The provision of accommodation is a crucial factor in the success of the English-language teaching market, and will be one of the aspects taken into account in a comprehensive national review of the sector being undertaken by Deloitte.

James Perry, FELTOM CEO said: “While this industry has shown growth, it was noted that certain critical success factors such as the provision of accommodation needs to be sustained in the long run.”

The review is being financed by the Malta Tourism Authority in collaboration with the Federation for English Language Teaching Organisations in Malta (FELTOM), which has been monitoring the industry for the past eight years.

The review make recommendations to strengthen the sector and address the challenges ahead.

After 30 years this industry has established itself as one of the niche segments of the tourism sector. According to official figures, the ELT industry is contributing to around 3.9% of total tourist arrivals, 10.7% of total guest nights and 8.1% of total tourist expenditure annually.

MTA executive chairman Gavin Gulia also noted the growing trend of professionals who come to the Maltese islands in winter to do an intensive crash course of English, in order to help them at work or progress in their field. These mature students often stayed at more luxurious accommodation and on occasion came down with their family, which was a boost for the economy in the post-summer months, he said.