Air Malta to operate Reggio-Rome flights

Luqa, 16/12/05 - Air Malta will be operating five flights a week from Reggio di Calabria to Rome next summer, it was announced this morning by Giuseppe Scopelliti - mayor of Reggio - and Dominic Attard - KM's chief officer strategic planning.

The flights will operate between Mondays and Fridays, leaving Reggio for Rome's Leonardo da Vinci at 08:30 and from Rome to Reggio at 18:30. Since the flights will be operated in conjunction with the current Air Malta schedule to Rome, the latter will be retimed to accommodate these flights. KM will retain its direct, Monday to Friday service between Rome and Malta; departing Rome at 12:00 and will retime the Malta to Rome sector to 16:00.

The new schedule means that between Monday and Friday passengers will have a choice of either flying direct to Rome from Malta or taking a detour via Reggio.

At weekends Air Malta will be retaining its current Malta-Rome-Malta schedule.

"The Reggio-Rome flights are an extension of Air Malta's daily service to Rome and the airline is not reducing any seat capacity from its Malta base, commented Attard.

"We remain committed to the Maltese community. However we need to grow our business beyond our shores and are doing so in line with our strategic vision for our airline.  These developments will increase the possibilities for connectivity, continue to provide options to the travelling public and ensure that we are supporting tourism to our country", he added.

 "We are increasing our activities in the intra-European market because we believe that there are opportunities which make sense to us and because we have the courage to compete" said Attard. "Domestic operations have their own characteristics which are different to international ones.  We have been studying this route for months to ensure that we can make a success of it. We are convinced that it will add to our intra-EU services". Last April Air Malta launched its first intra-European services between Catania and London Gatwick and is now planning to expand this operation.

Westin opens restyled business centre

St Julian's, 16/12/05 - The Westin Dragonara Resort has revamped its business centre. Now known as the Westin Vodafone Business Centre it comes complete with workstations loaded with the latest software, broadband access, high speed WiFi internet, a lounge area, a library and a bar.

A dedicated reception team, available from 08:008 until 20:00, offers full secretarial support plus printing, faxing, typing, binding and photocopying.

Three large board rooms - one featuring its own sea view terrace - are equipped with the latest in technology and feature automatic controlled screens and projectors as well as minibars and coffee-making machines.

KM leases Airbus for '07 delivery

Mosta, 16/12/05 - Air Malta is leasing a new Airbus A320-200 from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC).

The aircraft will be powered by CFM56-5B4/P engines and is scheduled to be delivered in March 2007. The lease is for 12 years.

This will be the twelfth A319/A320 family aircraft leased to Air Malta by ILFC.

ILFC is the international market leader in the leasing and remarketing of commercial jet aircraft to airlines around the world. The company owns a portfolio valued at more than $39 billion, consisting of nearly 750 jet aircraft.

Hotels report profitable summer

Sliema, 15/12/05 - Malta's hotels had a good summer, according to the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) accommodation survey for Q3. The survey, carried out by Deloitte and published this morning, showed that there were widespread increases in occupancy and average achieved room rates (AARR) in July, August and September.

In the five star sector room occupancy rose by six points from 82 to 88 per cent for the period, whilst AARR rose by 2.4 per cent from Lm40.32 to Lm41.29. Gross operating profit margins rose from 32.1 per cent to 34.3 per cent. GOP per available room for the period rose from Lm1,182 to Lm2,016. Ninety six per cent of five star rooms were covered by the Deloitte survey.

In the four star sector room occupancy rose by two per cent from 90 per cent to 92 per cent for the period, whilst AARR rose by 3.8 per cent from Lm19.44 to Lm20.18. Gross operating profit margins rose from 38.7 per cent to 39.1 per cent. GOP per available room for the period rose from Lm1,116 to Lm1,164. Sixty five per cent of four star rooms were covered by the survey.

In the three star segment, room occupancy rose by six per cent from 84 per cent to 90 per cent for the period, whilst AARR rose by 3.8 per cent from Lm13.07 to Lm13.57. Gross operating profit margins were practically unchanged at 42.3 per cent. GOP per available room for the period rose from Lm667 to Lm748. One third of all three star rooms were covered by the survey, "therefore care must be taken in extrapolating them to the whole three star sector". Deloitte cautions.

Whilst the number of tourists was up by 1.5 per cent in July, August and September, the mix of nationalities had changed substantially. There was a record 16 per cent increase in the number of British tourists following increased flight capacity from the UK, which masked falls in arrivals from practically every other major market including Germany, Italy, France and the Benelux. There was also a small reduction in the mix of tour operator business relative to other sources of business.

Commenting on these results, Nick Captur from Deloitte explained: "This time the survey reports a bit of a bonanza for the hotel sector, with improvements in both occupancy and rate, leading to increases in profitability. This was also widespread across many hotels in most categories and was not just confined to the large or the new hotels. We haven't had such a positive survey report in quite a while. However the cumulative results for the nine months to September remain affected by the weak start to the year as previously reported so that the cumulative results are not as strongly positive as those for Q3 in isolation.

