Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said that a 2.6% drop in the number of students who came to Malta in 2015 to learn English was “not worrying” and insisted that the sector was diversifying and seeking to attract new markets.

The Malta Independent on Sunday reported how the number of ELT students decreased by 2.6% when compared to 2014, which translates into a decrease of 2,026 student arrivals. There was also a reduction of 7,106 student weeks, which translates into a 2.9% decrease over 2014.

A spokesperson from Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations in Malta (FELTOM) told this paper that the drop was “expected” and was partly due to a decrease in the Russian and Libyan markets, as a result of instability in the regions. On the other hand, there was a registered increase in new markets, such as Colombia, Turkey, Czech Republic and Brazil.

The Malta Independent asked Dr Zammit Lewis if the drop was concerning. “Firstly, this is not worrying. Secondly, that sector is changing. The private sector is reacting to this.”

The Tourism Minister said the sector was no longer just looking at the large number of students that traditionally swamp the island during the summer months. “They are now looking at a different kind of student. The English Language schools are specialising – instead of just teaching English they are also teaching aviation English, business English, medical English and so on.”

Dr Zammit Lewis said the government and stakeholders were still actively promoting the important sector abroad. “There are new markets that we want to attract. We are very competitive when compared to other countries.  Whilst I acknowledge the decrease I am not worried by it. The industry has had its good times and, even though there has been this decrease in numbers, I have no doubt that the product is being refined and that the strong sector will emerge from this situation of minimal significance.”