| Holidaymakers choosing Malta rose by seven per | | | | Malta has done well enough to start new routes |
| cent in the first quarter of this year compared to | | | | to the island. Ryanair, the Irish based low cost |
| last, and gives vindication to the Maltese hotels | | | | airline, were the first airline to win the right to fly |
| and holidays lobby who had urged the | | | | to Malta from the island's main markets for |
| government to allow low cost airlines to fly to the | | | | tourism of Ireland and the UK. |
| island. | | | | The first route launched has been running |
| The first three months of the year are | | | | between London's Luton Airport since November |
| traditionally the quietest for the Malta holidays | | | | 2006, while the Dublin route had its inaugural flight |
| industry, and is thought to reflect the year as a | | | | in March this year. Both routes have attracted |
| whole so far, with perhaps even a close to ten | | | | good seat occupancy levels, with tourist numbers |
| per cent increase in tourism overall for 2007 | | | | in Malta rising. |
| compared to 2006. | | | | The new route will run between Bremen in |
| The surprise among the statistics is where the | | | | Germany to Malta and will be a welcome addition |
| tourists have come from. Many people in the | | | | for Malta's attempt to attract more German |
| Malta holidays industry expected a big increase in | | | | tourists to the island. |
| visitors from the UK, but visitor numbers have | | | | As part of their offensive to retain current |
| remained static, as they have from Germany and | | | | passengers and to tempt new ones to use the |
| France. The increase in visitors came from Russia, | | | | airline, Air Malta are offering clients the opportunity |
| Sweden, Belgium and Italy. Good news comes not | | | | to book flights in advance for this winter with |
| only from the increase in tourist numbers, but | | | | prices starting from around 20 Euros (around US |
| also from the amount tourists spend while on the | | | | $25). |
| island - some ten per cent higher than 2006. | | | | If successful the extra tourists for Malta in her |
| Another airline has joined the race for the flight to | | | | off-peak months will be a welcome boost for the |
| Malta market, putting pressure on the low cost | | | | island's hotels and holiday trade, coming off the |
| airlines already operating to Malta to further | | | | back of a summer that could see the ten per |
| reduce their prices to stay ahead of their | | | | cent rise in arrivals compared to last year |
| competition, - all good news for consumers and | | | | achieved, building on the seven per cent already |
| the Malta hotels and holidays industry. | | | | reported for the first three months of 2007. |
| But unlike some of the airlines running operations | | | | Britain's favourite TV soap and the world's longest |
| to and from Malta, Click Air will be flew in the | | | | running drama, Coronation Street, is also playing a |
| peak holiday months of June to October, bringing | | | | part in boosting Malta, according to a UK based |
| in around 12,000 tourists to the island, a fraction | | | | Malta holidays guide. Aired in late July and early |
| of the estimated 200,000 tourists anticipated | | | | August, the soap ran a storyline of two of |
| during 2007 delivered by low cost airlines as a | | | | Coronation Street's characters taking a last |
| whole. | | | | minute holiday to the island. The episodes |
| Regular travellers to Malta have never had it so | | | | featured Eileen, played by Sue Cleaver and Steve, |
| good. Not only has their choice of airline and | | | | played by Simon Gregson initially in the capital |
| airports serving Malta widened considerably, but | | | | Valletta, before heading to a hotel by the |
| the perennial favourite of many business and | | | | Mediterranean. |
| holiday travellers, Air Malta, has fought back | | | | According to the Malta travel guide the number of |
| against the new low cost airlines with reduced | | | | visitors to the travel guide's internet site more |
| fares and offers of their own. | | | | than doubled on the evenings immediately after |
| In their traditional market of flights from the UK | | | | the episodes featuring Malta were screened |
| to Malta, the airline started a new route from | | | | compared to normal, and the overall impact is still |
| Liverpool's John Lennon airport in May this year, | | | | bringing benefits some months after the episodes |
| serving the north-west of England. | | | | were first shown. |
| The airline that first brought low cost airlines to | | | | |