Guest nights in private accommodation continued to grow by 14.3% in the first nine months of the year 2016. According to the results provided by the Deloitte BOV MHRA hotel survey, the hotel sector was most impacted by the reported decrease in guest-nights in the five-star sector.

During these same nine months, the four and three star segment reported minor movement in their occupancy levels when compared to the results last year. However, the five-star accommodation saw a decrease to 78% compared to the 81.2% registered last year.

These results were debated during a conference discussing tourism organised by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association.

Collectively, the accommodation establishments grew by 1.9% in the third quarter of this year.

Addressing the conference, Minister for Tourism Edward Zammit Lewis said that the country is set to start the seventh consecutive year of record growth in the tourism sector. There was an increase in the volume and capacity in the sector with over 1.9 million arrivals by end of 2016 and a total expenditure of €1.7 billion in expenditure.

The Minister said the government aims to achieve the 2 million visitor mark by end of 2017.

On Air Malta, the Minister said that the country’s air connectivity remains one of the most strategic priorities.“We believe that Air Malta cannot survive on its own and requires an effective strategic partner. This will ensure drastic cost savings. I am not interested in applying quick fixes, I want long-term solutions, even if this means this means that process may take longer than expected.

Shadow Minister for the Economy Claudio Grech said that the Opposition notes the positive results achieved,but added that there is one key element which needs to be taken into account;that is the foresight and the commercial positioning of the country. He said this was the key success factor in the performance brought today.

On Air Malta, the PN MP said it is in a very difficult situation which has moved from being difficult to a situation of survival. “If we take the typical partisan attitude, we could lie back and let the critical situation unfold and wait for results to happen. That would be the cancerous political attitude, the same which brought so much harm already in the past.”