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by
Michael Johnson
The Irish
based pioneering 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 flight to Malta deals 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 of all their
members.
About the
Author
Information
about Malta, including a map and Malta holidays are available at YourMalta.com
For holiday
makers keen to get some sunshine, as well as the Malta weather the
guide also includes the weather in Rome and a
forecast for Milan.
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