Visitmalta bus meeting objectives - MTA

The Malta Tourism Authority argued that balance had to be struck between the inclusion of important visitor attractions and limiting the journey time of the Visitmalta bus route introduced by the authority.

Increasing the journey time would have made the service less attractive for potential users, the MTA said, replying to criticism by Marsascala shop owners and retailers who complained that Marsascala was omitted from the route, following detailed discussions between the Malta Transport Authority, the Public Transport Association and the MTA.

The MTA said the service connected areas where there was a high concentration of tourism accommodation like Sliema, St Julians and St Paul's Bay to areas or sites with important visitor attractions such as Hagar Qim, Marsaxlokk and Cottonera which were frequently mentioned in guidebooks and brochures but which were not easily accessible.

A far greater number of tourists now had the opportunity to visit these sites and there was an added advantage that the mode of transport, the Malta bus, was an attraction in its own right.

The MTA added that the service was designed and developed not to benefit one particular area over another but to increase the attraction of Malta as a whole.

Positive feedback from tourists confirmed that the objectives of this initiative were being met, the MTA said.