After some years of a declining tourist market, the Mediterranean island of Malta is seeing a revival in her fortunes as a mainstream tourist destination.
The prospects for the island have improved dramatically over the last year. At one point in 2006 there was speculation that a major British tour operator was considering taking the holiday island out of its brochures, but this year, having stared at the possibility of slipping to a niche travel destination, Malta is enjoying an upswing in visitor numbers.
The danger of slipping to a niche travel status, and the subsequent economic consequences for the Malta tourist industry, is thought to be part of the reason why the island was galvanised into finally accepting low cost flights from her main UK and Irish markets, with Ryanair starting flights from London in November last year, and this March from Dublin.
In addition to the new Ryanair services, the island’s own airline, Air Malta, has run a successful campaign of its own for cheap flights to Malta, and from May launched a new route from Liverpool to Malta. Further visitors are expected from Spain and Germany, following agreements with airlines to provide cheap Malta flights outside of Malta’s traditional market.
The extra visitor numbers are being boosted by more media coverage in Malta’s traditional core market of the United Kingdom, with daily and Sunday newspapers featuring Malta more as a suggested location for a holiday.
According to UK based travel site for Malta the number of enquiries from British journalists asking for information about Malta in the first three months of 2007 is up significantly from 2006.
‘Malta seems to have come back on travel writers’ radar’, they say, ‘We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of national newspapers asking us for quotes. The same has happened with journalist enquiries for property in Malta, showing perhaps that increased media interest for holidays in Malta is no coincidence.’
More TV Coverage
But there could be a bigger boost for Malta this fall autumn if discussions concerning a British TV soap comes to fruition.
Local media in Malta reported recently that talks were taking place with Britain’s favourite TV soap, Coronation Street, about filming an episode on the island.
Coronation Street is the world’s longest running soap, and first broadcast in 1960. Viewing figures in the UK regularly top ten million viewers an episode, and as recently as April this year reached twelve million.
‘If it were to happen,’comment the Malta travel guide, ‘It could be a major boost for the winter season and for summer 2008 too. A half hour episode on Malta will reach more people over a longer period of time than a tourist authority could hope to with a series of twenty or thirty second advertisements, it would be worth millions in equivalent advertising.’
In addition to reaching Malta’s prime UK market, additional benefit for the Malta holiday industry would come from Canada and Australia, where the show is aired some weeks after the UK.
In conclusion, the holidays guide say that increasing and sustainable tourism for Malta has to come from repeat visitors who enjoy their first visit to the island, with good hotels in Malta being a key factor.
‘If Malta can achieve more frequent mentions in the UK national press, travel programmes and other media it will influence the buying public when it comes to deciding where to go on holiday. The more Malta is mentioned the more likely it is that the island will be considered. We don’t expect Malta to start reaching top ten favourite destination polls, or to become as related to holidays as Majorca is for example – but to get somewhere close to what Cyprus has achieved could be an achievable aim.’
Posts Tagged ‘Malta’
UK Media Boost For Malta Holiday Island 2007 Bookings
Thursday, December 17th, 2009Holidays in Malta Get TV Boost
Thursday, December 17th, 2009After some years of a declining tourist market, the Mediterranean island of Malta is seeing a revival in her fortunes as a mainstream tourist destination.
The prospects for the island have improved dramatically over the last year. At one point in 2006 there was speculation that a major British tour operator was considering taking the holiday island out of its brochures, but this year, having stared at the possibility of slipping to a niche travel destination, Malta is enjoying an upswing in visitor numbers.
The danger of slipping to a niche travel status, and the subsequent economic consequences for the Malta tourist industry, is thought to be part of the reason why the island was galvanised into finally accepting low cost flights from her main UK and Irish markets, with Ryanair starting flights from London in November last year, and this March from Dublin.
In addition to the new Ryanair services, the island’s own airline, Air Malta, has run a successful campaign of its own for cheap Malta flight deals, and from May launched a new route from Liverpool to Malta. Further visitors are expected from Spain and Germany, following agreements with airlines to provide cheap Malta flights outside of Malta’s traditional market.
