ISSUE
07 November 2016
this issue P&O to Malta home port cruise liner next year P3 KM to operate ‘over 100 flights’ a week in winter P3 NCL returns to Malta after eight year break P14 Malta pens agreement for Chinese visitors P15 Insolvency fund set up P15 Data bank P5
Malta to welcome more than 2mn tourists in 2017 St Julian’s J Speaking at the 73rd general assembly of Hotrec, held at the Hilton Malta at the end of October, tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis says tourist arrivals to Malta in 2017 have been estimated at five times the country’s population. R With a current population of 420,600, that means Malta may expect 2,103,000 visitors next year – if the pundits are right. R According to Island Travel Trader’s calculations, meanwhile, the islands are expected to welcome 1,945,779 tourists by year’s end, up 8% on 2015’s 1,791,422 visitors (see Market outlook and trends 2016 on page 8). R If projections are correct, arrivals will have to increase by another 8% next year – or an additional 156,221tourists – over 2016 estimates. R Put yet another way, the Maltese islands will have to host 175,250 visitors a month to reach Zammit Lewis’s projected target figure of 2.1mn.
38kts it will complete the 97kms crossing from Valletta to Pozzallo, berth to berth, in around 90 minutes. R For Virtu Ferries this new vessel will provide a significant increase in capacity, offering 43% more truck capacity, 15% more passenger capacity and 7% more car capacity. Put another way, it will be able to carry 23 heavy commercial trailers, equivalent to 490 truck lane metres or 167 cars. R The vessel will incorporate a three class interior (VIP, business and economy) with a total of 1,134 seats of which 996 seats will be inside and 138 outdoor. R In announcing the purchase Virtu Ferries chairman Francis Portelli says: “We simply want to provide our passengers and freight operators with the highest levels of service, reliability and comfort, yet at the same time operate an economical and environmentally sustainable high speed service”. R Virtu Ferries has been operating high speed catamarans for 28 years and, apart from their core Malta-Sicily route, operate ferries between Venice and Adriatic ports in Croatia and Slovenia as well as between Tarifa, Spain, and Tangier in Morocco.
Upgraded Phoenicia to reopen in January
Virtu order €75mn ‘wavepiercer’ catamaran Ta’ Xbiex J Virtu Ferries has contracted Incat Tasmania to design and build a 110m RoPax ferry at a cost of €75mn. R The high speed ‘wavepiercer’ passenger-cum-vehicle catamaran (above), to be used on the Malta-Sicily route will start to be built in early 2017 with delivery scheduled at the end of 2018. The ferry will be registered in Valletta and fly the Maltese flag. R At 1,000dwt, the vessel will be the largest high speed catamaran in the Mediterranean – and the second largest in the world – and with a service speed of up to Published 26 October 2016
Phoenicia: New look accommodations from 2017 Floriana J The Phoenicia, rebranded The Phoenicia Malta earlier this year, is due to reopen in January following a major refurbishment. R The five star property closed on 14 November 2015 for what was supposed to have been a five months, €15mn upgrade (see €15mn upgrade for Phoenicia, Island Travel Trader #1, page 3). R “During the renovation”, reads a press release issued Continued on column 1, page 2
Wall holds up hotel Continued from page 1 in August by new managers CampbellGray Hotels, “the discovery of a potentially ancient section of the bastion wall resulted in a short delay to works while the area was sensitively examined. Happily, this has now been resolved and the opening is back on track, with the hotel welcoming its first guests in January”. R When it reopens, the hotel will boast a complete refurbishment and upgrading of all its 136 rooms, a new outdoor infinity pool overlooking the harbour and a relandscaping of the property’s grounds and terraces. R The ballroom will also be refurbished, the Phoenicia’s classic façade will be restored and balconies will be added to rooms on the fourth floor. R A new health club and spa offering eight treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art gym and an indoor swimming pool will also be unveiled. R Gordon Campbell Gray (right), founder of London-based CampbellGray Hotels says “the Phoenicia has long been regarded as the grande dame hotel of Malta and, when the opportunity arose to take over this classic property, I jumped at the chance. R “Our aim has been to restore the Phoenicia to its original grandeur, yet implement improvements that will appeal to a discerning modern-day guest. We are excited about revealing the new-look Phoenicia this winter”.
A4E calls on EU bosses to act against ATC strikes Brussels J Since 2010, there have been 217 air traffic control strike days in the EU – equivalent to almost one month of strikes every year. R In total, there have been 278 disrupted days until 30 September this year, accounting the days before and after an ATC strike as flights had to be cancelled proactively in advance and accumulated delays
spilt over to the next day. action to ensure its reputation is R Across the EU, ATC strikes occur not damaged, jobs are not affectmost frequently in France, followed ed and the daily life of Europeans by Greece, Italy and Portugal and is not impacted by this repeated resulted in 35,000 cancellations and action”, says Thomas Reynaert, more than 7mn minutes of delay managing director of A4E. among Airlines for Europe member R In early October, European (A4E) carriers (see New European holidaymakers witnessed a new airline association takes-off, Island phenomenon when a strike was Travel Trader #4, page 2). again called off at the last minute. R Europe’s tourism industry is the Thousands of passengers still saw first victim of air their travel plans traffic controllers’ Malta, no strikes in 21 years disrupted when strikes, with damairlines had to J The last time Malta’s air traffic ages amounting cancel more than to around €7.3bn. controllers went on strike was for 100 flights to and 24 hours on 28 February 1995, in Interestingly, from Greece, protest against not being allowed to even though the some countries form a professional association. in which ATC planned four-day R Until then they formed part of strikes have ocstrike was called curred rely signif- the armed forces, and permission to off at the very icantly on travel form an organisation was denied. last minute as the R However, following their oneand tourism. notice provided R “These figures day action – that closed both the did not allow the airport and the Malta flight inforare shocking. airlines to reinSince 2010, 2.5mn mation region – the government re- state all cancelled passengers have lented and rapidly gave controllers flights. seen their travel the nod and the Malta Air Traffic R “Airlines need plans spoiled by Controllers’ Association was estab- to be able to plan lished. the disproporahead to reduce tionate industrial the impact on action undertaken by a group of passengers. They did their utmost 15,000 air traffic controllers. 2016 to reinstate flights but the damage will be a record year for airlines – was done and cancellations could unfortunately, just in terms of ATC not be avoided anymore. It is unacstrikes. There have been 22 sepaceptable that air traffic controllers rate strikes in Europe, encompassare infringing people’s rights again ing 41 days of strike, and 55 days of and again”, Reynaert adds. disruption. R “A4E has repeatedly called R If Europe wants to create jobs on European authorities to take Continued on column 1, page 3 and be competitive it should take 2
Open skies petition Continued from page 2 immediate action to protect the rights of European travellers. We are launching Keep Europe’s Skies open – a petition where consumers can unite and let out their frustration about the continuous travel disruptions. A4E members will promote this petition via their social media and passenger information channels. We intend to present this petition in Brussels to urge the EU Commission and the EU parliament to finally take action. The reputation of Europe is under threat”, concludes Reynaert.
