| Britain's favourite TV soap and the world's | | | | increased visitor numbers for much longer, |
| longest running drama, Coronation Street, has | | | | overall Coronation Street featuring Malta |
| boosted interest in the island of Malta, | | | | will be enough for many millions of viewers |
| according to a UK based Malta holidays guide. | | | | in the UK to consider Malta as a holiday |
| | | | destination in the future, and the power of |
| Aired in late July and early August, the soap | | | | Coronation Street's appeal will outlast any |
| ran a storyline with two of Coronation | | | | tourist board television campaign because |
| Street's characters taking a last minute | | | | it's independent, and they portrayed Malta in |
| holiday to the island. The episodes featured | | | | a positive light.' |
| Eileen, played by Sue Cleaver and Steve, | | | | |
| played by Simon Gregson, initially in the | | | | Coronation Street was first aired in 1960, |
| capital Valletta, before heading to a hotel | | | | with just a few episodes planned, but has |
| by the Mediterranean. | | | | evolved to become the world's longest running |
| | | | soap. Viewing figures in the UK regularly top |
| Their arrival on Malta starts ominously as | | | | ten million viewers an episode, and as |
| the island's hotels are fully booked, but | | | | recently as April this year reached twelve |
| Steve manages to get a shared room after | | | | million. In addition to reaching Malta's |
| visiting the tourist office. | | | | prime UK market, additional benefit for the |
| | | | Malta holiday industry will come from Canada |
| 'Despite the difficulty in finding suitable | | | | and Australia, where the show is aired some |
| accommodation as Steve had booked last minute | | | | weeks after the UK. |
| flights but not a hotel, the episodes showing | | | | |
| Malta portrayed the island in a good light', | | | | The stories Coronation Street runs centre |
| according to a Malta travel guide. 'The | | | | around a fictional cobbled street in the |
| timing was good as the programmes ran at the | | | | north of England, a suburb of Manchester |
| peak of the holiday booking season, and with | | | | called Weatherfield, with a pub called the |
| millions of viewers it helps Malta to be | | | | Rovers Return at one end, and a corner shpo |
| considered along with British holiday | | | | at the other, with a row of terrace houses |
| favourites like Majorca not just for a summer | | | | between, setting for the home lives and |
| holiday but for the autumn and beyond too, | | | | dramas of the characters. |
| boosting Malta's holidays and hotels | | | | |
| industry'. | | | | Spread over the 47 years since Coronation |
| | | | Street first began, storylines have includes |
| The number of visitors to the travel guide's | | | | murders, teenage pregnancies and other issues |
| internet site more than doubled on the | | | | reflecting the real lives of British people |
| evenings immediately after the episodes | | | | living in a big city. |
| featuring Malta were screened compared to | | | | |
| normal, and the overall impact is still | | | | Famous actors and actresses who have appeared |
| bringing benefits. | | | | in the soap include Lord of the Rings actor |
| | | | Sir Ian McKellen, Norman Wisdom and perhaps |
| 'Even on the days between the programmes | | | | most unlikely of all Prince Charles, in the |
| being aired we were seeing a much higher | | | | 40th anniversary edition. Malta hotels and |
| volume of visitors than we normally get', | | | | holidays find themselves in the best of |
| they say, 'while we don't expect dramatically | | | | company! |