Ask any Maltese businessman, and he or she will tell you that the Maltese are the best customers – mainly because they spend money and, if satisfied, they are likely to return time and again.
The economy thrives on the over one million tourists that visit Malta each year, and concern is justified over the fact that the industry is showing signs of decline in terms of the number of arrivals as well as the money tourists are spending here.
Even more so, considering that so many thousands of Maltese workers are employed in the tourism sector, directly or indirectly, on a full-time or part-time basis, and therefore their future is at stake if the industry does not recover.
Most tourists come to Malta only once in their life-time, and they should be given attention and dedication by all those who provide a service. It is often said that the best promotion for a country is by word of mouth, and therefore anything these tourists say when they go back home is a determining factor.
We should all therefore work hard to get the tourism industry out of the difficult period that it is currently experiencing, and let us all hope that the storm subsides quickly.
But the “tourism industry” is not only for foreigners. It is for the Maltese too, because we are a
people who love to be tourists, and part of the fun is being tourists in our own country as well.
To go back to the original argument, the Maltese are the best “tourists” for Maltese businessmen, particularly those involved in the entertainment and catering sectors.
This is because, as a people, the Maltese love to go out and enjoy themselves. Whether it is eating out with family or friends, going to night-clubs or simply spending an afternoon out in the countryside, the Maltese are always there. The mild climate helps in no small way.
And, the thing is, the Maltese enjoy spending too. And therefore they never go for a picnic without buying an ice-cream for their children from the kiosk nearby. And, if they are shopping in Valletta or Sliema, they often end up having lunch or dinner there. And then they are always ready to pay for a round of drinks, or buy popcorn if they go to the cinema.
What is different is that since we live here, we are bound to return to the places that we have enjoyed visiting, and therefore it is in the interest of the service-providers to offer a good deal, one that offers value for the money being spent and, most of all, service with a smile.
Generally speaking, the Maltese people seem to be prepared to work hard all week, perhaps even having more than one job, but then enjoy spending the money they have earned at the weekend. Most homes then have all the imaginable amenities that make our lives comfortable – air-conditioners, television sets, microwave ovens, dishwashers, tumble-driers and computers were once considered a luxury, but today many of us have them, and use them regularly in spite of the surcharge on electricity.
Again, good after-sales service is a must if businessmen want their customers to return.
By and large, we are a consumer society – one that earns money and spends it. And it is this that moves a country’s economy. If people have no money to spend, then the whole system suffers. If they do have the money, the Maltese people will spend most of it – while of course saving something for a rainy day.
The Maltese are also a people who like new things. Innovation attracts them, and the perfect example of this is the recent success of the Notte Bianca event held in Valletta. This attracted so many people because it was something different – so different that restaurants and bars had to close because they had run out of food and drink.
It will not happen again next year, for sure.