P&O to Malta home port cruise liner next year Valletta J P&O’s 77,499dwt Oceana liner will home port in Valletta for the 2017/18 cruise seasons. R P&O, owned by the Carnival Corporation, is planning 27 weekly fly and cruise programmes from the UK to Malta next year, with an expected through flow of some 100,000 passengers. R The cruise line, the world’s oldest, is offering seven and 14 nights cruises to both the western and eastern Mediterranean, with a leadin price of £1,029pp (€1,147pp) for a seven-nighter in April. R “We are delighted that P&O’s ‘love affair’ with Malta, which started in 1837, when Peninsular Steam Navigation Co, which start-
ed as a mail service from London to Malta, has now blossomed to a turnaround operation which will start next year to coincide nicely with the 180th anniversary since P&O started calling in Malta”, says Ivan Mifsud, managing director of Mifsud Brothers – P&O’s Malta port agent. R Tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis, meantime, says ‘‘it is primarily thanks to such initiatives that Malta’s cruise sector has been successfully evolving and growing from one which was exclusively a port-of-call, to one which now includes home porting that benefits the Maltese tourism industry in various ways.
Air Malta to operate ‘over 100’ flights a week in winter Luqa J Air Malta has just introduced its winter schedule, connecting Malta to 18 key European cities. The winter schedule runs up to end of March, 2017. R “This winter we plan to operate over 100 weekly flights and carry over half a million passengers to and from Malta”, says Ursula Silling, KM’s chief commercial officer. R “Northern European customers can enjoy the Maltese winter sun with just a short non-stop flight. Our winter schedule will offer the best connections and services to major European gateways”, she comments.
R “…We have worked on some interesting frequency increases this winter on Catania, Brussels, Munich, Berlin and Vienna. We will also retain the new twice weekly service to Palermo, introduced this summer”, adds Silling. R This winter KM will be operating to Catania with a twice daily service. It will be also be increasing flights to Brussels to 11 a week, Munich with nine weekly frequencies and to Vienna with four flights a week. And the German capital, Berlin, will see an increase of up to three flights per week. R Additionally, Air Malta will be operating direct flights to: Amsterdam, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, London (Gatwick and Heathrow), Manchester, Milan, Moscow, Paris (CDG and Orly), Rome and Zurich.
Vella gets UNWTO responsibilities Valletta
J Hot on the heels of his April appointment as vice president of the European Travel Commission, Leslie Vella has now been named Malta’s liaison officer to the UNWTO. R Vella, 52, who is the MTA’s deputy CEO and chief officer strategic development, is now also responsible for coordinating Malta’s relationship with the UN agency “in the various areas of its operation ranging from statistics to sustainable development, human resource development to communication and crisis management besides active participation in fora such as the UNWTO Commission for Europe and its General Assembly”.
Global tourism resilient to terrorism and turmoil
P&O: Malta sails to Malta in 1911, in 2017 Malta will home Oceana
London J Global travel and tourism continues to register strong growth despite challenges from terrorism, political turmoil, global economic developments and the Brexit decision, according to research by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Continued on column 1, page 4 3
Euro tourism to grow 2.2% Continued from page 3 R The update of WTTC’s Economic Impact Reports 2016 shows that, despite the many challenges travel and tourism have faced in the first six months of the year, the sector is still expected to grow by 3.1%, outpacing global economic growth forecast at 2.3%. R The regional outlook for direct travel and tourism GDP in 2016 shows that: • South Asia leads the growth at 5.9%, driven by strong economic prospects in India.
Worst performer: driven by Brazil • Latin America will be the worst performer, with an anticipated decline of 0.9%, driven by weakness in Brazil. • North east Asia and south east Asia are expected to show solid growth at 4.7% and 4% respectively, stimulated by China growing at 6.3%. • North America will perform well, with forecast growth of 3.1%. • Europe will be challenged by lower visitor spend, but will still grow by 2.2%. • R While the global picture remains positive, the outlook for some countries has deteriorated since WTTC’s last forecast in March 2016: • In France, the sector’s direct contribution to GDP is still grow-
ing, but the forecast has been reduced from 2.9% to 1.1%, due to macro-economic downgrades in other European countries, and compounded by recent incidents in the country, including the atrocity in Nice. • In Turkey, growth in travel and tourism’s direct contribution to GDP has been reduced further from -0.2% to -3.2%, due to the spate of terror attacks, the diplomatic dispute with Russia, the failed coup and proximity to the Syrian conflict. • In Brazil, the sector is still expected to contract, despite the positive effect of the Olympics. Growth has been downgraded from -0.9% to -1.6%, as a result of the political turmoil and weak macro-economic performance. R The report includes a focus on the impact of the Brexit decision. This shows that travel and tourism in the UK is expected to hold up well in 2016, with growth of 3.6%. R Weaker domestic spending growth, and a projected drop in UK outbound holidays of 3%, will be offset by higher spending in the UK by international visitors as a result of the favourable exchange rate. R David Scowsill, president and CEO of the WTTC, says: “Our update report highlights the resilience of travellers and the robustness of our sector, as tourism continues to outpace global economic growth by nearly 1%. Whilst we should not downplay the impact of incidents or turmoil at individual country level, on a macro-economic level we continue to register strong growth.
2018 declared EU-China tourism year Brussels J 2018 has been designated as the EU-China Year for Tourism, as announced by Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission and Li Keqiang, premier of China. R “The EU-China Tourism Year is a great opportunity for the European tourism industry to explore the Chinese market, but also learn how to attract Chinese visitors and
offer them the best experience”, says Eduardo Santander, European Travel Commission executive director. R China is the world’s largest travel market in terms of both outbound travel and expenditure. Lately, European destinations have strengthened their position in this market, attaining 10.1mn Chinese visitors in 2015, accounting for 13% of all outbound travel from China. R A first meeting with EU tourism stakeholders on the 2018 EU-China Tourism Year programme took place at ETC headquarters in Brussels in September, while a discussion with a high level Chinese delegation was held at the end of October 2016 in Beijing.
Azure Ultra offer floating B&B
Mio Amore: Staycation afloat Vittoriosa J What do you do with your luxury yacht when the summer sailing season is over? You turn it into a floating B&B. R And that’s what Azure Ultra is doing with its upscale Sunseeker yachts (see Azure Ultra, charter luxury on the high sea, Island Travel Trader #5, page 5). R Starting at €250 per night for two people, the ‘staycation’ price includes overnight accommodation aboard the 20m Mio Amore or the 18.6m Don’t Ask plus a lavish breakfast. R This “exclusive B&B experience” is available from November until mid-December and throughout February and March 2017. R The company’s three yachts are also available for “private sundowner charters with a group of friends”. R If you fancy being rocked to sleep by the sea, call 23561839 to book. 4
Data bank Comments on tables J All raw data in Data bank, and elsewhere in Island Travel Trader, are sourced from the Central Bank of Malta (CBM), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), Malta International Airport (MIA), the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE), the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), the Ministry for Finance and the National Statistics Office (NSO) - unless otherwise credited. J NSO data may differ for some months due to rounding, see Arrivals by gender. J All statistics are based on tourist arrivals; that is, they exclude cruise passengers that overnight in Malta, see Aggregate international arrivals.
