Malta

Some travel analysts suggest that Malta’s holiday industry was saved by the entry into the market of budget airlines, turning a worsening position just a few years ago to an island that has a vibrant tourism sector.

With higher airfares than competitors in the Mediterranean the number of holidays to Malta had been declining for some years, but eventually the authorities gave in to the inevitable and allowed Ryanair to start flights to Malta - and the island hasn’t looked back since.

Other airlines are now flying to the island’s Luqa Airport, including easyJet and bmi, from not just the main UK airports such as Gatwick, but Bournemouth, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle - with good news for holidaymakers in Northern Ireland that easyJet are to start a Belfast service soon.

The net result of the skies opening up to the budget airlines is a wider choice of Malta flights for tourists, with a choice of departure times and airport, and lower airfares.

And while the UK market is the biggest for her tourism industry, more visitors are coming from elsewhere as the airlines have opened new routes to the island from other European cities - diversifying the tourist mix, becoming less dependent on the UK, and increasing the net number of holidaymakers spending money in the hotels, shops and other holiday related businesses.

The new routes include Milan, Rome, Barcelona, Madrid, Marseille, Seville, Stockholm, Valencia and Venice - allowing Italian, Spanish, French and Swedish people to more readily consider Malta for a holiday destination.

All excellent news for the tourism industry. But it’s not just the lower fares that those taking a holiday are benefitting from, as Malta’s flag carrier is winning awards for excellence, while lowering their own fares to compete with the budget airlines.

In a recent satisfaction survey of passengers by the influential Which? consumer magazine in the UK, Air Malta was voted as one of the best, alongside Swiss Air, while the budget airlines were a lot less successful.

It’s quite a turnaround for the island’s national airline. Given that it’s a small country with a population of just over 400,000 people there were justifiable fears that the airline might go out of business as the low cost carriers cut fares. But Air Malta has not just competed well on fares but provided a service that other - much bigger - airlines cannot match.

Coupled with the good hotels Malta has, the island now appeals not just to those who want a traditional two week holiday in the Mediterranean, but also for those who want to visit for a long weekend. Spa hotels are a big attraction, and some of the Malta hotels have been winning awards for excellence in the last couple of years, all adding to her reputation among tourists in the UK and Europe.

The capital is Valletta, and the main villages where people take a Malta holiday are St Paul’s Bay, Mellieha and St Juilan’s. Mellieha has the best beach and a ot of people who take villas as opposed to staying in a hotel opt to stay here, with the Santa Maria Estate popular.

Another Malta blog is available at maltaproperty.info and often people post their own photographs of the island along with photographs on social media like facebook, myspace and twitter.

Tenerife Blog

Around the world holiday destinations often need something new to give it the appearance of keeping up with the times and having the travel press write about it, and Tenerife is no different from any other destination in that respect.

A new hotel will make waves as does a refurbished one, and a hotel that’s under new ownership.

All are cause for travel journalists to start booking their flights to Tenerife ready for a few days special treatment in exchange for a review in their respective media.

And so it is with Tenerife as new owners take over the 5 star San Blas Reserva Ambiental in the south of the island.

A spokesman for the new owners commented:

“The purchase of San Blas Reserva Ambiental Hotel is a wonderful addition to the Sandos Hotels & Resorts product line and offers and innovative holiday resort with a variety of spaces, facilities and activities designed to live up to all the expectations for vacation fun and relaxation as well as a unique experience for group and incentive travel.”

Commenting on the benefits of booking a stay at what could be one of the best Tenerife hotels they add:

”The San Blas Reserva Ambiental Hotel is situated in front of the magnificent Atlantic Ocean, just ten minutes from the Tenerife South Airport, and located on a natural Environmental Reserve. Unique on-site facilities include a multi-media center with an interactive museum to discover mysterious species and a historical experience tunnel that recreates the history of San Blas from prehistoric times to the modern day, a sailing lake and a 27-hole Biosphere Golf Course, and a boutique Spa facility with an extensive list of body treatments.”

