The government is considering ways to encourage tourists to come to Malta, such as by offering pre-paid cards with money to spend on the island, Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said on Thursday.

She made her comment at an MHRA webinar where it was revealed that according to a study, just six per cent of hoteliers believe the tourism industry will recover from the fallout of COVID-19 before the end of next year. 

The study, by Deloitte (see pdf below), showed that hoteliers have a bleak view of the future, with many saying they are actually more concerned now than when the pandemic first hit in March. 

The study was commissioned by the MHRA (Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association). 

It also showed that 17 per cent of those surveyed feared that pre-coronavirus numbers will only start being registered in 2024 and beyond. 

Over three-quarters of the respondents – 78 per cent – were also worried about the state of the industry actually getting worse.

“Phase one was keeping their head afloat. Everybody is now trying to work out what to do in the future. Results of the summer might contribute but the general consensus is that it will not ease the problem,” Deloitte’s Raphael Aloisio, who presented the result, said. 

He said that moving forward, the country needed to think strategically in order to address these issues. 

‘We are here lobbying for everybody, not just the capitalists’

Meanwhile, MHRA president Tony Zahra insisted the association lobbied for the entire industry and “not just the capitalists”. 

“The tourism industry is about the farmer, the karozzin operator, the taxi driver, the owner of the small shop in the corner. 

“The industry is about a lot of people offering a service,” Zahra said. 

Admitting that some, even members of MHRA, had voiced concern at the association’s position on the reopening of the airport, Zahra said this was ultimately what was needed in order to save thousands of jobs.

“One thing I can assure everybody is that we are seeking to re-ignite the industry by placing Malta at the top of people’s mind when it comes to safety.

“Safety will be a prime concern so the message that Malta is a safe country to come to must reach several consumers. We need to present the best face of Malta. We have to stimulate more seats going out and once we have the seats, you have to make sure the passengers actually come here,” Zahra said. 

Earlier, Tourism Minister Julia Farrugia Portelli said the government was identifying ways to encourage tourists to come to Malta, such as by offering pre-paid cards with money to spend on the island. 

She said since the reopening of the airport, 23,000 passengers had travelled to the island via air travel while a further 2,300 came to the island on the catamaran from Sicily. The latter figure only covered the number of tourists.

Malta lifted its ban on travel between the island and a select number of countries earlier in July. More countries were added to the list on Wednesday.