"It must be said however that with a seven per cent fall in the number of rooms compared to last year, part of the good results may also be attributed to the reduction in spare capacity rather than underlying growth. There were also some new hotels that were due to be open in time for summer which were not, so their business had to be relocated to the benefit of the existing hotels", Captur added.

On an international basis Deloitte's HotelBenchmark survey published in London suggested that the increase in occupancy levels at the top end of the market in Malta during Q3 was higher than in the Costa del Sol, Mallorca, Cyprus and the Canary islands, although Cyprus had the highest increase in AARR.

The positive results of the Q3 survey were also reflected in industry prospects for the next six month. The survey found that all five star hotels are expecting better or unchanged occupancy levels compared to last year whilst all four star hotels are expecting better or unchanged rates over the next six months.

Commenting about the survey findings, Justin Zammit Tabona, MHRA president said: "For the first time in quite a while we are encouraged to see some positive results emerging from the hotel survey."

Queen salvages MTA’s 'failures', estate agent claims

Mosta, 09/12/05 – Tribune Properties, a British-based company specialising in overseas properties, including Malta, has just issued a press release claiming that Queen Elizabeth’s visit at the end of November came at the right time for local hotels and holiday companies hoping for a good 2006.

The company slams the MTA for having failed to promote the islands as a mass market destination "in recent years".

"Malta missed some of her own government's tourist targets in 2005, but a recent visit by Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh resulted in four days of positive media coverage in the islands’ most important market - the United Kingdom - and also in over 50 other countries attending the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, including Canada and Australia", says Tribune Properties’s release.

At this point the release provides some history about the islands; essentially that Malta was a British colony and was awarded the George Cross.

"As well as the challenge of drawing tourists away from other Mediterranean islands like Mallorca and Menorca, Malta has had to face the additional challenge of new holiday destinations in the former Eastern bloc opening up, such as Bulgaria and Croatia, which tend to be cheaper.

"But where the Maltese tourist board has singularly failed to market the islands’ appeal to the mass holiday market with any degree of success in recent years, the Queen's visit has come at the right time for hotels and holiday companies hoping for a good 2006", declares the Guildford-based company.

Tribune Properties on goes to say that: "Malta is not a high priority on the list of holiday destinations for many British people compared to the Spanish costas, Canary and Balearic islands. The visit of the Queen showed Malta in a very positive light, and hopefully the islands’ tourist officials will be able to capitalise on the trip and increase hotel and holiday bookings in the months ahead.

“Given Malta's past record of promotion though if 2006 sees an increase in visitors it will be despite of the official promotions, and not because of it".

At this point in the release, the company exhibits its ignorance of EU and local regulations by saying that low cost carriers have been given "the right" to operate to Malta.

"More good news for the Malta holiday industry came in October with the announcement that low cost airlines had been given the right to fly to the island.

"This will help both the hotel and property industries in Malta”.

MTA goes hardcore on values, sponsors CNN weather reports

Valletta, 08/12/05 - 'Heritage', 'hospitality' and 'diversity' are the core values that will underpin the branding of the Maltese islands, the Malta Tourism Authority announced at its annual conference held yesterday at the Mediterranean Conference Centre.

Branding the islands is "possibly the most important project that the MTA will be undertaking in the coming years", executive chairman Romwald Lungaro-Mifsud, said.

He explained that the authority would be looking for a design company "that has the resources to undertake the communication of the brand, on an international scale". There are also plans to develop an internal branding campaign that will target industry stakeholders and subsequently, the general public. "It is crucial that all those who work in this industry subscribe to the basic promise which the brand will make to the international traveller and seek to deliver a world-class product,” added Lungaro-Mifsud.

With regard to the restructuring of the MTA, Lungaro-Mifsud elaborated on the authority's new organigram - the MTA's latest buzzword - which envisages the setting up of four directorates: marketing and sales, product planning, the regulatory function, as well as a directorate responsible for corporate services. Other key units, research and business planning, brand communications and human resources, will form part of the office of the executive chairman.

The restructuring has also seen the consolidation of resources at the MTA and the Ministry for Tourism and Culture, with the merging of EU affairs and policy development, events and IT departments.

"We are well into the process of applying new work practices which will allow us to perform more effectively and efficiently against set objectives and targets. A high degree of accountability is also being introduced throughout the organisation", said Lungaro-Mifsud.

The executive chairman also announced the new set-up of the authority's marketing and sales directorate, restructured along the lines of defined market segments, rather than on a geographical basis: "Every segment is unique, hence the need for specialisation in our marketing and sales strategy, especially in the scenario of an ever-crowded marketplace".

The restructuring of the authority's overseas sales network and the way this operates has also been finalised. Whilst the MTA offices in the UK and Germany will be retained "to minimise the inevitable impact of adopting a new business model", representatives have been appointed in all the other markets. These will operate on a retainer and incentive basis and work to set targets. (See MTA poised for leading industry role.)

Minister for Tourism and Culture Francis Zammit Dimech gave the opening address at the conference. Later, branding consultant Christian Sinding explained the process by which a product - in this case a country - is branded. Sinding was contracted by the MTA in early summer to develop the new branding system and prepare the groundwork for a brand communications programme.

