Conference, incentive travel up

Research conducted by the Malta Tourism Authority shows that overall, conference and incentive travel performed slightly better last year when compared to 2003.

And expectations for this year appear to be positive, the MTA added.

The research was conducted by the MTA's strategic planning and research division among local destination management companies.

It highlights the importance of providing quality facilities and services in order to encourage repeat business for leisure purposes.

The survey revealed that the average budget per delegate in 2003 was of Lm309, inclusive of accommodation, transfers, meals and entertainment, with an average stay of three nights.

Total earnings for Malta from the conference and incentive segment, including expenditure during stay, amounted to Lm23 million.

In the first six months of 2004, the average budget per delegate was Lm355, while the total earnings for Malta during the whole of last year are estimated to have reached Lm27 million.

The main markets for international conferences were the UK, the Benelux region and Germany. In terms of the incentive outbound market to Malta, Germany ranked first, followed by France, the UK and Italy.

The majority of delegates stayed in five-star accommodation and one third of incentive delegates stayed in four-star accommodation.

The research reveals that Air Malta carried the majority of conference and incentive delegates, while Lufthansa and Alitalia also flew in a significant share of delegates.

In line with international trends, medical and technological meetings and incentives represented the bulk of business to Malta.

The findings show that Malta can develop its potential to increase earnings from conference and incentive business by encouraging visiting delegates to extend their trip for leisure purposes, the MTA said.