So with a location close to the airport from where guests take their flights to Tenerife, what are the opinions of those who have stayed there recently and added their views to popular review sites? A typical response has been:

‘We had a perfect vacation at this wonderful planned hotel. Every detail has been thought through. Our room were large with a very nice seperate shower room (yes, it was that big!) and jacuzzi. The staff is very friendly and their personality always shines through. The breakfast buffet was soooo good. One evening we tried the buffet too. Usually I’m not to fond of hotel buffets, but the San Blas really surprised me here too. In the nearby fishing village there are a lot of lovely restaurants too. Overall I can only recommend San Blas, and will absolutely stay here when travelling to Tenerife again. This is a peaceful way to vacation away from usual the tourist traps.’

Other reviews from those staying there for their Tenerife holidays are also generous in their praise, with most commenting that the facilities, cleanliness and staff make it for them 4 or 5 star standard.

For more Tenerife information including a 5 day forecast with today’s Tenerife weather visit yourtenerife.net

They also have a map, villas and the latest news and articles to read.

About to book a holiday to Malta and wondering which airline to fly with?

A letter praising Air Malta appeared in the Malta Times yesterday and is worth reading - including the comments below the article from other readers about their Malta flights.

I have holidayed every year in Malta, bar one, since September 1979, and apart from two years have always flown with Air Malta, for many years more than once a year. So I think I am well equipped to comment on Air Malta.

I have just returned from Malta and was interested to read of the criticism about flight prices etc. on the web yesterday in the many letters regarding Ryanair.

Firstly, I have no financial or employee connection with Air Malta. I am merely a longstanding and loyal tourist to Malta but I am a Flypass member due to my frequent flying.

I live on the Isle of Man and, therefore, need to fly from here to the UK and then on to Malta and rarely do I now pay more than £125 for my return flight and this is not because I am a Flypass member.

I do not have to pay for meals, which for the most part are more than adequate, and I even get a free newspaper. I do not pay credit card charges, I do not pay for hold baggage or have weight or specific airline size restrictions on cabin luggage. I do not have to pay to go to the toilet, soft drinks are free on all scheduled flights and the cost of alcoholic drinks is very reasonable. I do not have to pay extra to choose my seat online. I can download my boarding card online or via mobile. Air Malta also advise either by web or mobile of the impending flight or indeed beforehand if there are any delays and confirm by mobile or the web at a time agreed by me of the departing flight. The web booking system is easy to understand as are the timetables, days of flights and prices for each flight on each day you may consider travelling, so it is possible to forecast times and prices before booking.

Add to that the fact that Air Malta flew when airlines like Ryanair cancelled flights in large numbers, not only during the recent ash crisis but also last January when the heavy snow and ice hit the UK - I know because I was flying both last December and January and got through to Manchester.

The staff at check-in desks both in Malta and Manchester, which is the UK airport I mostly use, are exemplary in their dealings.

Going back to cost, I note from my records that I first started to use flight only as against a package holiday in 2003 and the cost of Air Malta’s return flight was £247. It then varied depending on the time and date of flight up as high as £300, down to £177 in the following years but since 2004 the average price has dropped from about £252 to £101 in July 2008, £114 in October 2008, £94 in December 2008, and last April I paid £125. I am quite happy at future prices. I return in July!

I pay nearly £90 for a 45-minute Flybe flight from the Isle of Man to Manchester, no meals, limited cabin luggage size and weight etc. so maybe that puts it all into perspective as I can pay a lot more if I booked nearer to the departure date.

We had our own airline, Manx Airlines, and it was swallowed up by BA for a couple of years then they pulled out and now we have an assortment of airlines. We do not appreciate what we have until we do not have it, and if you lose Air Malta then you lose - big time.

To read the full article at the Times and to see the comments left click here

For Malta flights visit yourmalta.com - airlines and holiday companies who fly to Malta include Air Malta, Ryanair, easyJet, Thomson Holidays and Thomas Cook.