International arrivals 2016 Market
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Totals % share
Austria 534 947 2,330 2,338 2,449 2,488 3,795 2,249 17,128 1.31 Belgium 1,313 1,282 1,932 4,019 4,563 3,409 4,469 3,848 24,836 1.90 France 3,772 5,497 6,444 16,832 16,906 14,947 15,601 20,815 100,813 7.70 Germany 7,895 7,729 11,346 13,381 17,603 12,007 11,152 16,364 97,477 7.45 Ireland 1,563 1,358 2,571 2,970 3,815 3,358 3,543 3,413 22,591 1.73 Italy 17,470 14,531 18,979 25,284 24,657 28,338 35,799 50,845 215,903 16.50 Libya 247 228 176 339 363 254 121 393 2,122 0.16 Netherlands 1,357 1,369 2,097 3,616 7,373 4,910 6,761 8,618 36,101 2.76 Nordic region* 3,104 3,372 6,984 10,940 14,179 13,542 17,801 13,501 83,423 6.38 Russia 1,480 461 832 1,050 2,167 1,081 2,683 1,393 11,147 0.85 Spain 2,445 1,533 3,028 3,757 4,101 5,192 8,480 10,088 38,624 2.95 Switzerland 778 1,083 1,340 3,031 3,856 3,601 5,604 5,799 25,091 1.92 UK 23,241 26,800 36,993 47,465 51,025 58,609 58,277 68,635 371,044 28.36 US 847 1,180 1,872 2,224 2,525 2,820 3,433 2,788 17,689 1.35 Others 18,772 13,635 18,591 27,638 35,006 38,482 47,822 44,581 244,528 18.69 Totals 84,818 81,004 115,516 164,884 190,586 193,038 225,339 253,330 1,308,516 100.00 2015 74,280 74,516 101,771 151,922 177,204 183,764 206,627 246,485 192,550 196,692 113,042 72,569 1,791,422 Difference 10,538 6,488 13,745 12,962 13,382 9,274 18,712 6,845 * Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
Aggregate international arrivals 2016 Arrivals
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Totals % share
Tourists 84,817 81,005 115,519 164,885 190,586 193,038 225,339 253,330 1,308,519 99.02 Cruise pax overnighting 622 381 0 1,367 1,381 1,482 4,332 3,452 13,017 0.98 Totals 85,439 81,386 115,519 166,252 191,967 194,520 229,671 256,782 1,321,536 100.00 2015 74,280 74,516 101,771 153,564 177,896 187,616 207,542 248,284 194,189 199,937 115,105 72,568 1,807,268 Difference 11,159 6,870 13,748 12,688 14,071 6,904 22,129 8,498
Mode of travel 2016 Mode
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Totals % share
Air 82,214 78,338 112,143 160,272 186,639 188,578 220,503 247,492 1,276,179 97.53 Sea 2,603 2,667 3,376 4,613 3,947 4,460 4,836 5,838 32,340 2.47 Totals 84,817 81,005 115,519 164,885 190,586 193,038 225,339 253,330 1,308,519 100.00
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Data bank Monthly arrivals comparison Jan Feb Mar Apr Market 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Austria 1,305 534 -59.08 947 1,962 2,330 18.76 3,332 2,338 -29.84 Belgium 1,167 1,313 12.51 1,282 1,915 1,932 0.91 3,843 4,019 4.59 France 5,074 3,772 -25.66 4,983 5,497 10.31 6,908 6,444 -6.72 11,944 16,832 40.92 Germany 7,456 7,895 5.89 7,120 7,729 8.55 10,037 11,346 13.04 14,920 13,381 -10.31 Ireland 1,782 1,563 -12.29 1,358 1,902 2,571 35.19 3,189 2,970 -6.87 Italy 13,695 17,470 27.56 13,547 14,531 7.26 19,492 18,979 -2.63 23,755 25,284 6.44 Libya 247 228 474 176 -62.87 766 339 -55.74 Netherlands 1,427 1,357 -4.91 1,369 1,665 2,097 25.95 3,212 3,616 12.58 Nordic region* 2,464 3,104 25.97 2,918 3,372 15.56 3,567 6,984 95.80 9,400 10,940 16.38 Russia 1,480 461 543 832 53.27 982 1,050 6.97 Spain 2,445 1,533 1,423 3,028 112.77 4,862 3,757 -22.72 Switzerland 1,422 778 -45.29 1,083 1,774 1,340 -24.49 3,134 3,031 -3.30 UK 21,306 23,241 9.08 24,161 26,800 10.92 31,950 36,993 15.78 44,619 47,465 6.38 US 1,203 847 -29.59 1,180 1,371 1,872 36.56 1,616 2,224 37.61 Others 15,979 18,772 17.48 21,787 13,635 -37.42 16,788 18,591 10.74 22,348 27,638 23.67 Totals 74,280 84,818 14.19 74,516 81,004 8.71 101,771 115,516 13.51 151,922 164,884 8.53 May Jun Jul Aug Market 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Austria 4,032 2,449 -39.27 2,653 2,488 -6.24 2,753 3,795 37.84 3,911 2,249 -42.51 Belgium 4,255 4,563 7.24 4,062 3,409 -16.07 4,436 4,469 0.74 4,483 3,848 -14.17 France 18,606 16,906 -9.14 12,983 14,947 15.13 13,561 15,601 15.04 20,331 20,815 2.38 Germany 12,222 17,603 44.03 12,409 12,007 -3.24 10,151 11,152 9.86 15,892 16,364 2.97 Ireland 3,480 3,815 9.62 4,995 3,358 -32.76 3,479 3,543 1.83 4,034 3,413 -15.38 Italy 25,814 24,657 -4.48 28,712 28,338 -1.30 32,998 35,799 8.49 51,171 50,845 -0.64 Libya 290 363 25.17 962 254 -73.57 680 121 -82.21 764 393 -48.52 Netherlands 6,627 7,373 11.25 4,522 4,910 8.58 5,821 6,761 16.14 7,300 8,618 18.06 Nordic region* 13,738 14,179 3.21 12,733 13,542 6.35 18,223 17,801 -2.31 14,153 13,501 -4.61 Russia 1,776 2,167 22.00 2,872 1,081 -62.37 4,077 2,683 -34.19 3,762 1,393 -62.97 Spain 4,124 4,101 -0.55 4,557 5,192 13.94 6,486 8,480 30.74 9,391 10,088 7.42 Switzerland 3,517 3,856 9.65 2,689 3,601 33.92 5,796 5,604 -3.32 3,820 5,799 51.80 UK 49,666 51,025 2.74 56,456 58,609 3.81 55,790 58,277 4.46 65,680 68,635 4.50 US 2,109 2,525 19.73 2,739 2,820 2.95 2,871 3,433 19.58 2,507 2,788 11.21 Others 26,948 35,006 29.90 30,420 38,482 26.50 39,505 47,822 21.05 39,286 44,581 13.48 Totals 177,204 190,586 7.55 183,764 193,038 5.05 206,627 225,339 9.06 246,485 253,330 2.78 * Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
Socio-demographic profile of travellers 2016 By age
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Totals % share
0-24 9,592 11,076 18,721 33,892 26,378 33,913 68,608 82,486 284,666 21.75 25-44 31,816 24,338 34,698 54,730 66,351 69,899 80,366 97,030 459,228 35.10 45-64 29,498 30,604 40,586 50,590 65,010 62,132 61,716 62,926 403,062 30.80 65+ 13,911 14,987 21,514 25,673 32,847 27,094 14,649 10,888 161,563 12.35 Totals 84,817 81,005 115,519 164,885 190,586 193,038 225,339 253,330 1,308,519 100.00 (Continued on next page)
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Data bank Socio-demographic profile of travellers 2016 (continued) Purpose of visit Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Totals % share