The extra visitor numbers are being boosted by more media coverage in Malta’s traditional core market of the United Kingdom, with daily and Sunday newspapers featuring Malta more as a suggested location for a holiday.
According to UK based travel site YourMalta.com the number of enquiries from British journalists asking for information about Malta in the first three months of 2007 is up significantly from 2006.
‘Malta seems to have come back on travel writers’ radar’, they say, ‘We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of national newspapers asking us for quotes. The same has happened with journalist enquiries for property in Malta, showing perhaps that increased media interest for Malta holidays is no coincidence.’
Weather In Malta
But there could be a bigger boost for Malta in the autumn if discussions concerning a British TV soap comes to fruition.
Local media in Malta reported recently that talks were taking place with Britain’s favourite TV soap, Coronation Street, about filming an episode on the island.
Coronation Street is the world’s longest running soap, and first broadcast in 1960. Viewing figures in the UK regularly top ten million viewers an episode, and as recently as April this year reached twelve million.
‘If it were to happen,’comment YourMalta.com, ‘It could be a major boost for the winter season and for summer 2008 too. A half hour episode on Malta will reach more people over a longer period of time than a tourist authority could hope to with a series of twenty or thirty second advertisements, it would be worth millions in equivalent advertising.’
In addition to reaching Malta’s prime UK market, additional benefit for the Malta holiday industry would come from Canada and Australia, where the show is aired some weeks after the UK.
In conclusion, YourMalta say that increasing and sustainable tourism for Malta has to come from repeat visitors who enjoy their first visit to the island, with good Malta hotels being a key factor.
‘If Malta can achieve more frequent mentions in the UK national press, travel programmes and other media it will influence the buying public when it comes to deciding where to go on holiday. The more Malta is mentioned the more likely it is that the island will be considered. We don’t expect Malta to start reaching top ten favourite destination polls, or to become as related to holidays as Majorca is for example – but to get somewhere close to what Cyprus has achieved could be an achievable aim, and should be.’
Holidays In Malta Get Media Boost
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009After some years of a declining tourist market, the Mediterranean island of Malta is seeing a revival in her fortunes as a mainstream tourist destination.
The prospects for the island have improved dramatically over the last year. At one point in 2006 there was speculation that a major British tour operator was considering taking the holiday island out of its brochures, but this year, having stared at the possibility of slipping to a niche travel destination, Malta is enjoying an upswing in visitor numbers.
The danger of slipping to a niche travel status, and the subsequent economic consequences for the Malta tourist industry, is thought to be part of the reason why the island was galvanised into finally accepting low cost flights from her main UK and Irish markets, with Ryanair starting flights from London in November last year, and this March from Dublin.
In addition to the new Ryanair services, the island’s own airline, Air Malta, has run a successful campaign of its own for cheap Malta flight deals, and from May launched a new route from Liverpool to Malta. Further visitors are expected from Spain and Germany, following agreements with airlines to provide cheap Malta flights outside of Malta’s traditional market.
The extra visitor numbers are being boosted by more media coverage in Malta’s traditional core market of the United Kingdom, with daily and Sunday newspapers featuring Malta more as a suggested location for a holiday.
According to UK based travel site YourMalta.com the number of enquiries from British journalists asking for information about Malta in the first three months of 2007 is up significantly from 2006.
‘Malta seems to have come back on travel writers’ radar’, they say, ‘We’ve been pleasantly surprised at the number of national newspapers asking us for quotes. The same has happened with journalist enquiries for property in Malta, showing perhaps that increased media interest for Malta holidays is no coincidence.’
But there could be a bigger boost for Malta in the autumn if discussions concerning a British TV soap comes to fruition.
Local media in Malta reported recently that talks were taking place with Britain’s favourite TV soap, Coronation Street, about filming an episode on the island.
