The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has welcomed Ryanair’s announcement of the new Valencia to Malta route commencing in October this year.

“This is definitely another positive development in the opening of new routes by Ryanair to Malta,” said the MHRA.

The association said the increase in arrivals experienced in the first six months of this year confirms the MHRA’s stand on the positive effect low-cost operators can have on tourist figures. MHRA had said all along that Malta must embrace this fast expanding mode of travel in order to give more exposure and be more competitive in its tourist offer.

MHRA president Josef Formosa Gauci said: “We are glad to see the confidence such operators have in the island’s tourism potential. It is up to every Maltese citizen to realise the benefits that tourism industry has on our economy as a whole. Tourism affects everyone on the island directly or indirectly through spin-offs and will always be one of the main drivers of our national economy.”