In a recent report about the affect that cheap flights are having on European holiday destinations, http://www.ttglive.com comment that it’s playing a major part in attracting a new generation of holidaymakers to the island:

MALTA

This is another destination where no-frills airlines are expanding, challenging Air Malta. Ryanair and easyJet each have four UK routes, easyJet adding Liverpool for summer 2010. This expansion has boosted DIY operators such as Youtravel, which says it appeals to younger clients than those typically attracted to the islands:

The operator’s Liz Garfield says: “The swing towards a younger clientele is far more pronounced in the summer months. Music festivals, spas and revamped hotels are proving to be a great draw for young couples and families alike. The increase in the no-frills flights means Malta is a more flexible holiday option. It is now able to compete with the likes of Majorca in the short breaks market.”

Air Malta-owned Belleair claims the widest range of packages to the islands, with new offers including helicopter transfers from Malta airport to the island of Gozo. National sales manager Emma Yorke says: “We offer a comprehensive year-round programme selling flexible, value-for-money alternatives for every pocket and taste. We are an established brand and we pay agents commission on everything – including pre-bookable excursions.”

For flights to Malta visit http://www.yourmalta.com

Valletta Malta

Good news for Malta - ABTA - the Association of British Travel Agents - has chosen the island for their next annual conference.

Last year it was held in Tenerife.

Travel Weekly report:

The Malta Tourism Authority hopes ABTA’s decision to hold this year’s Travel Convention in the country will help reverse a fall in visitor numbers.

British arrivals fell by 8% last year to about 420,000, said Alex Incorvaja, the tourist board’s director for the UK and Ireland.

While the credit crunch and the pound’s fall against the euro both played a part in the downswing, he said hosting the convention would help boost the UK trade’s awareness of the Mediterranean destination.

Incorvaja added: “Just over 35% of all visitors are from the UK, and tour operators and travel agents represent a big chunk of that.”

About half of British arrivals book packages, but official GfK Ascent-MI statistics suggest Malta is not taking advantage of an increased demand for all-inclusive holidays and more flexible eight to 13-night durations, possibly due to a lack of airlift.

The convention will be held at the Hilton Malta Hotel at Portomaso St Julian’s near the island’s capital Valletta.

ABTA chairman John McEwan said: “The Malta Tourism Authority was extremely keen to host the ABTA convention; not only is it a lovely island but they have given us an extremely competitive package.”

The choice of Malta ends a four-year run of the convention being hosted by Spain.   It will be held on October 18-20 and is expected to attract 1,000 delegates, about a third of whom will be travel agents.

Sliema

Are you visiting Malta in March - and celebrating your birthday while on the island?

Good news - book into the Palace Hotel in Sliema - review at http://www.yourmalta.com/hotels - and they will give you dinner on the house on your birthday at their TemptAsian restaurant!

Even if it’s not your birthday when you visit for a holiday, the Palace in Sliema is well worth considering as your hotel as it does get good customer satisfaction rates.

A good article about the capital of Malta - Valletta - appeared recently in the Daily Telegraph.

They comment:

Elsewhere, in the sunshine of Republic Square, Caffè Cordino’s waitresses ferry cappuccino while an enthroned statue of Queen Victoria looks on impassively. At the rear of the square the 18th-century Bibliotheca’s vaulted, book-lined reading room resembles a forgotten film set. Here, among the entire written history of the Knights of St John, is Charles V’s Deed of Donation detailing the Maltese falcon lease.

Crossing Strait Street, I note that the crumbling naval bars and dance halls, once Malta’s Red Light district, are deserted. A little farther though, at the 18th-century Manoel Theatre on Old Theatre Street – where else? – Josette Portelli is showing a group of Spanish visitors around the tiered Neapolitan-style auditorium – I tag along.

“Our season runs from September to May. We’ve had all kinds of performers, from Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja to percussionist Evelyn Glennie, to the National Theatre and the Reduced Shakespeare Company, and soprano Tatiana Lisnic arrives late this month. We’re the oldest theatre in Malta and the third oldest in Europe.” I’d like to chat longer but have an appointment with a cannon.

