Malta Tourist Industry

Malta 'good value' despite euro exchange rate

Malta may be an attractive option for travellers looking for good value despite the euro exchange rate, it has been suggested.

Easier access to Malta may drive foreign currency exchange with airlines like Ryanair adding new routes to the country at prices that may prove to be more affordable for British travellers on a budget.

The linear increase in the number of tourists coming to 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.

Alex Incorvaja, director for UK and Ireland at the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), said: "According to our surveys, we are one of the cheaper eurozone destinations and we have come third to Spain and Portugal. We are cheaper than Egypt and that has become a competitor of ours in recent months."


Weather

The first and most important reason for fleeing your country and to settle in Malta is the weather. Quite simply, when the suns out and the weather is warm your mood will change to being happy, energetic and sociable. In comparison, when the sun hasn't appeared for a couple of days and the temperature is below 10 degrees one feels depressed, unsociable, tired and crave comfort food and lots of it! This is known to many as the winter blues. This would push you to hibernation in the winter months, only leaving the house when needed (i.e to work and get food) and spending the rest of the time lazing in front of the tv stuffing comfort food.

This have a medical explanation, people who are bored with their country weather are experiencing something called SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). The website of the NHS (national health system in the UK) describes SAD as a type of depression that is experienced in winter months. It affects 1 in 50 people in the world and it is most common amongst people aged between 18-30. SAD is caused by a lack of sunlight. Not surprisingly, SAD is most common in the northern hemisphere .

For instance, the sun doesn't shine much in England during the winter (or even in the summer for that matter!). Instead Brits get frequent fog*(a low-lying cloud made up of small water droplets), cloud, grey skies and a lot of rain. The average amount of hours of sunshine in the UK in mid-winter ranges between one and two and the average temperature is around 4 degrees. Long, wet, cold winters are followed by blink and you'll miss it summers when cloud and rain are still more common than sunshine.

In comparison winters in Malta are mild and full of sun and warmth with an approximately 5 to 6 hours of sunshine mid-winter and an average temperature of about 15 degrees. Frost and snow are virtually non-existent. Annual rainfall in Malta is low. The spring and summers are long and hot and the sun is typically out for 10-12 hours.

A nightlife to rival Ibiza’s

For such a small island Malta’s nightlife is big with top name DJ’s such as Armin Van Buuren, Carl Cox, Paul Oakenfield, David Guetta and Tiesto making regular appearances at one of the many quality clubbing venues on the island.

Paceville, the islands party capital is brimming with clubs and bars to suit everyone’s needs and the surrounding areas host many more varieties including beach bars, cocktail bars and karaoke bars. Quite rightly Malta has been compared to Ibiza, the number one clubbing destination in Europe.
However, Malta is a much cheaper alternative than Ibiza as the majority of clubs and bars are free to get in to and drink prices are cheap meaning that the average night out clubbing costs around €20 .


The Food

Malta's close proximity to Italy means that it's food is heavily influenced by the country famous for pizza and pasta, however Malta also has it's own rustic dishes such as Rabbit Stew, Fried Rabbit, Rabbit Sauce Spaghetti, Lampuki Pie (Lampuki is a local fish), Bragioli (Beef Olives) and Octupus Stew. Portions in Malta are generous and even better, they're pretty cheap, starting at as little as €7 for a starter, main course and glass of wine.

The Language

Whilst the Maltese do have their own language, a curious sounding semantic language which is written in the roman alphabet, English is also the official language. This is a leftover from the 160 years of British colonisation of Malta. This is obviously a great bonus for English people and also to the millions of people who speak English as a 2nd language which explains why Malta is one of the top destinations to learn English as a 2nd Language.

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 hopes that autumn arrivals will pick up.

The Downside

There are of course some downsides to living to Malta. Firstly, unless you work in I-gaming, the salary in Malta is rather low, the average wage for 18 to 30 year olds is around 10,000 to 20,000 Euro per year in Malta, depending on qualifications and experience (compared to 16,000 to 30,000 per year in the UK).   However, this is balanced out by a low cost of living.  Secondly, the style of driving is aggressive, haphazard and often reckless and the roads are full of pot-holes making travel by car a less enjoyable experience than in the UK.

To add insult to injury, the British pound is weak against the Euro, making Malta holidays more expensive than in previous years when compared with non-Eurozone locations like Egypt, Morocco or Turkey.

Also, beach lovers may be disappointed with the mostly small and non-sandy beaches Malta has to offer which get jam-packed with tourists, language students and Maltese in the summer. Lastly, the heat in August can be a little bit too much too handle, particularly if you have to be out in the middle of the day.

But a new prediction of the fortunes of the Malta holidays industry for the coming years 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.

YourMalta.com stated that '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,'  '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.'
 

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Apart from all this the resort have a traditional Thai village, complete with huts and waterfall, this award-winning Malta restaurant serves authentic Thai dishes such as dim sum and sweet and sour emerald chicken. Guests at the Hilton Malta hotel sip Mai Tais while enjoying the view of the marina.

Different styles of sports facilities which will include private beach club, water sports, diving centre, children's playground, plunge pool, outdoor pool, a floodlit tennis court, indoor golf simulator, fully equipped gymnasium, fitness assessment area, sauna and steam rooms.