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Royal Visit Boost For Holiday Island
eaders of over 50 destinations from Eastern Europe
countries from the such as Bulgaria set to capture
Commonwealth will be more of the UK holiday and
meeting on the Mediterranean property market Malta could see
island of Malta from November 25 tourist numbers remain level or
to 27, and for three days the even fall in future years.
island will be enjoying the
attention of hundreds of millions Malta Holidays
of TV and online news viewers and
newspaper readers worldwide. Malta missed it's own target of a
modest increase in tourists this
Malta has often been overlooked summer, and there are worries on
by holidaymakers and second home the island that the opportunity
owners in favour of other to increase awareness among
Mediterranean islands such as potential visitors will be
Mallorca, Cyprus and Menorca, and missed.
hotels and estate agents alike on
the island are hoping that the Michael Johnson of Tribune
three days of publicity will Properties who specialise in
boost tourist and property buyer property for sale in Malta
numbers for 2006. comments:
With good all year round weather ‘Malta is ideally situated in
and an English speaking the Mediterranean to attract
population visitor numbers from tourists from all over Europe and
the UK, which make up about half further afield but for a lot of
of the island's tourist numbers, people I speak to in other
have been surprisingly flat in countries it isn't an obvious
recent years, and with cheaper destination of choice.
holidays available in the new
The island has a strong domestic in the British Empire, with 53
property market and doesn't rely members who were former British
too heavily on overseas property colonies belonging to the
buyers like some of the organisation.
Mediterranean islands do, but at
the same time those that do buy Queen Elizabeth II is the head of
here play a good role in the the Commonwealth, and will be
economy overall. visiting with Prince Philip for a
two day trip to Malta to open the
The timing of the Commonwealth meeting on November 25 in
meeting is good as it's just Valletta, the island's capital.
before the New Year when a lot of It will be the royal couple's
people decide where they will be first visit to Malta since 1992,
going for their summer holidays, and welcoming crowds are expected
and next summer's tourist could in similar numbers to their
be next winter's property buyer. previous four visits.
But they're only going to do that
if they visit the island first, In addition to the Queen and
and I'm hoping that Malta will Prince Philip, among the
see an increase in tourists in attendees will be the United
2006 - it really depends on Kingdom's Prime Minister Tony
whether the island takes this Blair, and the Prime Ministers of
chance to market itself in the Canada, New Zealand, India, South
months ahead on the back of the Africa, Singapore and Australia.
free publicity the Commonwealth
will bring..'
‘Around half of Malta's
The Commonwealth Heads of tourists are from the UK' adds
Government Meeting takes place Michael Johnson, ‘and it's a
very two years, and has its roots similar figure for non islanders
buying property here. As well as visiting Malta for a few days to
increasing holidaymaker numbers sample the fine hotels,
from the traditional UK market we hospitality, history and culture
should be trying to appeal to that the island is so rich in.
people in Canada, Australia, But it remains to be seen whether
South Africa and New Zealand and the tourist board is capable of
other countries who take a translating good free publicity
holiday in Europe to consider into visitors for the island.'
About the Author:
Roger Munns is Managing Director of YourMalta.com, a guide to the island, which includes holidays in Malta, hotels, self catering holiday villas and apartments, flights, car hire and details of Malta's main towns of Valletta, St Julian's, Sliema, Mellieha, St Paul's Bay, Qawra and Bugibba, http://www.yourmalta.com
Source: www.isnare.com
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