Just before noon, I am at the Upper Barrakka Gardens, which overlook the Saluting Battery where at 12 o’clock sharp each day, 2lb of black powder is discharged from a British cannon – enough to produce a shocked smile on most faces. To read the full article click here

For more information about Malta, including Malta holidays visit http://www.yourmalta.com

The Yorkshire Evening Post have given a timely reminder about just how precarious buying a timeshare can be, reporting on a couple in Leeds who bought one in Malta and have seen the value plummet - and ending up paying a company thousands to market it for sale.

To read the article click here

For freehold Malta property visit maltaproperty.info

For a Tenerife map and the weather in Tenerife visit yourtenerife.net

Malta holiday news for the people of the UK counties of Hampshire and Dorset - their local airport is about to have flights to Malta - and at prices which will tempt many to take a holiday or short break as the flights are being operated by Europe’s most successful low cost airline.

With low cost flights it will boost the island’s tourism industry as more people decide to try a Malta holiday for the first time - or remember their last trip and decide to visit again.

With prices low it will encourage not only traditional week and fortnight holidays, but also three and four day breaks for those who might normally visit the Spanish Costas.

Ryanair pioneered cheap Malta flights a few years ago after a long battle with the authorities who seemed apparently entrenched in their ways, and protective to existing carriers.

It was only after quite a battle to win the right to fly to the island that airfares came down in line with much of the rest of Europe, bringing more holidaymakers and relief to the Malta holidays trade.

As well as Bournemouth, the airline offers cheap Malta flights from Bristol, Edinburgh, Leeds and Luton - and from Ireland has a service from Dublin.

Further helping the island’s economy Ryanair aren’t just flying to and from the UK and Ireland. In mainland Europe they have cheap Malta flights to and from Spain - Barcelona and Madrid - Pisa and Venice in Italy, and Stockholm in Sweden.

These flights from Spain, Italy and Scandanavia has helped Malta become more cosmopolitan, which in turn means visitors are more likely to visit from diverse destinations across Europe and not just from the UK. Helpful indeed to the island’s economy as it’s no longer reliant on just one country’s tourists to choose it from a multitude of other locations, especially when that country has been in a recession for two years and is only just beginning to emerge from it.

Holidays in Malta can now appeal to a wide range of people both from the UK and Europe, and with the cost now on par with a week in Spain there’s every reason to hope that the island will see a good number of holidaymakers visit for 2010.

More Malta holiday details are at http://www.yourmalta.com

Tourists often post comments about their holidays on facebook

Malta

As jobs get harder to hold onto, and for those with long term careers often finding more pressure today from their employers than ever before, finding a way to relax during time off has led to a surge in popularity for spa holidays.

And it’s not just employees who are heading for the spa – company directors and owners are feeling just as much if not pressure during the economic downturn, trying to keep their companies going and having to plan ahead in uncertain times.

For many a conventional holiday is not enough to completely relax, but they find a spa holiday lets their troubles float away, leaving them relaxed and better able to face the world when they return to work.

And Malta is fast becoming one of Europe’s top destinations for a spa holiday, with hotels specialising in the market, with facilities and fully trained staff to match who have worked in the Malta holidays industry.

Gone are the days when spa vacations were just for the rich and famous, they still take them, but theirs is an experience that the many can now enjoy, and not just the few.

With many Malta hotels offering the service, prices have fallen in real terms over the years.

Quite a few hotels now have spas and gyms as part of their facilities, but some of the Malta hotels are being recognised as specialists in the field, and it makes it easy to plan holidays in Malta around a spa hotel.

The Fortina Spa Resort in Silema for example is five star and offers a choice of over 200 treatments, designed to relax and soothe their guests.

The Fortina has been featured in UK newspapers and Sunday supplements and praised by travel journalists for its quality.

