategy that will last until 2030. The public consultation period will launch in January and the Minister expects to have a policy and a strategic vision in place by March.
The reduction in energy tariffs will be a godsend for touristic estalishments. The directors of a Mellieha hotel have recently told him that they will save up to €210,000 in energy bills. “Hotels should not look at the money saved only as a profit. They should invest it to keep improving their products.”
The setting up of Conventions Malta aims to boost business tourism in the shoulder months, said Dr Zammit Lewis, noting that a German investment company recently brought more than 6,000 employees to Malta and injected millions into the economy.
The government is also seeking new homeporting agreements with cruise liner companies. The Tourism Minister said the Gozo cruise liner buoy was practically abandoned because it was not fit for purpose. A second buoy will be installed allowing cruise liners to safely berth near Gozo.
The government obtained around €700,000 in EU funds to restore the ceiling of the Sacra Infermeria in Valletta.
‘I did not sack MTA CEO’
Replying to criticism by the Opposition, Dr Zammit Lewis challenged the PN MPs to name a single person that had been fired from the ministry since he took office. He denied sacking former MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci. “Mr Formosa Gauci resigned out of his own free will and I retained him as a consultant on route development because he is very experienced on the subject.”
He also defended the appointment of Andre Borg as Air Malta secretary. Mr Borg is the son of former PL candidate Reno Borg. “Are you implying that we should not employ competent people just because their fathers were Labour candidates. What about PN-leaning persons who were also appointed to top posts by this government?” the Minister asked, reading out a list of names.
Dr Zammit Lewis critised the Opposition for defending former Air Malta CEO Peter Davies. Mr Davies had a salary package worth around €500,000. The new CEO, Philip Micallef, earns a quarter of that sum.
The Tourism Minister again referred to recent reports that claimed that Air Malta will be sold to Air Chine and said this was an outright lie.
The chairman of the consultative council for the south of Malta Labour MP Silvio Parnis said that the government has clear vision regarding tourism, and more particularly about regenerating the south of Malta.
Over the past months, the council has put forward a number of proposals that cause job creation and an increase in tourist numbers. He said that locals benefit as much as foreigners, from the infrastructural reforms in this part of Malta. For years, Nationalist Administration failed to address the needs of the areas in the south of Malta, and to acknowledge its potential, he said.
There is the need for high standard hotels in the south, as well as more facilities for fishermen.
Mr Parnis added, the government needs to ensure that localities in the south of Malta are made accessible.
The government MP said he will be calling for a national conference on sustainable development in the south. All stakeholders will be able to voice their opinions. Mr Parnis said the south is also ideal for camping and the council will be working to identify suitable camping sites. He noted that a number of measures proposed by the consultative council have been included in the budget. “I believe the budget will be the beginning of a new story for the south.”
Newly elected MP Joe Farrugia spoke about the increase in tourist arrivals and bed nights. Increases were also registered in Gozo. The Zurrieq MP said the government will embark on a programme that will lead to new diving sites through the creation of artificial reefs and scuttling of vessels. This will boost diving tourism.
Mr Farrugia said the government must ensure a competitive edge and a value for money. These are two necessary ingredients to boost and sustain the tourism sector. He spoke on the need to increase advertising and attract tourists from new markets. Chinese speaking tourist guides are hard to come by but this issue should be addressed through language courses for guiding students.
The physical product should be well cared for, said Mr Farrugia, but the service given to tourists should also be of the highest quality. Malta has a tradition of hospitality that is even mentioned in the bible and this value cannot be weakened.
The government believes in the tourism sector. It is, among other things, reviving Air Malta, rehabilitating Valletta and helping tourism operators through the reduction of energy tariffs.