Air Fare Deals

Posts Tagged ‘Malta’

Another airline has joined the race for the flight to Malta market, putting pressure on the low cost airlines already operating to Malta to further reduce their prices to stay ahead of their competition – all good news for consumers and the Malta hotels and holidays industry.

But unlike some of the airlines running operations to and from Malta, Click Air will be flying in the peak holiday months of June to October, bringing in around 12,000 tourists to the island, a fraction of the estimated 200,000 tourists anticipated during 2007 delivered by low cost airlines as a whole.

Regular travellers to Malta have never had it so good. Not only has their choice of airline and airports serving Malta widened considerably, but the perennial favourite of many business and holiday travellers, Air Malta, has fought back against the new low cost airlines with reduced fares and offers of their own.

In their traditional market of flights from the UK to Malta, the airline started a new route from Liverpool’s John Lennon airport in May, serving the north-west of England.

As part of their offensive to retain current passengers and to tempt new ones to use the airline, Air Malta are offering clients the opportunity to book flights in advance for this autumn and winter with prices starting from around 20 Euros (around US ).

If successful the extra tourists for Malta in her off-peak months will be a welcome boost for the island’s hotels and holiday trade, coming off the back of a summer that could see a ten per cent rise in arrivals compared to last year.

With official tourism office statistics showing the rise in visitor figures for 2007 compared to 2006, a long period of decline has been reversed for people taking holidays in Malta.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and also embraced the concept of low air fares.

While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

With low cost airlines including Malta as one of their destinations prospects are good for the Malta hotels and holidays industry.

Holiday makers and business people visiting Malta are enjoying lower fares since the introduction of low cost airlines late last year.

Not only has their choice of airline and airports serving Malta widened considerably, but the perennial favourite of many business and holiday travellers, Air Malta, has fought back against the new low cost airlines with reduced fares and offers of their own.

In their traditional market of flights from the UK to Malta, the airline started a new route from Liverpool’s John Lennon airport in May, serving the north-west of England.

As part of their offensive to retain current passengers and to tempt new ones to use the airline, Air Malta are offering clients the opportunity to book flights in advance for this autumn and winter with prices starting from around 20 Euros (around US ).

If successful the extra tourists for Malta in her off-peak months will be a welcome boost for the island’s hotels and holiday trade, coming off the back of a summer that could see a ten per cent rise in arrivals compared to last year.

With official tourism office statistics showing the rise in visitor figures for 2007 compared to 2006, a long period of decline has been reversed for people taking holidays in Malta.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and also embraced the concept of low air fares.

While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

Helping Malta’s image in the UK, Germany and other countries have been reports placing Malta at the top of tourist safety tables.

An American journalist last year placed the small Mediterranean island of Malta as one of the five safest travel destinations in the world, and a new report from the US this year confirms Malta as one of the safest vacation spots in the world.

This year’s report bears more official weight than the previous one by a travel writer, as it was compiled by the US State Department.

Commenting on Malta, the report praises the island for the non existence of organised crime, especially surprising perhaps given her proximity to mainland Italy – and closer still to Sicily.

A surprise for many who have driven in Malta is that the report considers the island’s roads to be safe. But this is backed up by official EU figures showing Malta has the lowest road related fatalities in Europe.

Malta’s slow pace of life might have contributed to the late introduction of low cost flights compared to her competitors, or it could have been politicians and the tourist authorities more interested in protecting the island’s national airline with attitudes that the rest of Europe began to shrug off in the 80′s, but whatever the reason, now that Malta has allowed the low cost airlines, they can’t get enough of them.

The number of visitors to Malta is up nearly ten per cent this year, thanks mainly to the extra arrivals being delivered by the low cost airlines. And the extra holiday makers couldn’t have come at a better time as the island has seen steadily decreasing tourists numbers in recent years – the ultimate factor in the decision to allow the flights in.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and embraced the concept of low air fares whole heartedly.

While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

German tourists make up an important part of the European holiday market, along with the British.

A low cost airline in Germany, Germanwings, started flights from Germany to Malta in late March, and with good bookings is looking to increase the number of flights to the island.