The old image of a spa holiday was a lettuce leaf for lunch – that’s all changed now, and The Fortina has first class cuisine, making sure the overall experience is as good as it gets.

With Malta flights coming down in price in recent years, other hotels are trying to match the Fortina’s reputation for excellence.

The Preluna Hotel & Spa is one example. Ideally located on the Sliema seafront, the Feelgood Wellness Spa is well within reach of the town’s amenities and offers natural beauty treatments and massage. It also has a well equipped fitness centre.

The Riviera Resort and Spa adapts its treatments to suit each client. It combines wellness, fitness, beauty and relaxation for the best experience possible. Reflexology, deep tissue massages, and hair and skin care are just a few of the treatments available.

Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz is another option where guests can enjoy one of the hotel’s four pools as they indulge in its luxury spa treatments. Aside from beauty treatments, it also offers Ayurveda and conventional massages. Yoga and Pilates sessions are also available.

To see how much a visit to any of these might cost check out Thomas Cook Holidays or visit http://www.yourmalta.com/hotels

More details about Malta with travel news and articles can be found at yourmalta.com and people who have been often report back on social media like twitter

After losing some of the British tourism trade in recent years, Malta has been successfully reversing the trend recently.

Malta has been a holiday destination for tourists from Germany, Italy, France, Holland and the UK for many years. In the past British tourists have always composed a high percentage of the overall tourist trade. But as coverage of Malta as a holiday destination dropped off in the British press, so did tourism.

The Malta tourist board stirred from complacency and woke up to realise that British holidaymakers have other choices other than a Malta holiday.

Action included awarding airport slots to some of the low priced airlines, like Ryanair and easyjet. In addition the official airline of Malta (Air Malta) began lowering its own fares and working with hotels to offer great package deals. And the cheap Malta flights started to work with Ryanair flying tens of thousands of extra holidaymakers to the island.

Because Malta is not just a holiday island, there is always something to do or see for those who do take a Malta holiday.

Tourists who are familiar with the island know that it is impossible to see and do everything in a week or even a month. With the multitude of sporting events and sports to participate in, the nightlife, movies, historical and cultural performances, concerts, sailing, rock climbing and hiking, the choices can be overwhelming.

Malta also boasts some of the most stunning beaches and scenery in all the Mediterranean. There is a lot to be said for spending lazy days on sandy beaches where the most strenuous activity may be choosing the right restaurant for dinner.

A Malta holiday can match any other Mediterranean island for both activity and relaxation.

Holidaymakers are not at all bound by the area in which they are staying. The public transport system is excellent and inexpensive. You will quickly find that you can traverse the island in less than an hour. If that intriguing sounding restaurant is not exactly just around the corner, it’s still very accessible.

Planning a Malta holiday very often does not include consideration of communication issues. The official language of Malta is Maltese, which most tourists probably do not know. Luckily for tourists, especially the British, Malta’s second language is English. Everyone speaks English. It may seem inconsequential, but anyone who has experienced difficulty in communicating knows how frustrating it can be.

British tourism seemed to be returning to Malta in 2007 to 2008. The world economic crisis threatened to wreck the progress as potential tourists all over the world had to rethink what was possible.

American tourists used to travelling abroad began to look closer to home or even stay home. Like the Maltese tourist industry, resorts and Malta hotels began to offer incredible package deals in order to fill rooms.

In Southern California some of the most sought after vacation venues are currently offering deals that make it hard to say no. First rate hotels and resorts in Monterey Bay, Carmel, Santa Cruz and San Diego are discounting their rates by as much as 50 percent. In addition to the luxury accommodation, tourists are a relatively short drive from places like Sea World, Disneyland, the Big Sur, Pebble Beach, Hearst Castle and even San Francisco.

The approach is not very different from the deals offered to bring British tourism back to Malta. Smart marketing and going the extra mile to bring tourists back goes a long way, recession or no recession.

For more details about Malta visit http://www.yourmalta.com  which has the latest holiday deals and travel news.

Malta holidays

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