| Official statistics have shown the holiday island of | | | | Before the new flights began last November, |
| Malta has enjoyed a ten per cent rise in arrivals this | | | | estimates suggested that the low cost airline could |
| year compared to last. | | | | add an extra 80,000 tourists to the island in 2007, |
| Low cost airlines started flying to Malta in November | | | | but this figure has been radically upgraded to double |
| 2006, and as well as showing the rise in visitors, the | | | | that. |
| figures show that the tourists haven't diluted the | | | | Malta's slow pace of life might have contributed to |
| amount spent per person. | | | | the late introduction of low cost flights compared to |
| One of the concerns some in the tourist industry had | | | | her competitors, or it could have been politicians and |
| before the island agreed to allow low cost flights was | | | | the tourist authorities more interested in protecting |
| that the amount spent per passenger arrival would | | | | the island's national airline with attitudes that the rest |
| be lower than the status quo. | | | | of Europe began to shrug off in the 80's, but |
| But these fears have proved to be unfounded as | | | | whatever the reason, now that Malta has allowed |
| expenditure from tourists rose 12 per cent, with | | | | the low cost airlines, they can't get enough of them. |
| inflation taken into account the figures show that the | | | | The number of visitors to Malta is up ten per cent |
| passengers arriving on a low cost flight were | | | | this year, thanks mainly to the extra arrivals being |
| spending as much as those on more expensive travel. | | | | delivered by the low cost airlines. And the extra |
| With the main summer holiday season still to be | | | | holiday makers couldn't have come at a better time |
| taken into account the overall rise in visitor numbers | | | | as the island has seen steadily decreasing tourists |
| for Malta could be as high as 15 per cent. | | | | numbers in recent years - the ultimate factor in the |
| The airline that first brought low cost airlines to Malta | | | | decision to allow the flights in. |
| has done well enough to start new routes to the | | | | With tourism numbers up, tourism chiefs have seen |
| island. | | | | the magic bullet that has driven the statistics, and |
| Ryanair, the Irish based low cost airline, were the | | | | embraced the concept of low air fares whole |
| first airline to win the right to fly to Malta from the | | | | heartedly. |
| island's main markets for tourism of Ireland and the | | | | While Malta has previously received most of their |
| UK. | | | | visitors from the UK, the idea of diversification has |
| The first route launched has been running between | | | | become possible as low cost airlines operate from |
| London's Luton Airport since November, while the | | | | most European countries, and the island is already |
| Dublin route had its inaugural flight in March. Both | | | | receiving flights from Germany and Spain. |
| routes have attracted good seat occupancy levels, | | | | The country has let it be known that they will |
| with tourist numbers in Malta rising. | | | | welcome applications for flights from Scandanavia and |
| The new route will run between Bremen in Germany | | | | other areas of Europe. |
| to Malta and will be a welcome addition for Malta's | | | | The u-turn is now complete, from a backward |
| attempt to attract more German tourists to the | | | | looking slow to respond tourist office, to one that |
| island. Operating three times a week, it is hoped that | | | | sees a quick fix to Malta's previous declining popularity |
| the first flights will begin in September. | | | | as a holiday destination. |