Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1013924
8 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 12 AUGUST 2018 NEWS MASSIMO COSTA OUTBOUND travel from Malta shows no sign of abat- ing, as tour agencies report vigorous interest in cruise holidays. As the package holiday's al- lure abates with travellers turning to the Internet to book their own holidays, some of Malta's renowned travel agen- cies have reported a greater interest by holidaymakers to take their next holiday aboard a cruise-liner. Colin Aquilina, CEO of ROCS Travel, said it was hard to de- termine whether travellers are shunning package tours for cruise holidays, because often the two can be combined. "Cruises are usually chosen by holidaymakers who do not want to change their hotel every cou- ple of days, with almost all the holiday being prepaid. On the other hand, with tours, people have a better opportunity to ex- plore the chosen destination in more detail, while still experi- encing different locations." On the other hand, travel agencies Hamilton Travel and Vjaggi Untours speak of cruis- es having surpassed package tours. "In terms of booking volume, cruises are certainly more popular than tours. For both, it is normally an older age group – those over 35 – who book them, but we are seeing younger people go on tours too," Chris Eckett of Hamilton Travel said. "When it comes to guided group tours, the Bal- kans and other Eastern Euro- pean countries have been quite in vogue for the past couple of years." Similarly, a Vjaggi Untours representative said cruises had "taken over in the last years". "They are super popular with all ages, from honeymooners, to families with children and mature couples. There are dif- ferent kinds of ships according to what the client is after. "Tours are still sought after, however, because they offer peace of mind and require no hassle at all when it comes to planning, transportation and where to go. It's all there in the final price," the representa- tive said, who added that it is usually the grey pound that is seeking a cruise holiday. Typical cruise holidaymak- ers were described as "mid- dle aged and elderly people looking for guided tours and cruises." The Maltese are enjoying more holidays a year, getting used to cruise holidays and exotic destinations, travel agencies report Maltese take a fancy to cruise holidays Eyesore or eyeful? JAMES DEBONO IS a giant Ferris wheel at the Flo- riana granaries an intrusive eye- sore for the historical skyline, or a welcome addition for tourists and locals alike to enjoy views and take some high-altitude self- ies? One can now judge on the ba- sis of photomontages by the pro- ponents of the 45m-high 'Malta Eye' which purport to show how the Ferris wheel will impact up- on views from Valletta, Sliema and Senglea. The photomontages show the wheel dominating the skyline of the granaries, obstructing the view of St Publius' Church. When viewed from the Gardjola garden in Senglea, the wheel can be seen rising like a semi-circle crowning the Europa Centre building in Floriana. It will be barely visible when viewed from the Sliema ferries. Photomontages show Ferris wheel's impact on views "Cruises are usually chosen by holidaymakers who not want to change their hotel every couple of