Business 9,492 9,291 10,292 12,550 13,072 14,207 9,163 7,295 85,362 6.52 Holiday 71,844 66,137 94,328 137,061 164,929 166,607 196,768 228,428 1,126,102 86.06 Other 3,481 5,577 10,899 15,274 12,585 12,224 19,408 17,607 97,055 7.42 Totals 84,817 81,005 115,519 164,885 190,586 193,038 225,339 253,330 1,308,519 100.00 Type Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals % share FIT 51,040 45,894 62,214 98,856 114,783 121,602 140,123 158,594 793,106 60.61 Package 33,777 35,111 53,304 66,029 75,804 71,437 85,216 94,736 515,414 39.39 Totals 84,817 81,005 115,518 164,885 190,587 193,039 225,339 253,330 1,308,520 100.00 Expenditure Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals FIT 20,059 17,537 24,458 37,094 46,665 54,339 71,151 86,878 358,181 of which Accommodation 9,813 8,922 11,980 18,421 24,531 29,195 37,884 47,065 187,811 Air/sea fares 10,247 8,616 12,478 18,673 22,135 25,144 33,267 39,813 170,373 Package 17,919 17,742 30,416 37,547 48,734 50,869 68,316 76,902 348,445 Other 27,283 22,558 31,382 48,487 58,993 64,309 90,176 107,091 450,279 Totals (â‚Ź000s) 65,261 57,837 86,256 123,128 154,392 169,517 229,643 270,871 1,156,905 Length of stay Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals % Share (nights) 1-3 19,624 21,140 24,257 31,921 41,682 5,249 28,239 18,769 190,881 14.93 4-6 24,189 22,236 36,672 50,930 50,959 47,400 45,269 52,211 329,866 25.80 7+ 41,004 37,630 54,589 82,034 97,946 110,389 151,832 182,350 757,774 59.27 Average LoS 7.7 7.2 6.9 6.6 6.6 7.5 8.6 9.4 7.6 Visit frequency Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec First visit 54,454 53,959 80,092 117,705 133,667 136,540 162,702 188,617 Repeat visit 30,363 27,046 35,427 47,180 56,920 56,499 62,637 64,713 of which Once a year 19,921 18,792 23,513 31,602 42,327 42,625 47,163 50,902 More than once a year 10,442 8,254 11,914 15,578 14,593 13,874 15,475 13,811
Arrivals by gender 2016
Month Official Females % Males % Calculated tourist females males tourist arrivals arrivals Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
84,817 36,711 81,005 37,158 115,519 56,660 164,885 85,019 190,586 96,102 193,038 94,751 225,339 117,213
43.28 48,106 45.87 43,847 49.05 58,858 51.56 79,866 50.42 94,485 49.08 98,288 52.02 108,126
56.72 54.13 50.95 48.44 49.58 50.92 47.98
84,817 81,005 115,518 164,885 190,587 193,039 225,339
Month Official Females % Males % Calculated tourist females males tourist arrivals arrivals Aug 253,330 126,565 49.96 126,765 50.04 253,330 Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
1,308,519 650,179 658,341 1,308,520
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Data bank Seasonal arrivals pattern Season
Market outlook and trends 2016
2015 2016
Market 2016 2015 Jan-Dec1 Jan-Aug % growth % share Jan-Dec % growth % share Winter Arrivals 334,407 165,822 Austria 23,621 17,131 -18.81 1.31 29,094 5.54 1.62 % 18.67 12.67 Belgium 33,028 24,835 -3.72 1.90 34,304 9.25 1.91 (Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec) France 136,815 100,813 6.87 7.70 128,014 1.99 7.15 Germany 153,718 97,477 8.24 7.45 142,010 -0.73 7.93 Shoulder Ireland 31,215 22,592 -7.62 1.73 33,789 9.98 1.89 Arrivals 811,353 664,025 Italy 307,419 215,903 6.37 16.50 289,019 10.05 16.13 % 45.29 50.75 Libya 2,140 2,122 -59.75 0.16 5,316 -82.72 0.30 (Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Oct) Netherlands 49,839 36,101 13.77 2.76 43,806 -1.99 2.45 Nordic region* 127,022 83,423 8.15 6.38 117,449 8.10 6.56 Summer Russia 14,530 11,148 -27.86 0.85 20,142 -41.14 1.12 Arrivals 645,662 478,669 Spain 53,584 38,625 18.10 2.95 45,373 7.30 2.53 % 36.04 36.58 Switzerland 37,522 25,091 9.00 1.92 34,425 8.27 1.92 (Jul, Aug, Sep) UK 558,463 371,044 6.15 28.36 526,089 7.87 29.37 US 29,986 17,689 18.29 1.35 25,350 13.16 1.42 Totals 1,791,422 1,308,516 Others 387,877 244,527 22.27 18.69 317,242 19.09 17.71 100.00 100.00 Totals 1,946,779 1,308,519 8.28 100.00 1,791,422 6.01 100.00 Some data are ITT calculations on NSO source data. 1 Estimate based on YTD actual. * Denmark, Finland, Tourism expenditure comparison Norway, Sweden 2015 2016 %+/ Jan-Aug Jan-Aug Tracking trends Austria 19,964 15,329 -23.22 Belgium 25,033 23,262 -7.07 J The growth rate achieved in visitor arrivals in the early part of the year has not been maintained. After France 87,522 91,259 4.27 Q1, the total was on track to pass 2mn visitors for the whole year. Now with the peak August month passed, Germany 86,490 86,106 -0.44 the total for all of 2016 is likely to be around 1.94mn. Ireland 22,999 20,959 -8.87 B YTD counts show some important developments. The top-3 market sources – in order, the UK, Italy, Italy 132,297 138,186 4.45 France – were all performing below the 7.6% average growth. Libya 7,236 3,239 -55.23 B Promising sources among the bigger markets are Germany, +8%, and the Nordic region, +19% - which Netherlands 29,195 31,900 9.27 seems to make this four-country market source the most important to watch. Nordic region* 73,773 79,637 7.95 B In the secondary market sources (those with 1-5% of the total) showed Spain strong with +17%. But Russia 23,430 15,305 -34.68 perhaps more important is the fall of three markets in this category – Austria, Belgium, Ireland. Spain 28,595 32,673 14.26 B Another development is the size of the Others total. Now 19% of the total, and growing at +22%, Switzerland 27,080 30,176 11.43 there must be an argument for the NSO to break out more markets. Are arrivals from new source markets UK 328,006 323,023 -1.52 boosting that Others count? US 20,231 21,051 4.05 B For those looking for post-Brexit-vote trends, arrivals from the UK in July and August (after the end-June Others 205,341 244,804 19.22 Brexit vote) grew +4%. That compares with +7% over January to June. Slower growth, certainly, but counts for more months will be needed to have a better idea if this is a Brexit-related slowdown. Totals €1,117,191 €1,156,910 * Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden
Tourism’s ‘historic achievement’ Valletta J Tourist arrivals in the first eight months of the year totalled 1,308,519, an increase of 8.3% over the same period in 2015 (see International arrivals 2016 on page 5 — official statistics show three more arrivals than calculated figures). B Total nights spent on the islands by tourists rose by 5.7 points to 10,150,682.