Former MTA chief executive Leslie Vella, now head of research and business planning, presented the findings of surveys that were carried out to test the brand's core values in Malta's source markets. Essentially, tourists and prospective travellers to the islands all agreed that Malta is diverse, hospitable, has a rich heritage and is worth a visit.

The authority’s director for marketing and sales, Jeffrey Cutajar, explained that the MTA's interim international advertising programmes for 2006 have been streamlined into one cohesive campaign, incorporating the new brand core values. The new campaign was prepared jointly by French and Dutch advertising agencies. Cutajar also announced that the MTA was close to signing a deal with CNN to sponsor the TV network's weather reports.

Westin adopts Malta's smoke-free policy

White Plains, 08/12/05 - Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announces that Westin will become the first hotel chain to introduce a brand-wide smoke-free policy. Effective January 2006, all 77 Westin hotels in the US, Canada and the Caribbean will go 100 per cent smoke-free including all guestrooms and public areas.

Westin consumer data shows that 92 per cent of its guests request a non-smoking room when travelling and do not smoke in any part of the hotel, including public areas. In addition, Westin conducted a Smoke-Free poll that shows the majority of consumers who travel prefer a smoke-free environment.

The poll found that 86 per cent agree that creating a non-smoking environment is an important first step in creating a healthier environment and 80 per cent prefer when restaurants and other indoor public spaces are free of cigarette and cigar smoke. In addition, Westin has eight hotels in its portfolio that have a smoke-free policy in place - the Westin Dragonara in St Julian's being one of them - which has resulted in overwhelming positive feedback from guests.

Gozo restaurant voted best on the islands, but Blue Elephant has finest loos

St Julian's, 06/12/05 - A restaurant in Gozo has been rated "top overall" on the basis of food, service and ambience in the annual survey conducted by the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants. Another restaurant in Gozo was voted joint-second.

It is the first time that restaurants in Gozo have been rated so highly.

More than 600 regular diners took part in the survey, voting for their favourite restaurants on the islands. As each respondent claims to eat out at least twice a week, this is the equivalent of at least 60,000 individual dining experiences.

Ta' Frenc, a converted 14th Century farmhouse on the road between Victoria and Marsalforn, scored highest in all categories overall and joint-highest, with Mange Tout in Xemxija, for food. It was also voted the most popular venue for business entertaining. Patrick Buttigieg's It-Tmun-Victoria, which opened only two years ago and won awards last year for both food and wine, was rated joint-second overall, along with four restaurants in Malta. Both Gozitan restaurants also won top awards for their wine lists.

The results were revealed last night when Francis Zammit Dimech, Minister for Tourism and Culture, presented awards at the Guide's gala dinner - which has established itself over the last five years as the most prestigious food event in Malta - at the InterContinental Malta.

The Guide lists the 150 most highly rated of Malta's 1,000-plus dining venues based on food, service and ambience, the number of satisfied customers responding, and their comments. For the 2006 edition, launched last night, 28 restaurants had been included to replace 28 whose popularity ratings had diminished during the past year.

Commemorative plates were presented to the highest-rated among the 150 that were listed.

The Hilton Malta's Blue Elephant scored highest for both service and ambience and was rated joint-second overall, sharing this placing with It-Tmun-Victoria, Mange Tout, Oceana (Hilton Malta), and Quadro (Westin Dragonara Resort).

Ta' Frenc's wine list was voted both most popular generally and best for fine wine. Ta'Marija, in Mosta, had the best list of Maltese wines; the de Mondion (Xara Palace Relais & Chateux) list was best in terms of presentation and accessibility; and the It-Tmun-Victoria wine list was rated best wine list overall. The wine awards were supported by Marsovin, who, with HSBC, support the Guide.

The restaurants that received awards based on food, service, ambience and overall ratings were:

Ta' Frenc (Gozo); the Blue Elephant, It-Tmun-Victoria; Oceana; Quadro; Mange Tout (all rated joint-second); Bacchus; the Lord Nelson; Zest; Gazebo; Phoenix; de Mondion; Le Petillant; Zeri's; The Arches; Il Carrubo (Gozo); Ambrosia; Sa Re Ga Ma; Rickshaw ; Can Thai; Eastern Breeze; Buffalo Bill's; Huan Yuan (Gozo); Kon Tiki; Qui Si Sana; Rubino Ristorante; Fra Martino; Hibiki; L'Ordine; Nostalgia; Wigi's; Jakarta; Barracuda; Bottego del Vino; Giuseppi's; Casino di Venezia; Peppino's; Da Pippo; Ristorante Michelangelo and The Avenue.

Additional presentations were made to Ta'Marija - best Maltese food (sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture); Blue Elephant - best for romantic dining (sponsored by Menumaker) and also best restaurant toilets (sponsored by Xedo bathrooms); Ta' Frenc - best for business entertaining (sponsored by Michael Attard & Co); The Avenue - rated best value for money (sponsored by the Catering Centre) and also most children-friendly.