Tourism improvement expected 'from June'

Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech said yesterday that although the first three months of this year had been difficult for the tourism sector, April saw a 5.4 per cent rise in arrivals. Altogether, this meant that arrivals in the first four months of the year would be level to last year's.

The situation was expected to improve as from June, partly thanks to the exposure Malta got when it joined the EU, the minister told a political conference at Luqa.

He stressed that the cut announced recently in the budget of the Malta Tourism Authority would not involve the funds it had allocated for marketing.

Dr Zammit Dimech said saving money where it could be saved was, after all, another way of ensuring competitiveness. The government would, however, continue to give tourism priority and do everything possible for more people to discover the country's attractions.

He said the government was against introducing a tax on tourism as this reduced competitiveness.

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi, who also addressed the conference, referred to the party's manifesto for the European Parliament elections, which was launched on Saturday.

This, he said, was a statement of principle about the areas to which Nationalist Party MEPs would give priority in the coming years.

He said the European People's Party, of which the PN formed part, shared the same beliefs as the PN and would strengthen the PN's voice.

The five principles on which the PN's manifesto was based were the development of human resources, the economy, the environment, solidarity and peace and security in the region.

Dr Gonzi said he was willing to trust all the PN's candidates with his, his family's and the country's future.

Deputy prime minister Tonio Borg said that through EU membership, Malta was playing in the premier division.

It would next week be taking part in a summit between the EU25 and Latin America. Following membership, the country's relevance had become much bigger than its size, he said.

On local councils, Dr Borg said that through the councils, the PN had given every locality on the island an identity.

The different characteristics of each locality had been brought to the fore. Although Malta remained one country, it was one country of many different colours.

Dr Gonzi said that where the councils had really worked for the benefit of their locality, they had brought about a big change but where they only aimed at hindering the government's programme, the localities they represented fell behind.

The people, he said, should choose Nationalist Party candidates because the PN was promoting candidates who would work for the benefit of their locality.