Commenting on the expansion plans, the airline said recently that it was very happy with its Malta route, and that the peak summer months were looking particularly good.

At the moment the flights to Malta are from Stuttgart and Cologne, and they would like to start flying from Hamburg in the autumn. Whether this will be allowed to happen though is problematic as Air Malta already serves the Hamburg route.

If flying from Hamburg to Malta doesn’t prove possible, the airline hopes that it will be able to increase the frequency of the routes it already has.

As well as boosting the Malta holidays and hotel market, the arrival of increased numbers of tourists from Germany could also impact the Malta property market.

Property inflation in Malta has been high in recent years, with joining the EU a factor, and joining the Euro currency another.

The majority of sales in the past to overseas property buyers have been to the UK and Irish markets. But if German tourism rises it’s possible that this will add presuure to property prices again if the German tourists decide they like Malta enough to invest in a villa or holiday apartment.

Preperations are underway for the Malta international Air Show, Malta’s annual air show which will draw tens of thousands of islanders and tourists to the event over the weekend of September 23 and 24.

Making the event a truly international one, as well as the Armed Forces of Malta participating, the French, Italian, Dutch Swiss and Spanish will all have planes and crew in attendance, plus the British Royal Air Force and US Air Force.

Among the planes taking part are two Alpha jets from France, one of which will be doing an aerial display, six F-16′s with two Dutch F-16′s flying, and from the RAF two Harriers and two Tornadoes, with one of the Harriers expected to do an aerial demonstration.

Ticket prices for the Saturday or Sunday are low compared to many international air shows, ensuring access is available to many of the Maltese population as well as enthusiasts and veterans who travel from around Europe for the weekend. Prices this year are 4.5 Maltese (around US ) for either day, with public transport to the show available throughout the island.

With the tourist season beginning to slow down, many of the hotels in Malta see the air show as a tourist attraction and organise transport to and from the event.

An advantage of holding the show in the second half of September is that the Malta weather can almost be assured to be good, with the all important clear skies allowing viewing of the participating planes.

Malta Transport

The air show is seen by many in the Malta holidays industry as evidence that Malta can produce events which will not only prove an attraction to those tourists already on the island, but also as part of a package of other attractions to draw new tourists to the island.

The first half of the year has been a disappointing one for the Malta holidays industry, with a drop in tourists for the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Commenting on the recently released figures showing a drop in visitors, one independent travel guide for Malta believes that events like the air show should be promoted more.

‘Malta needs good news’, they say, ‘and if potential tourists could see on a Malta map of events quality displays such as the air show it would be a good reason to visit the island.

The island needs to compete against other destinations in the Mediterranean, but while most of them are seeing an increase in visitor numbers, Malta is showing a drop’.

Many hoteliers and others in the holiday industry are hoping that cheap Malta flights might become a reality in the near future. There has been talk of low cost carriers from the UK and Ireland providing services to the island for some time now, but no deals have been struck yet.

Unemployment on the island is high at over 8 per cent, and tourism is a major employer, but many feel that the government is reluctant to see the national carrier Air Malta face potentially subsidised competiton. But by doing nothing the island faces the danger of the whole tourist industry suffering.

‘Malta can be a high quality destination with low cost fares’, comment the travel guide. ‘We already have good accommodation like the Malta Hilton, so potentially we can do it’.

Malta is hoping that the air show is a step in the right direction.

Malta is set for her annual international air show to be the best ever this year, with tens of thousands of islanders and tourists attending the event.

Making the event a truly international one, as well as the Armed Forces of Malta participating, the French, Italian, Dutch Swiss and Spanish will all have planes and crew in attendance, plus the British Royal Air Force and US Air Force.

Among the planes taking part are two Alpha jets from France, one of which will be doing an aerial display, six F-16′s with two Dutch F-16′s flying, and from the RAF two Harriers and two Tornados, with one of the Harriers expected to do an aerial demonstration.