Here are some news stories and articles we have seen recently about Malta we think are good, and worth reading:

The first one concerns hotels in Malta, and how some of them might become all inclusive resorts for those thinking of taking their holidays in Malta

A number of hotels in the north are looking at the possibility of transforming their property into all-inclusive resorts, Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said this morning.

Addressing a press conference about an initiative bringing over 1,000 German travel agents to Malta for five weeks to promote the island, Dr De Marco said the government wanted to affirm its commitment to the German market, the second most important to the local market.

It had brought over 212,000 tourists in 1999 and although the numbers dropped to 128,000 in 2003, the market was again improving and 150,000 German tourists had visited Malta last year.

Dr de Marco said this winter saw…

To read more click through to the Times of Malta here

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The second article is a very good that appeared in The Daily Telegraph about the Fortina Spa, already one of the best Malta hotels

It might have been a three-day break, but the impact has lasted nearly three months… and counting. At the end, 4lb and an unimaginable number of inches had slipped off. Having made a decision to keep it off, after 10 weeks Spa Spy is a further five pounds lighter and determined to keep going.

To read the full article click here

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And the final article was in the Malta Independent, commenting on Malta flights

Ryanair believes that MIA costs are too high and it wants a substantial discount, accessible to all airlines, according to the volume of passengers carried. On the other hand, it also feels that where no growth is registered, there should be no support forthcoming.

Funds to seed the base and the new routes, Mr O’Toole insisted, could come from the existing market spend, since, according to him, present advertising is clearly not working.

MIA’s charges are equivalent to three times what it costs Ryanair to fly to Malta, Mr O’Toole contended – e25 per passenger against e7.

To read the full article click here

International recession has forced a major re-think of tourist numbers for most holiday destinations - and the island of Malta in the Mediterranean is no exception.

The number of holidays being taken in Malta - nearly always by Europeans - has increased impressively in the last three or four years, as low cost airlines have made the island more accessible.

But a new prediction of the fortunes of the Malta holidays industry for 2009 will make painful reading for those employed in the tourist industry, and by those businesses and individual entrepreneurs who have invested their time and money in the hope of serving a good number of tourists this year and beyond.

The travel company, who have internet sites for various locations around Europe including their resource for Malta, have seen when Malta was struggling to make an impact on the tourist industry transformed in recent years by the arrival of low cost flights, and the number of holidaymakers increase each year to set new records with cruise ship passenger arrivals as well as traditional holidaymakers making their way to the island by plane.

But they are predicting that the island’s visitor numbers could drop by as much as 20 per cent in 2009 - sending a chill down the spines of many of Malta’s business community involved in the Malta holidays industry and peripheral businesses such as bars and restaurants who have a mix of both local and international customers throughout the year.

Malta’s economy isn’t entirely dependent on tourism like some holiday islands, but it does form a good percentage of her GDP, and with a 20 per cent drop in visitor arrivals unemployment would be bound to rise in the coming months, and salaries for those involved in the travel industry frozen in all probability for 2010 as the island looked to recover.

Malta

‘The prediction we are making of a 20 per cent drop in holidaymakers to Malta this year is based upon our own figures comparing 2008 directly with 2009,’ commented YourMalta.com recently. ‘These figures will undoubtedly surprise many in the travel industry who are forecasting a lower drop in the number of Malta holidays being taken this year, but we think if hotels and Malta flights bookings are refelected in what we are experiencing the prediction could be an accurate one.’

One saving grace could be that people thinking of booking holidays to Malta are returning time and again to the travel site before making a decision - perhaps indicating that potential tourists are being more careful than usual this year and are checking regularly to see if there are any bargain holidays in Malta to be had, with tour operators offering good deals on both vacations and flights to Malta.

Britain is a very important market for Malta holidays, and adding to the island’s problems in attracting the British visitor because of their own economic woes is that the pound is weak against the Euro, making Malta holidays more expensive than in previous years, with those Brits who are taking an overseas holiday often opting to take a holiday outside the Eurozone in locations like Egypt, Morocco or Turkey.