B Expenditure by tourists was estimated at
€1,156,910 by the National Statistics Office, 3.6% higher than in the first eight months of 2015 (see Socio-demographic profile of travellers 2016 on page 6; here, too, calculated figures differ from the NSO’s). B The per capita expenditure, however, slipped 4.4 percentage points to €884 over the January-August period of 2015. B Arrivals for August, meantime, hit an all-time high with 256,782 visitors, 3.4% more than in August 2015 (see Aggregate international arrivals 2016 on page 5).
B A cheerful Edward Zammit
Lewis (right) said this was the first time that Malta “surpassed the quarter-of-a-million” arrivals in one calendar month. B “This is truly a historic achievement”, says the tourism minister. Photo credits P1 Incat. Phoenicia Malta. P2 CampbellGray Hotels. Infographic by A4E. P3 TPO & Seapost Society. MTA. P4 Morguefile. Azure Ultra. P8 DoI. P12 Costa Crociere. P14 NCL. P15 Diane Hope. Ryanair. P16 Innovent
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Data bank Accommodation occupancy and monthly comparison Jan Feb Mar Apr 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Collective* 56,936 63,151 10.92 59,018 63,269 7.20 81,559 88,108 8.03 113,867 116,536 2.34 Private 17,345 21,666 24.91 15,498 17,736 14.44 20,211 27,411 35.62 38,234 48,349 26.46 Totals 74,281 84,817 14.18 74,516 81,005 8.71 101,770 115,519 13.51 152,101 164,885 8.40 May Jun Jul Aug 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Collective* 130,569 137,332 5.18 132,569 133,984 1.07 140,936 143,494 1.82 157,588 157,874 0.18 Private 43,019 53,254 23.79 47,513 59,054 24.29 65,690 81,845 24.59 88,897 95,456 7.38 Totals 173,588 190,586 9.79 180,082 193,038 7.19 206,626 225,339 9.06 246,485 253,330 2.78 * Hotels, tourist villages, guest houses, hostels, B&B and camp sites
Guest nights and monthly comparison Jan Feb Mar Apr 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Collective* 385,919 409,159 6.02 376,161 405,877 7.90 524,864 569,397 8.48 701,949 701,537 -0.06 Private 216,591 247,401 14.22 153,179 175,517 14.58 199,359 233,313 17.03 318,303 394,217 23.85 Totals 602,510 656,560 8.97 529,340 581,394 9.83 724,223 802,710 10.84 1,020,252 1,095,754 7.40 May Jun Jul Aug 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Collective* 820,872 823,522 0.32 877,772 874,140 -0.41 1,083,382 1,045,860 -3.46 1,277,504 1,208,203 -5.42 Private 365,711 441,608 20.75 451,586 569,964 26.21 779,788 883,253 13.27 1,082,217 1,167,714 7.90 Totals 1,186,583 1,265,130 6.62 1,329,358 1,444,104 8.63 1,863,170 1,929,113 3.54 2,359,721 2,375,917 0.69 * Hotels, tourist villages, guest houses, hostels, B&B and camp sites
Malta International Airport traffic 2016
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
International pax Arrivals 119,169 121,273 169,452 213,432 240,445 249,120 297,067 288,780 265,850 1,964,588 Departures 117,383 115,375 158,072 201,977 236,130 241,261 283,407 309,735 266,112 1,929,452 Totals 236,552 236,648 327,524 415,409 476,575 490,381 580,474 598,515 531,962 3,894,040 International aircraft movements Arrivals 970 876 1,172 1,546 1,716 1,758 1,944 1,977 1,784 13,743 Departures 973 878 1,169 1,547 1,716 1,757 1,940 1,977 1,782 13,739 Totals 1,943 1,754 2,341 3,093 3,432 3,515 3,884 3,954 3,566 27,482 (Continued on next page)
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Data bank Malta International Airport traffic 2016 (continued)
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Totals
Freight (tonnes) Import 726 685 785 818 802 793 791 746 783 6,929 Export 334 323 456 361 375 343 340 303 369 3,204 Totals 1,060 1,008 1,241 1,179 1,177 1,136 1,131 1,049 1,152 10,133
Malta International Airport monthly traffic comparison Jan Feb Mar Apr 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ International pax Arrivals 104,941 119,169 13.56 106,882 121,273 13.46 141,405 169,452 19.83 201,908 213,432 5.71 Departures 103,935 117,383 12.94 102,014 115,375 13.10 133,929 158,072 18.03 191,284 201,977 5.59 Totals 208,876 236,552 13.25 208,896 236,648 13.29 275,334 327,524 18.96 393,192 415,409 5.65 International aircraft movements Arrivals 915 970 6.01 844 876 3.79 1,038 1,172 12.91 1,527 1,546 1.24 Departures 916 973 6.22 843 878 4.15 1,038 1,169 12.62 1,527 1,547 1.31 Totals 1,831 1,943 6.12 1,687 1,754 3.97 2,076 2,341 12.76 3,054 3,093 1.28 Freight (tonnes) Import 611 726 18.82 660 685 3.79 643 785 22.08 661 818 23.75 Export 406 334 -17.73 394 323 -18.02 502 456 -9.16 519 361 -30.44 Totals 1,017 1,060 4.23 1,054 1,008 -4.36 1,145 1,241 8.38 1,180 1,179 -0.08 May Jun Jul Aug 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ International pax Arrivals 104,941 240,445 129.12 106,882 249,120 133.08 141,405 297,067 110.08 201,908 288,780 43.03 Departures 103,935 236,130 127.19 102,014 241,261 136.50 133,929 283,407 111.61 191,284 309,735 61.92 Totals 208,876 476,575 128.16 208,896 490,381 134.75 275,334 580,474 110.83 393,192 598,515 52.22 International aircraft movements Arrivals 915 1,716 87.54 844 1,758 108.29 1,038 1,944 87.28 1,527 1,977 29.47 Departures 916 1,716 87.34 843 1,757 108.42 1,038 1,940 86.90 1,527 1,977 29.47 Totals 1,831 3,432 87.44 1,687 3,515 108.36 2,076 3,884 87.09 3,054 3,954 29.47 Freight (tonnes) Import 611 802 31.26 660 793 20.15 643 791 23.02 661 746 12.86 Export 406 375 -7.64 394 343 -12.94 502 340 -32.27 519 303 -41.62 Totals 1,017 1,177 15.73 1,054 1,136 7.78 1,145 1,131 -1.22 1,180 1,049 -11.10
(Continued on next page)
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Data bank Malta International Airport monthly traffic comparison (continued) Sep Oct Nov Dec 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2,015 2016 %+/- 2,015 2016 %+/International pax Arrivals 104,941 265,850 153.33 106,882 141,405 201,908 Departures 103,935 266,112 156.04 102,014 133,929 191,284 Totals 208,876 531,962 154.68 208,896 275,334 393,192 International aircraft movements Arrivals 915 1,784 94.97 844 1,038 1,527 Departures 916 1,782 94.54 843 1,038 1,527 Totals 1,831 3,566 94.76 1,687 2,076 3,054 Freight (tonnes) Import 611 783 28.15 660 643 661 Export 406 369 -9.11 394 502 519 Totals 1,017 1,152 13.27 1,054 1,145 1,180