Ticket prices for the Saturday or Sunday are low compared to many international air shows, ensuring access is available to many of the Maltese population as well as enthusiasts and veterans who travel from around Europe for the weekend. Prices this year are 4.5 Maltese (around US ) for either day, with public transport to the show available throughout the island.

With the tourist season beginning to slow down, many of the Malta hotels see the air show as a tourist attraction and organise transport to and from the event.

An advantage of holding the show in the second half of September is that the Malta weather can almost be assured to be good, with the all important clear skies allowing viewing of the participating planes.

Malta Airport

The air show is seen by many in the Malta holidays industry as evidence that Malta can produce events which will not only prove an attraction to those tourists already on the island, but also as part of a package of other attractions to draw new tourists to the island.

The first half of the year has been a disappointing one for the holiday to Malta industry, with a drop in tourists for the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Commenting on the recently released figures showing a drop in visitors, one independent travel guide for Malta http://www.yourmalta.com believes that events like the air show should be promoted more.

‘Malta needs good news’, they say, ‘and if potential tourists could see on a Malta map of events quality displays such as the air show it would be a good reason to visit the island.

The island needs to compete against other destinations in the Mediterranean, but while most of them are seeing an increase in visitor numbers, Malta is showing a drop’.

Many hoteliers and others in the holiday industry are hoping that cheap flights to Malta might become a reality in the near future. There has been talk of low cost carriers from the UK and Ireland providing services to the island for some time now, but no deals have been struck yet.

Unemployment on the island is high at over 8 per cent, and tourism is a major employer, but many feel that the government is reluctant to see the national carrier Air Malta face potentially subsidised competiton. But by doing nothing the island faces the danger of the whole tourist industry suffering.

‘Malta can be a high quality destination with low cost fares’, comment the travel guide. ‘We already have good accommodation like the Qawra Palace Hotel, so potentially we can do it’.

The airline that first brought low cost airlines to Malta has done well enough to start new routes to the island.

Ryanair, the Irish based low cost airline, were the first airline to win the right to fly to Malta from the island’s main markets for tourism of Ireland and the UK. The first route launched has been running between London’s Luton Airport since November, while the Dublin route had its inaugural flight in March. Both routes have attracted good seat occupancy levels, with tourist numbers in Malta rising.

The new route will run between Bremen in Germany to Malta and will be a welcome addition for Malta’s attempt to attract more German tourists to the island.

Operating three times a week, it is hoped that the first flights will begin in September. Before the new flights began last November, estimates suggested that the low cost airline could add an extra 80,000 tourists to the island in 2007, but this figure has been radically upgraded to double that.

Malta’s slow pace of life might have contributed to the late introduction of low cost flights compared to her competitors, or it could have been politicians and the tourist authorities more interested in protecting the island’s national airline with attitudes that the rest of Europe began to shrug off in the 80′s, but whatever the reason, now that Malta has allowed the low cost airlines, they can’t get enough of them.

The number of visitors to Malta is up nearly ten per cent this year, thanks mainly to the extra arrivals being delivered by the low cost airlines. And the extra holiday makers couldn’t have come at a better time as the island has seen steadily decreasing tourists numbers in recent years – the ultimate factor in the decision to allow the flights in.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and embraced the concept of low air fares whole heartedly. While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

Helping Malta’s image in the UK, Germany and other countries have been reports placing Malta at the top of tourist safety tables.

An American journalist last year placed the small Mediterranean island of Malta as one of the five safest travel destinations in the world, and a new report from the US this year confirms Malta as one of the safest vacation spots in the world.

This year’s report bears more official weight than the previous one by a travel writer, as it was compiled by the US State Department.

Commenting on Malta, the report praises the island for the non existence of organised crime, especially surprising perhaps given her proximity to mainland Italy – and closer still to Sicily.

A surprise for many who have driven in Malta is that the report considers the island’s roads to be safe. But this is backed up by official EU figures showing Malta has the lowest road related fatalities in the EU.

Regular travellers to Malta have never had it so good.

Not only has their choice of airline and airports serving Malta widened considerably, but the perennial favourite of many business and holiday travellers, Air Malta, has fought back against the new low cost airlines with reduced fares and offers of their own.