But Malta does have one important travel resource going for it that could mean those booking last minute holidays and putting together their own package of flights and hotels together - regular cheap flights to Malta from not only the UK but other European airports too.

Malta held out against the low cost carriers for some and it was only in the last few years that they were finally allowed to fly to Malta - and the turnaround in Malta’s fortunes as a holidays destination was as quick as Malta was slow to see the tourism potential that low cost flights gives a destination. The hotels in Malta have been thriving with some of the spa hotels regularly featured in the European press as among the best in Europe, boosting further the number of people visiting Malta for a break.

With Malta’s hotels providing first class service, the travel site hope the end of year figures show a different story!

Mediterranean holiday areas are facing a pretty grim summer this year, as holidaymakers decide to stay closer to home or not to holiday at all in some cases as the recession takes hold, and any good news is warmly welcomed with the hope that their area isn’t going to be as badly affected as others.

And Malta has received a boost recently with the announcement that a no frills airline is going to start offering flights to Malta from the North-East of England from April throughout the key tourist months.

The new easyJet flights to Malta will operate twice a week, on a Monday and Friday. Commenting on the news a leading Malta holidays travel site said:

‘More flights to Malta from the UK is good enough news in itself, but the way the airline has positioned its flight days is good too, for both those who want a weekend holiday in Malta, and for those who want three or four days instead f the traditional week or fortnight’s holiday - the flights offer those living in the North-east of England a great opportunity to discover Malta if they haven’t visited before.’

For Newcastle airport a spokesman added that the budget airline’s ‘decision to add Malta to its list of low-cost destinations from Newcastle is great news for 2009. Choice, price and convenience are extremely important for our customers and this new scheduled service will offer holidaymakers the option of putting together their own package to this beautiful island, taking advantage of the excellent low-fares they have put on sale. Malta has always been a very popular destination with North East passengers and we are sure there will be strong demand for this new service.’

For those holidaymakers who do decide to make a trip to Malta, they will find Malta offers a great climate, and one of the highest levels of sunshine in Europe. It has become a popular spot with families. There are a number of resorts and beaches to suit just about anyone regardless of income levels. There are numerous bars, clubs and restaurants, where you can mingle with the locals and unwind. Malta makes a great weekend getaway, with lots to see and do before the three-hour trip back to the U.K.

People taking holidays in Malta seems to have been increasing in recent years - one report shows that the number of passengers taking flights in the EU rose by 7 per cent in 2008, but Malta’s rise was over 10 per cent, showing the island wasn’t increasing arrivals just because the number of holidays before the recession kicked in was rising anyway - Malta got more than her share of the holidays taken in the EU countries.

Altogether Malta had 2,900,000 passengers arrive at Luqa Airport in 2008, with just 300,000 of those originating from outside the EU’s 27 member countries, so Malta does seem a very European destination.

Malta offers many activities for tourists, no matter what time of year they visit for their holidays in Malta. Boating, cycling, snorkeling, diving, horseback riding and golf are some of the most popular activities enjoyed by tourists.

If you like history you will like what Malta has to offer, and whole holidays in Malta can be based on her history. Here you will find remnants of the earliest civilizations. Many make this a holidays destination in order to see the Neolithic Temples. These magnificent structures are a true achievement unparalleled. The gravity of the magnificence can only be appreciated after the realization that the 20 ton blocks used to create the temples had to be moved around the rocky landscape of the island.

Wherever you go you will find something wonderful to see. The ruggedly beautiful coastline of Malta offers some fantastic views. Malta is an island of culture and history but with the incredible beaches and secluded coves it can be a romantic setting for a honeymoon or a great place to simply get away from it all.

One of the most popular diving destinations on Gozo, one of the islands of Malta, is a place called ‘The Inland Sea.’ This natural lagoon is completely natural and made from a very narrow arc. This arc is within the island of Gozo. This is regarded as a natural tunnel resulting from a fault in the surrounding limestone rock. Many tourists are amazed to learn the Inland Sea was one of Jacques Cousteau’s ‘Top 10′ diving locations.

