Since the new Malta promotional campaign on Expedia, the world’s largest online travel company, began on 1 April, Room Night (RN) bookings for accommodation in Malta and Gozo have increased significantly. At the end of the previous campaign, (Q1, 2007), the average number of Malta RNs booked per week was between 1,100 and 1,350. The current average number of weekly RNs booked in Malta and Gozo through Expedia now stands at approximately 2,000.

This is also the first time ever that Expedia are selling more than 300 Malta RNs a day.

An enthusiastic Expedia spokesman said that, where Malta sales were concerned, right now “every week is a new record week”.

The Malta Tourism Authority went into partnership with Expedia Inc. to feature the destination across Expedia’s European properties in unprecedented fashion. The new six-figure campaign was developed by Expedia production teams in Paris, Munich, London and Milan and uses sophisticated multi-tier targeting of Expedia’s travellers to showcase the islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino as places to “relax, explore and discover”. Working together, Expedia and the Malta Tourism Authority hope to continue the remarkable year-on-year growth in visitors that Malta saw with Expedia in 2006.

Director of Media Solutions for Expedia Europe Thaddeus Hanscom said: “It’s very important for us to see Malta succeed on Expedia. Together with the Malta Tourism Authority, we’re investing a great deal of resources to make this vision a reality. Working hand-in-hand with the experts on the ground, we’re coordinating our efforts to give Expedia travellers more great reasons to choose Malta.”