Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/664438
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 10 APRIL 2016 22 Opinion M ore than 81,000 tourists visited Malta last February, according to the latest figures published by the National Statistics Office – a record figure that resulted in a remarkable increase of nearly 10% on 2015. Nights spent reached the 581,000 mark, an increase of 10.4% on February 2015. More importantly, tourism expenditure last February rose to nearly €58 million, meaning an increase of 9.6% on the same month last year. This translated into a direct injection of €5 million into the Maltese economy. These consistent positive results achieved during the winter and shoulder months confirm my commitment towards addressing the issue of seasonality within the tourism industry. Nonetheless, Malta is already one of the least seasonal of the Mediterranean's destinations due to its success in developing a multitude of off-peak attractions to attract tourism volumes during the low season. These results prove that the policies being implemented to address and reduce seasonality patterns are bearing fruit, resulting in more quality and sustainable tourism spread throughout all the months of the year. During the last three years, tourist arrivals in February rose by 20,000. This is equivalent to an extremely notable growth of 32.5% when compared to 2013. This success in decreasing seasonality patterns shall, in turn, assist me to address yet another challenge, which is that of better pay and working conditions for all the workers in the sector. The industry is witnessing further investment from the private sector, directed towards improving competitiveness that shall also induce employers to attract more, while retaining existing employees in the sector. All this would finally translate in better wages and working conditions. During 2015, the tourism sector registered increases in all performance indicators and throughout all months, however, one must note that particularly during the winter months, that is between January and March, we registered an increase of nearly 8% in arrivals on the same months of 2014. The same could be said for the last quarter of last year, a period considered as 'off peak' months for the tourism sector. Between October and December 2015 we registered an increase of 10.5% in arrivals and of 11.6% in tourism expenditure when compared with the same quarter of 2014. Figures published in the latest UNWTO Barometer affirm that the increases registered by Malta during the winter and shoulder months grossly surpass the average increases registered in the same periods by competitive regions. These results point to the fact that we are definitely on the right track, but in order to keep this momentum we need to continue working closely with all stakeholders. I will make every effort to maintain and improve connectivity to our islands while strengthening our competitiveness through a comprehensive improvement of our product in terms of quality, diversity and value for money. I am confident that this, along with the right marketing strategy, is the best recipe to ensure that we maximise the appeal of the Maltese islands as an attractive winter destination. Connectivity is a very important factor and remains one of my foremost strategic priorities. Tourists are opting to travel more often and for shorter stays, especially in winter, and their choice is influenced by destinations that are accessible through direct flights from the closest airport to their place of residence, whether a major hub or a regional airport. I am pleased to note that no fewer than 33 airlines are now operating to and from Malta as last year we managed to add five new airlines. This has resulted in a staggering 11% increase from 2013 with regard to available seats. In fact we have now increased the total available seats from 5.1 million in 2013 to almost 5.7 million. Meanwhile, during this year I will be intensifying efforts, together with Malta International Airport (MIA), to develop new routes including those which originate from hubs that also service long haul flights. I want to convey a strong message that Malta is a destination of all seasons. With this regard, we are also working towards establishing more crowd-puller events in the shoulder months, in order to ensure that winter visitors enjoy an even wider range of events and activities and help us position ourselves better than the competition. Events that are well presented and marketed can be very effective marketing tools. Our rich, diverse and cultural offer has not only helped to differentiate us from our competitors, but has also helped to reduce the negative effects of seasonality. We have to continue working on this aspect and strengthen our image as a sophisticated destination that can offer the charms and attractions of a Mediterranean archipelago, underscored by a vibrant local community with a diverse culture and a very rich history. This calls for increased efforts that will help the sector register further growth in existing market segments while developing new niche markets to add to the tourism offer. There are several of the latter that, through suitable planning and focused incentives, have the right potential to grow, such as gastronomy, sports and adventure, nature, religious travel, yachting, film location tourism, and crafts, among others. Our success in tourism, and its affiliated sectors also following the positive implementation of our related policies, are undoubtedly the result of an effective collaborative synergy amongst all stakeholders. I am confident that by working together we are in a much stronger position to face challenges ahead and furthermore transform them into market opportunities for even further growth in this sector, that is key to our continued economic well-being. Edward Zammit Lewis is tourism minister Psaila We are working to develop new routes including those from hubs that also service long haul flights A collaborative tourism strategy IN ALL LEADING BOOK SHOPS HISTORY OF ORNITHOLOGY IN MALTA Edward Zammit Lewis