And Malta will be hoping that people in the North-East of England will be putting holidays in Malta in their top ten too to ensure future visits to Malta.

Even though the recession has started to hit the travel industry, Malta seems well placed to weather the storm as budget airlines continue to offer low cost flights to the holiday island.

While the number of visitors to Malta is expected to drop in 2009, it could well be less than comparable islands in the Mediterranean such as Cyprus.

The number of passengers taking flights in the EU rose by 7 per cent in 2008, but Malta’s rise was over 10 per cent, showing the island wasn’t increasing arrivals just because the number of holidays before the recession kicked in was rising anyway - Malta got more than her share of the holidays taken in the EU countries.

Altogether Malta had 2,900,000 passengers arrive at Luqa Airport in 2008, with just 300,000 of those originating from outside the EU’s 27 member countries.

Britain has been historically Malta’s biggest market due to the military presence up until the 1970’s with many British servicemen and women liking the island to make return flights to Malta at their own expense for holidays when back in civilain life.

Getting to Malta is now an easy thing for the average British national. A trip to Malta from the U.K. is a three hour flight. Gone are the days when it was just Malta’s national airline offering expensive flights to Malta from just a handful of airports - low cost airlines have transformed Malta from an island with a dying holidays trade saddled with an awful national airline and clueless tourist bureaucracy to a thriving holidays and hotels industry.

Malta offers a great climate, and one of the highest levels of sunshine in Europe. It has become a popular spot with families who love the weather in Malta. There are a number of resorts and beaches to suit just about anyone regardless of income levels. There are numerous bars, clubs and restaurants, where you can mingle with the locals and unwind. Malta makes a great weekend getaway thanks to the budget airlines making flights to Malta affordable, with lots to see and do before the three-hour trip back to the U.K.

Malta

If you like history you will love visiting Malta! On the island you’ll find remnants of the earliest civilizations. Many study a Malta map and make this a holidays destination in order to see the Neolithic Temples. These magnificent structures are a true achievement unparalleled. The gravity of the magnificence can only be appreciated after the realization that the 20 ton blocks used to create the temples had to be moved around the rocky landscape of the island.

For a taste of the more modern side of the St. Paul’s Bay region, there is the seafront at Bugibba, the hub of nightlife in the area. Here, there are a selection of trendy boutiques and restaurants. When the sun sets, Malta can go down market as well as up market and there are karaoke bars in Bugibba, but there is also the casino and a cinema.

Portomaso is a waterfront development that has luxury accommodation, clubs and exciting activities. The primary goal of the developers of Portomaso was to become one of the most prestigious locations in all of Malta and the Mediterranean. Most attractions in the Portomaso area include activities for children as well as for adults.

The Portomaso Marina is a relatively small marina dedicated to the ultimate convenience and pleasure of the boaters docked there. Since 1999, the marina, comprised of three basins, has provided a safe haven for boats of varying sizes. The south and west basins accommodate sailboats and motorboats up to 52 feet long. The south basin has space to accommodate 45 boats, and the west basin accommodates up to 60 boats. The north basin primarily accommodates small watercraft. However, larger boats and yachts may be docked on the quayside at the inner fairway. The marina provides around-the-clock security, pump facilities and hot and cold showers for yacht owners’ convenience.

Whether it’s the modern or the past that attracts visitors to Malta, with lower cost flights to Malta now available the island looks forward to welcoming tourists in 2009.

The Daily Mirror has run a story about Air Malta.

To see the Daily Mirror’s site click through to

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/01/26/air-malta-pilot-pilot-s-niece-in-9-11-breach-exclusive-115875-21071676/

flights to Malta

At the risk of incurring the wrath of Air Malta again, we venture back into the world of low cost airlines and consider how they have helped people see more of the world…

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Everyone loves a bargain, and holidaymakers are no exception - this can be seen in the impact of low cost airfares on travelling in Europe.

