Frequency of visits to Malta with the MTA to serve as a basis for the drawing up of a development policy. This policy should address the key issues affecting the sector and help it realign itself with new trends and developments taking place in the tourism industry, while supporting the long-term sustainability of this sector. In a wider context, does Malta need to spruce up its product? “On the whole, we have a very good product,” Micallef says. “Malta is blessed with various attributes and a lot of progress has been achieved. But the general upkeep needs more than a sprucing up. We also need to work out a national policy for aesthetics. Some Local Councils for example go out of their way to use paint in a very creatively garish way. And road works and road diversions leave us exasperated – there doesn’t seem to be a focal coordinating point for design and completion. “We cannot ever stop reiterating that we need to do more to make sure we keep our visitors – and the locals – happy. Hospitality, which we Maltese are known for, needs to remain strong. Statistics show that we have a very good repeat visitors rate, a very good indicator of how we fare with the visitor. The figure for repeat customers is around 55 per cent, which is a commendable feat. Even in the restaurant sector, contrary to some people’s perceptions, most visitors give the thumbs up for our food fare and thisis shown in regular surveys conducted by MTA.”
First-time tourists
First-time versus repeat visitors
Repeat tourists
2009
66%
34%
2008
68.7%
31.3%
2007
67.8%
32.2%
2006
67.5%
32.5%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
One of every three tourists visiting Malta have been to the island on previous occasions
Air Malta plays a vital role, and we cannot have a situation where it does not operate here. Even if it is privatised or if it strikes some merger agreement, we have to make sure that there are conditions in place to keep it operating in Malta.
Intelligent home solutions
Micallef’s parting comments are all positive. “We sometimes sound as if we are criticising a lot, but the amount of times we agree with the relevant authorities goes unreported in the media. I would be mad to say that there isn’t a lot to be done to keep our tourism healthy and profitable enough to ensure long-term sustainability, but one thing I can foretell is that hotels, restaurants and tourism are here to stay for a long time. We might have blips and downward trends but tourism will remain a mainstay of our economy even more than it is today.”
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