In their traditional market of flights from the UK to Malta, the airline started a new route from Liverpool’s John Lennon airport in May, serving the north-west of England.

As part of their offensive to retain current passengers and to tempt new ones to use the airline, Air Malta are offering clients the opportunity to book flights in advance for this autumn and winter with prices starting from around 20 Euros (around US ).

If successful the extra tourists for Malta in her off-peak months will be a welcome boost for the island’s hotels and holiday trade, coming off the back of a summer that could see a ten per cent rise in arrivals compared to last year.

With official tourism office statistics showing the rise in visitor figures for 2007 compared to 2006, a long period of decline has been reversed for people taking holidays in Malta.

With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and also embraced the concept of low air fares.

While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.

The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.

The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.

Helping Malta’s image in the UK, Germany and other countries have been reports placing Malta at the top of tourist safety tables.

An American journalist last year placed the small Mediterranean island of Malta as one of the five safest travel destinations in the world, and a new report from the US this year confirms Malta as one of the safest vacation spots in the world.

This year’s report bears more official weight than the previous one by a travel writer, as it was compiled by the US State Department.

Commenting on Malta, the report praises the island for the non existence of organised crime, especially surprising perhaps given her proximity to mainland Italy – and closer still to Sicily.

A surprise for many who have driven in Malta is that the report considers the island’s roads to be safe. But this is backed up by official EU figures showing Malta has the lowest road related fatalities in the EU.

Another airline has joined the race for the flight to Malta market, putting pressure on the low cost airlines already operating to Malta to further reduce their prices to stay ahead of their competition – all good news for consumers and the Malta hotels and holidays industry.
But unlike some of the airlines running operations to and from Malta, Click Air will be flying in the peak holiday months of June to October, bringing in around 12,000 tourists to the island, a fraction of the estimated 200,000 tourists anticipated during 2007 delivered by low cost airlines as a whole.
Regular travellers to Malta have never had it so good. Not only has their choice of airline and airports serving Malta widened considerably, but the perennial favourite of many business and holiday travellers, Air Malta, has fought back against the new low cost airlines with reduced fares and offers of their own.
In their traditional market of flights from the UK to Malta, the airline started a new route from Liverpool’s John Lennon airport in May, serving the north-west of England.
As part of their offensive to retain current passengers and to tempt new ones to use the airline, Air Malta are offering clients the opportunity to book flights in advance for this autumn and winter with prices starting from around 20 Euros (around US $25).
If successful the extra tourists for Malta in her off-peak months will be a welcome boost for the island’s hotels and holiday trade, coming off the back of a summer that could see a ten per cent rise in arrivals compared to last year.
With official tourism office statistics showing the rise in visitor figures for 2007 compared to 2006, a long period of decline has been reversed for people taking holidays in Malta.
With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and also embraced the concept of low air fares.
While Malta has previously received most of their visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has become possible as low cost airlines operate from most European countries, and the island is already receiving flights from Germany and Spain.
The country has let it be known that they will welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and other areas of Europe.
The u-turn is now complete, from a backward looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that sees a quick fix to Malta’s previous declining popularity as a holiday destination.
With low cost airlines including Malta as one of their destinations prospects are good for the Malta hotels and holidays industry.

Malta is set for her annual international air show to be the best ever this year, with tens of thousands of islanders and tourists attending the event.

Making the event a truly international one, as well as the Armed Forces of Malta participating, the French, Italian, Dutch Swiss and Spanish will all have planes and crew in attendance, plus the British Royal Air Force and US Air Force.

Among the planes taking part are two Alpha jets from France, one of which will be doing an aerial display, six F-16′s with two Dutch F-16′s flying, and from the RAF two Harriers and two Tornados, with one of the Harriers expected to do an aerial demonstration.

Ticket prices for the Saturday or Sunday are low compared to many international air shows, ensuring access is available to many of the Maltese population as well as enthusiasts and veterans who travel from around Europe for the weekend. Prices this year are 4.5 Maltese (around US $12) for either day, with public transport to the show available throughout the island.