The first major impact is the rise in short haul travel and vacations. Many of these are three-day holidays, mostly over the weekend or one or two-day public or state holidays. As airfares become lower, there is no need to justify going overseas for a short stay. People are travelling to a famous museum one day and the beach and back home.

Why Short Haul Trips are So Popular

Apart from cost, short haul travel is gaining popularity as more people prefer to stay close to home. This can be for many reasons, including wanting to stay close to family and children, or the necessity of being close to work in case of an emergency. The changing face of personal commitments has also impacted the way in which people travel. Business owners often prefer to stay close because of the demands of their enterprise. The popularity of short haul vacations could also be due to trepidations about making long trips to faraway destinations. In the post 9-11 context some holidaymakers in the US eschew faraway destinations in favour of new experiences closer to home.

Apart from pleasure, some short haul, low airfare trips are for medical or business reasons. The average traveller usually can’t afford the spontaneity of just jetting off somewhere just for the fun of it or to look up an old friend. With travel agencies offering more group and family packages, this is possible. Popular outdoor activities like hiking and white water rafting also attract groups and families who are seeking more value for shrinking budgets.

The UK to Malta in a Weekend

Visiting the island of Malta is now an easy thing for British tourists. Flights to Malta from London takes around three hours. Ryanair chartered the way for low cost fares to Malta from the UK and Ireland, with easyJet following later - Malta resisted budget airlines for some time, but with visitor numbers dropping year on year and British travel companies rumoured to be considering droppping Malta holidays from their brochures, the island had two choices:

Maintain the status quo with the existing airlines who had failed the island’s holiday industry with high fares and a poor service for years, and manage the decline of Malta from a mainstream holidays destination to niche travel status…

…or embrace the likes of Ryanair who could deliver far more tourists than the established airlines and bring the cost of airline fares from the UK and Ireland on a par with flights to Spain.

Malta reluctantly opted for Ryanair, and the exisiting airlines dragged themselves kicking and screaming into the 21st century by improving their own services, cutting costs and fares, and opening new routes such as Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport. Without the competition the exisiting Malta airlines would surely now be flying to and from a tourist destination relegated to Europe’s second division of holiday destinations.

Malta offers a great climate, and one of the highest levels of sunshine in Europe. It has become a popular spot with families. There are a number of resorts and beaches to suit just about anyone regardless of income levels. There are numerous bars, clubs and restaurants, where you can mingle with the locals and unwind. Malta makes a great weekend getaway, with lots to see and do before the three-hour trip back to the U.K.

Short Haul Travel in the USA

Not only is the reduction of airfares being felt in Europe, but even across the pond in the USA. More Americans than ever before are vacationing close to home. Short haul travel with its much lower airfare is reaping rewards as visitors tour other states.

States such as California and Texas have invested a great deal of money into promoting its tourism inside the US. One TV ad for tourism in California features Governor and former actor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Hollywood icon Clint Eastwood. Capitalising on this current trend, many businesses in the tourism sector have changed how they promote and package their products. Many now target visitors and groups from other states, offering discounts for groups of a certain size.

Simply put, many Americans want to discover their own country. Famous landmarks like the Grand Canyon continue to draw large numbers of visitors. National parks and attractions such as Universal Studios theme park also receive large numbers of visitors from inside the US. Lower airfares have made Canada and Mexico even more attractive to Americans seeking a weekend get-away.

More Americans are also renting trailer homes to drive cross country and visit well known landmarks. Bed and breakfasts offer cost-effective options for travellers working with a budget. Some popular destinations in the US include Las Vegas, Honolulu and Orlando. As states continue to pump money into the advertising machinery, it is unlikely this trend will slow anytime soon.

Even when the global economy recovers, short haul trips will continue to be popular, especially if airfares remain low. We can expect to see rather diverse offerings, including golfing, spa packages and historical site tours. It is quite possible that the three-day holiday may become the break of choice for many tourists who seek a little respite from everyday stresses of the factory or office.