Malta International Airport passenger movements 2016 Top 10 markets by month Market
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Totals % share
Austria 7,059 10,208 10,914 12,695 40,876 Belgium 5,093 5,305 17,731 28,129 Denmark 9,614 12,929 11,202 33,745 France 9,826 10,940 14,132 30,211 33,213 31,952 35,070 35,281 33,015 233,640 Germany 30,616 31,759 45,192 50,075 66,664 60,583 73,586 70,895 67,723 497,093 Italy 58,494 58,560 72,843 83,914 90,463 95,383 119,664 131,039 105,896 816,256 Netherlands 6,536 6,471 8,131 11,449 14,488 13,104 16,403 16,633 14,598 107,813 Poland 5,145 7,892 14,990 17,403 17,801 20,123 20,561 17,903 121,818 Spain 5,888 5,239 9,662 12,275 12,740 23,431 26,939 19,214 115,388 Switzerland 4,651 7,002 11,775 13,129 13,153 17,069 16,808 15,322 98,909 Turkey 9,411 8,350 12,276 10,685 12,494 11,065 12,050 12,607 88,938 UAE 6,053 5,665 11,718 UK 67,337 73,227 99,166 111,989 126,319 134,375 139,034 147,704 139,562 1,038,713
1.26 0.87 1.04 7.23 15.38 25.25 3.33 3.77 3.57 3.06 2.75 0.36 32.13
J First place J Second J Third
MIA hosts more than 0.5 million passengers in September J September became the third, consecutive month to register more than 0.5mn passenger movements this year, with a total of 531,962 passengers welcomed at Malta International Airport (see Malta International Airport monthly traffic comparison above). B This translates to an increase of 5.8% over the same month in 2015. B September’s upturn was bolstered by improved connectivity to the islands throughout the summer. Seat capacity registered a 4.2% hike over last year;
“a natural development following the combined efforts to improve the airport’s network”. B Moreover, at 87.5%, September’s seat load factor experienced a growth of 1.3 percentage points, indicating that “airlines were very efficient in filling up these available seats”. B Malta’s top drivers of traffic remain the UK, Italy, Germany, France and Spain, with all five markets registering varying degrees of growth, ranging from 2% to 14% (see Malta International Airport passenger movements 2016 above). B The growth of the French market stems, mainly, from an increased capacity from Paris’s second airport – Orly.
B Furthermore, September marked Spain’s third
consecutive appearance among MIA’s top five markets, following added flights on the Madrid route. B Although they did not secure a spot among the top five markets in September, both Poland and Switzerland experienced a remarkable hike in passenger movements compared to 2015, amounting to 36% and 14%, respectively. B In the first nine months of 2016, Malta International Airport hosted 3,894,040 passengers – a growth of 7.5% over last year. B Aircraft movements grew by 2.4% while seat capacity increased by 5.3%. The seat load factor also rose to 83.4% compared to 81.7% last year.
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Data bank Cruise ship traffic 2016 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals Cruise ship calls 17 108 106 231 Pax traffic Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share Landed pax 205 17,726 30,241 48,172 10.74 Transit pax 39,170 182,754 178,545 400,469 89.26 Totals 39,375 200,480 208,786 448,641 100.00 Nationality Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share Australia 424 4,181 2,994 7,599 1.69 Canada 600 4,729 3,603 8,932 1.99 France 4,346 30,407 29,431 64,184 14.31 Germany 4,878 34,826 37,242 76,946 17.15 Italy 6,884 31,360 37,674 75,918 16.92 Japan 794 867 1,402 3,063 0.68 Malta 72 2,638 6,552 9,262 2.06 Spain 1,465 10,324 19,813 31,602 7.04 UK 3,814 19,406 18,583 41,803 9.32 US 3,277 20,803 12,816 36,896 8.22 Others 12,821 40,939 38,676 92,436 20.60 Totals 39,375 200,480 208,786 448,641 100.00 Pax by gender Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share Females 21,002 107,373 110,705 239,080 53.29 Males 18,373 93,107 98,081 209,561 46.71 Totals 39,375 200,480 208,786 448,641 100.00 Pax by age Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share 0-19 6,039 22,893 35,416 64,348 14.34 20-39 6,331 28,905 36,692 71,928 16.03 40-59 11,404 62,788 75,617 149,809 33.39 60-79 14,021 78,888 56,078 148,987 33.21 80+ 1,580 7,006 4,983 13,569 3.02 Totals 39,375 200,480 208,786 448,641 100.00 Notes: Landed pax arrive in Malta on a cruise ship and leave the islands by other means. Transit pax are arrive and leave Malta on the same cruise ship
231 liners called at Malta in the first nine months of ‘16 12
Data bank Quarterly cruise traffic comparisons Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Cruise ship calls 9 17 88.89 108 108 0.00 102 106 3.92 88 Pax traffic Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Landed pax 71 205 188.73 26,635 17,726 -33.45 34,360 30,241 -11.99 9,306 Transit pax 20,582 39,170 90.31 178,589 182,754 2.33 163,624 178,545 9.12 166,989 Totals 20,653 39,375 90.65 205,224 200,480 -2.31 197,984 208,786 5.46 176,295 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Nationality 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Australia 189 424 124.34 6,716 4,181 -37.75 6,192 2,994 -51.65 1,833 Canada 310 600 93.55 3,357 4,729 40.87 5,002 3,603 -27.97 3,711 France 2,783 4,346 56.16 24,447 30,407 24.38 24,285 29,431 21.19 21,381 Germany 3,697 4,878 31.94 49,746 34,826 -29.99 38,292 37,242 -2.74 32,550 Italy 5,091 6,884 35.22 33,526 31,360 -6.46 32,109 37,674 17.33 40,809 Japan 187 794 324.60 1,390 867 -37.63 684 1,402 104.97 1,201 Malta 1 72 7,100.00 2,119 2,638 24.49 5,414 6,552 21.02 940 Spain 743 1,465 97.17 9,133 10,324 13.04 9,926 19,813 99.61 8,437 UK 1,502 3,814 153.93 19,488 19,406 -0.42 25,656 18,583 -27.57 12,493 US 561 3,277 484.14 13,590 20,803 53.08 13,927 12,816 -7.98 12,100 Others 5,589 12,821 129.40 41,712 40,939 -1.85 36,497 38,676 5.97 40,840 Totals 20,653 39,375 90.65 205,224 200,480 -2.31 197,984 208,786 5.46 176,295 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Pax