With the tourist season beginning to slow down, many of the Malta hotels see the air show as a tourist attraction and organise transport to and from the event.

An advantage of holding the show in the second half of September is that the Malta weather can almost be assured to be good, with the all important clear skies allowing viewing of the participating planes.

The air show is seen by many in the Malta holidays industry as evidence that Malta can produce events which will not only prove an attraction to those tourists already on the island, but also as part of a package of other attractions to draw new tourists to the island.

The first half of the year has been a disappointing one for the holiday to Malta industry, with a drop in tourists for the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Commenting on the recently released figures showing a drop in visitors, one independent travel guide for Malta http://www.yourmalta.com believes that events like the air show should be promoted more.

‘Malta needs good news’, they say, ‘and if potential tourists could see on a Malta map of events quality displays such as the air show it would be a good reason to visit the island.

The island needs to compete against other destinations in the Mediterranean, but while most of them are seeing an increase in visitor numbers, Malta is showing a drop’.

Many hoteliers and others in the holiday industry are hoping that cheap flights to Malta might become a reality in the near future. There has been talk of low cost carriers from the UK and Ireland providing services to the island for some time now, but no deals have been struck yet.

Unemployment on the island is high at over 8 per cent, and tourism is a major employer, but many feel that the government is reluctant to see the national carrier Air Malta face potentially subsidised competiton. But by doing nothing the island faces the danger of the whole tourist industry suffering.

‘Malta can be a high quality destination with low cost fares’, comment the travel guide. ‘We already have good accommodation like the Qawra Palace Hotel, so potentially we can do it’.

Preperations are underway for the Malta international Air Show, Malta’s annual air show which will draw tens of thousands of islanders and tourists to the event over the weekend of September 23 and 24.

Making the event a truly international one, as well as the Armed Forces of Malta participating, the French, Italian, Dutch Swiss and Spanish will all have planes and crew in attendance, plus the British Royal Air Force and US Air Force.

Among the planes taking part are two Alpha jets from France, one of which will be doing an aerial display, six F-16′s with two Dutch F-16′s flying, and from the RAF two Harriers and two Tornadoes, with one of the Harriers expected to do an aerial demonstration.

Ticket prices for the Saturday or Sunday are low compared to many international air shows, ensuring access is available to many of the Maltese population as well as enthusiasts and veterans who travel from around Europe for the weekend. Prices this year are 4.5 Maltese (around US $12) for either day, with public transport to the show available throughout the island.

With the tourist season beginning to slow down, many of the hotels in Malta see the air show as a tourist attraction and organise transport to and from the event.

An advantage of holding the show in the second half of September is that the Malta weather can almost be assured to be good, with the all important clear skies allowing viewing of the participating planes.

The air show is seen by many in the Malta holidays industry as evidence that Malta can produce events which will not only prove an attraction to those tourists already on the island, but also as part of a package of other attractions to draw new tourists to the island.

The first half of the year has been a disappointing one for the Malta holidays industry, with a drop in tourists for the first six months of the year compared to the same period last year.

Commenting on the recently released figures showing a drop in visitors, one independent travel guide for Malta believes that events like the air show should be promoted more.

‘Malta needs good news’, they say, ‘and if potential tourists could see on a Malta map of events quality displays such as the air show it would be a good reason to visit the island.

The island needs to compete against other destinations in the Mediterranean, but while most of them are seeing an increase in visitor numbers, Malta is showing a drop’.

Many hoteliers and others in the holiday industry are hoping that cheap Malta flights might become a reality in the near future. There has been talk of low cost carriers from the UK and Ireland providing services to the island for some time now, but no deals have been struck yet.

Unemployment on the island is high at over 8 per cent, and tourism is a major employer, but many feel that the government is reluctant to see the national carrier Air Malta face potentially subsidised competiton. But by doing nothing the island faces the danger of the whole tourist industry suffering.

‘Malta can be a high quality destination with low cost fares’, comment the travel guide. ‘We already have good accommodation like the Malta Hilton, so potentially we can do it’.

Malta is hoping that the air show is a step in the right direction.