No matter which party is elected to govern Malta on 9 March, there is no doubt that we should continue with the same strategy for tourism, and continue to build on the record success registered year after year.

In the MHRA Q4 results presentation, President Tony Zahra said that the increase in seat capacity for the summer months bodes well for another record year in tourism. The MHRA believes that although figures are still good, tourist arrivals will pick up in March and April and urged hotel owners to be patient and not to give in to pressures to lower  accommodation rates.

Between October and December of last year, tourist arrivals increased by 4.5 percent over the same quarter of 2011. Over the same period, guest nights increased by 10.7 % while tourist spending rose by 13.3 %.

In 2012 the overall performance gained momentum after a slow start during the first quarter.

Given the recession, spending reached €1.345 billion, which represents a 9 % increase – remarkable, considering the current state of affairs.

What is key to it all, and it is amply clear, is accessibility. Marketing is, of course, always important, but at the end of the day, the most important thing is – as the airline industry puts it – getting bums on seats.

We have seen that the strategy pays dividends. We sometimes forget that Continental Europe is not like Malta. Catchment areas are different. For example, a person living in Toulouse, in the South West of France would probably not consider taking a flight or train to Paris, just to get to Malta. But in the setting up of new routes – such as the Air France Toulouse to Malta – a whole new niche of customers has been tapped into.

There are many other airlines which have announced plans to operate out of Malta this season, and the news is welcome. Of course, the Malta International Airport, working hand-in-hand with the Malta Tourism Authority has done much to improve the figures.

But just getting people here is not enough. They must leave Malta satisfied and happy with what they have experienced. And that, is another key issue. The show The Malta Experience is synonymous with our islands and still today, thousands of tourists watch the audio visual show. Perhaps we need not re-invent the wheel and focus on just that – not the show – but the actual unique experience that Malta can offer to visitors. We are lucky. Many other small island destinations have no real identity, because they are part of a larger nation. Yet we are different. We have millennia of history, beautiful architecture, a wonderful climate and beautiful terrain. We are also – if we stop being so miserable for a second – quite a nice bunch and we do not take tourists for a ride.

We are heading into an election, and as ever, the country is divided socially and culturally as we head into the last week of campaigning before the polls.

But surely, both parties must recognise that much has been achieved in our tourism product and the benefits we reap from it.