by gender 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 Q2 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ Females 10,661 21,002 97.00 107,794 107,373 -0.39 102,977 110,705 7.50 93,578 Males 9,992 18,373 83.88 97,430 93,107 -4.44 95,007 98,081 3.24 82,717 Totals 20,653 39,375 90.65 205,224 200,480 -2.31 197,984 208,786 5.46 176,295 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Pax by age 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 Q2 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/- 2015 2016 %+/ 0-19 2,838 6,039 112.79 23,154 22,893 -1.13 28,856 35,416 22.73 20,675 20-39 2,722 6,331 132.59 26,736 28,905 8.11 31,049 36,692 18.17 26,792 40-59 5,742 11,404 98.61 64,829 62,788 -3.15 69,891 75,617 8.19 56,313 60-79 8,639 14,021 62.30 82,225 78,888 -4.06 62,992 56,078 -10.98 66,763 80+ 712 1,580 121.91 8,280 7,006 -15.39 5,196 4,983 -4.10 5,752 Totals 20,653 39,375 90.65 205,224 200,480 -2.31 197,984 208,786 5.46 176,295 Notes: Landed pax arrive in Malta on a cruise ship and leave the islands by other means. Transit pax are arrive and leave Malta on the same cruise ship
Cruise traffic up in nine months Valletta J In the first nine months of 2016 the total number of cruise passengers landing in Malta stood at 448,641, a rise of 5.8% over 2015. Of these, 75.8% came from EU countries (see Cruise ship traffic 2016
on page 12). R The biggest increases were recorded from the French and Spanish markets, which jumped by 12,669 and 11,800 passengers respectively. R Female passengers numbered 239,080 and were in the majority. Most passengers were between 40 and 59 years old, amounting to 149,809.
These were followed by passengers aged 60 to 79 age bracket, reaching 148,987. R There were 231 cruise liner calls during the first nine months, with an average 1,942 passengers per ship, compared to 219 calls and an average of 1,935 passengers per vessel in January to September 2015.
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Data bank
NCL returns to Malta after eight year break
Departures and socio-demographic profile of Malta residents 2016 Departures Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals Residents 103,463 104,331 207,794 Mode of travel Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share Air 97,399 98,798 196,197 94.42 Sea 6,064 5,533 11,597 5.58 Totals 103,463 104,331 207,794 100.00 Gender Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share Females 44,284 44,118 88,402 42.54 Males 59,179 60,214 119,393 57.46 Totals 103,463 104,332 207,795 100.00 Age Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share 0-24 19,462 16,241 35,703 17.18 25-44 47,533 50,378 97,911 47.12 45-64 29,977 28,290 58,267 28.04 65+ 6,491 9,422 15,913 7.66 Totals 103,463 104,331 207,794 100.00 Purpose of visit Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share Business 18,225 17,477 35,702 17.18 Holiday 55,168 52,375 107,543 51.75 VFR 23,011 23,946 46,957 22.60 Other 7,059 10,532 17,591 8.47 Totals 103,463 104,330 207,793 100.00 Type Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share FIT 91,057 92,901 183,958 88.53 Package 12,406 11,430 23,836 11.47 Totals 103,463 104,331 207,794 100.00 Length of trip Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals % share (nights) 1-3 34,328 35,329 69,657 33.52 4-6 33,912 33,846 67,758 32.61 7+ 35,224 35,157 70,381 33.87 Average LoS 6.40 7.10 6.75 100.00 Expenditure Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Totals Per capita (€) 888 845 Total (€ - 000s) 91,889 88,147 180,036
Valletta J After an eight-year break, Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) is returning to Malta next year. R Not only is the Miami-based NCL coming back to Malta, but it will be home porting the 75,904dwt Norwegian Spirit here for the 2017 summer season and “possibly in 2018”, says Francis Riley, senior VP of international sales, marketing and operations for NCL.
Norwegian Spirit: Inclusive of beverages
R The Norwegian Spirit – that was fully refurbished in 2014 and can accommodate up to 2,018 passengers – will be offering itineraries ranging from 9 to 12 night cruises from 15 June until 9 October. R With a lead-in price of €1,249pp for an all-inclusive nine-nighter that takes in Civitavecchia, Livorno, Cannes, Marseilles, Barcelona, Palma and Cagliari, NCL’s cruises are reasonably priced. R At the other end of the scale is a 12-nights cruise at €1,599pp that includes stops at Messina, Naples, Civitavecchia, Katakolon, Corfu, Split, Koper, Venice and Dubrovnik. R A new concept being introduced next year by NCL is an all-inclusive beverage package, already available on other cruise companies and “which has become highly successful and popular with Maltese holidaymakers”, says Orange Travel commercial director Michael Abele. R The Orange Travel Group is NCL’s local sales agents. R Norwegian Cruise Line, meantime, is celebrating its 50th anniversary next month. Founded by Ted Arison and Knut Kloster with the MS Sunward car ferry cum cruise ship, it made its maiden voyage from Miami to the Caribbean on 19 December 1966. R Today the company has 14 dedicated cruise liners. 14
Malta pens agreement for Chinese visitors Valletta J Malta’s government has signed memoranda of understanding with Bank of China and Beijing Caissa International Travel Services through which 10,000 Chinese will visit Malta by 2018 and 50,000 by 2020, prime minister Joseph Muscat announced in parliament at the end of October. R Muscat, however, did not provide details although the timing and dates coincide with the planned EU-China tourism year (see 2018 declared EU-China tourism year on page 4). R The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), not surprisingly, welcomed the premier’s announcement. R Association president Tony Zahra says “this is great news and is in line with the strategy recommended by MHRA, that Malta should be focusing to further develop new source markets and to enhance the quality of tourists that choose to visit our country.