Coronation Street is the world’s longest running soap, and first broadcast in 1960. Viewing figures in the UK regularly top ten million viewers an episode, and as recently as April this year reached twelve million.
‘If it were to happen,’comment YourMalta.com, ‘It could be a major boost for the winter season and for summer 2008 too. A half hour episode on Malta will reach more people over a longer period of time than a tourist authority could hope to with a series of twenty or thirty second advertisements, it would be worth millions in equivalent advertising.’
In addition to reaching Malta’s prime UK market, additional benefit for the Malta holiday industry would come from Canada and Australia, where the show is aired some weeks after the UK.
In conclusion, YourMalta say that increasing and sustainable tourism for Malta has to come from repeat visitors who enjoy their first visit to the island, with good Malta hotels being a key factor.
‘If Malta can achieve more frequent mentions in the UK national press, travel programmes and other media it will influence the buying public when it comes to deciding where to go on holiday. The more Malta is mentioned the more likely it is that the island will be considered. We don’t expect Malta to start reaching top ten favourite destination polls, or to become as related to holidays as Majorca is for example – but to get somewhere close to what Cyprus has achieved could be an achievable aim, and should be.’
Time will tell if it can be for Malta.
Late Boost For 2007 Majorca Holidays
Saturday, November 14th, 2009Majorca has scored a stunning success this year by being the British holidaymakers island of choice for their annual getaway, and has now capped a successful summer by being top destination for the autumn too.
One travel site has reported that Majorca, along with Spain’s Costa del Sol, are the most heavily booked for the autumn period in Europe, with New York being the top long haul destination for British tourists.
Other areas of Spain are also enjoying an autumn renaissance – notably the Costa Blanca and the Canary Island of Tenerife. Surprisingly Malta is starting to compete with the traditional British getaway favourites.
Malta has enjoyed quite a turn around in her fortunes over the last eighteen months since the Maltese authorities reluctantly agreed to allow low cost airlines to fly to the Mediterranean island. The tourist situation for Malta was so poor at one stage that a British holiday company were seriously considering dropping it from their main brochures, and if others had followed Malta would have been relegated as a mainstream vacation destination to one of niche status for her culture, history, and diving holidays.
Low cost airlines have engineered Malta away from tourist disaster to a far healthier position for 2007, and some 300,000 visitors could be delivered to the island for the 2008 season, as well as giving it an autumn boost this year.
But for all the success of one island in the Mediterranean that Malta has enjoyed in 2007 after turning around an awful 2006, it is really the Spanish island of Majorca that has done best for 2007, consistently attracting tourists throughout the summer, and extending it to the autumn time – good news for the hotel and holiday trade on the island as they see the months of profitabilty extend beyond the traditional ones.
Mallorca as an island has been promoting itself to the UK market by including a team distributing information at London’s Victoria Station. Trains from Victoria run several times an hour to London’s Gatwick Airport, allowing easy access to Mallorca for Londoners.
The Balearic Islands of which Mallorca is part consist of three islands, as well as Malloca there is Menorca (the smallest island)and and Ibiza. Menorca has a season that traditionally is at its peak early May to end September, but is now trying to extend that from mid April to mid October.
As part of the Balearic Islands, Mallorca has welcomed many visitors back to live full time on the island. Menorca property has proved popular too, for those looking for a gentler pace of life than big sister Mallorca.
Property prices in Mallorca are similar to Menorca property, with a range of apartments and villas in both rural and town locations, and with twenty golf courses plenty of golf course developments too on Mallorca.
Menorca has just the one golf course, recently extended to eighteen holes, and is located in Son Parc, which has a choice of hotels, apartments and villas for holiday makers.
The cost of flying to Mallorca has come down in recent years from most European countries due to low cost airlines, especially in the island’s core tourist areas of the United Kingdom and Germany, and last year easyJet started direct flights from London’s Gatwick Airport to the sister island of Menorca, as well as serving Mallorca itself.
Despite competition from other destinations, Mallorca looks set to remain a favourite holiday spot for both the summer and autumn.