China: A step in the right direction R “Attracting Chinese tourists is a step in the right direction; we must also gear the product for this new market, as the requirements of the Chinese tourist are somewhat different to European tourists; and this not only from an accommodation and restaurant perspective, but also as a shopping experience”, he adds. R Zahra further notes that this “is the right time to engage new strategies to diversify and enhance the quality of our tourism source markets, since this will ensure sustainable growth in spend per tourist for the longer term”.
Ryanair: 42 routes from Malta by summer 2017 and 2.1mn passengers
Ryanair to operate 140 flights a week from MIA Dublin J With 32% of the market, Ryanair is well on its way to becoming MIA’s biggest customer in terms of aircraft turnarounds and passenger traffic. R This winter the Irish LCC is launching five new routes from Malta to Brussels (daily); frequencies to Nuremberg, Toulouse and Valencia will be operated twice a week and to Vilnius on a weekly basis. These will also be operated in summer 2017. R Moreover, 11 new winter services are also being introduced – to Athens and Manchester three times a week; to Baden, Berlin, Bournemouth, Cologne and Girona twice weekly; to Gdansk, Glasgow, Poznan and Wroclaw to be served weekly. R Additionally, Ryanair is also increasing frequencies to Birmingham and East Midlands to three a
week; to London Stansted and the Spanish capital, Madrid, to four flights a week. R “Maltese costumers and visitors can now choose from 37 routes this winter and can look forward to even lower fares and further service improvements”, Ryanair’s marketing manager for eastern Mediterranean Chiara Ravara says. R Next summer, meanwhile, Ryanair will be basing a fourth aircraft at MIA and plans to increase frequencies to Vilnius to twice a week and daily to Catania. R There will also be more flights to Dublin and East Midlands, but frequencies have not yet been confirmed. R In total, for summer 2017 Ryanair will operate 42 routes from Malta with more than 140 flights a week and plans to carry 2.1mn passengers a year on its services to and from Malta.
Insolvency fund set up
MIA reduces gas emissions
Valletta J A €500,000 insolvency fund has been set up to protect local holidaymakers from tour operators that go belly-up. R In mid-October tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis announced the setting up of the fund to protect people “from travel companies that encounter financial difficulty after having accepted payment for trips abroad”. R The fund is being financed by some 70 operators and the amounts they contribute will be dependent on their size and market share.
Luqa J Malta International Airport reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by nearly 700 tonnes in 2015, while also reducing carbon dioxide emissions specifically from 2.29kgs per passenger to 1.98kgs, an improvement of 13.5%, according to the airport’s first sustainability report that was published following the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) standards. R A number of international organisations from various industries adopt these guidelines to report Continued on column 1, page 16 15
Sustainability a core value Continued from page 15 on their most critical impacts. MIA decided to pioneer these standards in Malta given its key role in the tourism industry, and the significant impacts it has on the surrounding environment and communities. R “As we strive to become carbon neutral, it is critical for us to measure our impact. Our first sustainability report gives us the confidence to continue working to remove, reduce or mitigate our negative impacts and improve or build on our positive ones,” says CEO Alan Borg. R He said the airport will also be entering the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme at level 1, whereby the airport’s carbon footprint would be independently verified in accordance with ISO14064. R “Sustainability is now etched in our revamped company strategy as one of our core values and we hope to gather more momentum on this each year,” he added. R MIA’s sustainability report is divided into three sections, which give an in-depth look at the airport’s economic, environmental and social impacts. Each section delineates the airport’s goals for 2015 for each of these three aspects and proceeds to detail how they were reached. The report also notes where MIA can fare better. R The report found that the main reason for MIA’s reduced emissions footprint was due to energy saving such as the installation of LED lighting and signage, a more efficient vehicle fleet and more clean energy generation from the airport’s PV system. In welcoming more passengers in 2015 with the same resources, the airport has also improved its efficiency.
Innovent: The revamped lodge offers three venues, including the Vault
Innovent launch ‘three-inone’ venues Rabat J A 16th Century hunting lodge, and home until recently, has been converted into a stunning, one-ofa-kind event venue on the outskirts of Rabat, and forms part of the Gianpula complex. R The lodge’s former living area, now christened the Club House, has been converted to include a dining room – catered for by its own kitchen – and bar, meeting rooms and break-out areas. It can cater for events of up to 500 people. R Beneath the Club House are the former stables, and it is these that provide the place’s ‘wow’ factor. R A labyrinth of subterranean rooms, the Vault – ‘the stables’ was presumably to naff a name – is a unique location “full of the original
Air Malta ups students’ luggage allowance Luqa J Air Malta has launched an exclusive offer for students who are 16 and over and “pursuing a full-time educational programme in Malta or abroad”. R As part of its We Care More campaign, the airline is now offering an extra 20kgs of free hold luggage allowance to students. R “We have been working hard to
magic, character and soul of historic Malta”. R The Vault sports a bar and casual seating scattered around its many rooms, and has a capacity for up to 400. It is also accessible independently from the Club House. R Finally, the Rooftop is self-explanatory. It “offers not only an outstanding open-air location….it also offers a spectacular panorama unique to Malta”. R The rooftop has a bit more than just a view that’s “unique to Malta”. It has two bars, a pool, “seating and soft lighting which makes it perfect for both a daytime function and an evening event”. R Operated by Matthew Degiorgio’s Innovent, venues can be hired independently or together. Innovent can also plan entire corporate events or parties from concept to completion. offer diverse product offerings to our guests. We already have one of the most generous baggage allowance in the airline industry, offering a free 20kgs luggage allowance, even on our lowest fares. This offer goes a step further; offering a further 20kgs of luggage to students”, explains Ursula Silling, KM’s chief officer commercial. R Students wanting to take up this offer should complete an online form at least five working days before travel.
Publisher and Editor: Terence Mirabelli. Email: tmirabelli@travelmalta.com. Group Advertisement Director: Josephine Mirabelli. Email: jomirabelli@travelmalta.com Island Publications Limited, 36/38 Triq L-Isperanza, Mosta MST 1309, Malta. Tel: (+356) 21431864. Site: www.travelmalta.com. Island Travel Trader is published 10 times a year and distributed in portable document format (pdf) by email on a controlled circulation basis to senior personnel of all airlines operating to and from Malta, the senior management of cruise lines whose ships call at Malta, foreign tour operators who programme the islands, all domestic travel agents in and those foreign-based who actively sell services to the islands, international and national conference and exhibition organisers, incentive and special interest travel companies, Malta-based hoteliers and car rental firms. © Island Publications Ltd 2016. All rights reserved. No reproduction, copying, image scanning, storing or recording by any means in any form nor broadcasting or transmission through any medium of any part of this newsletter is permitted without the express consent of Island Publications Limited.
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