| Journal: TWUK | Section: |
| Title: | Issue Date: 05/06/00 |
| Author: | Page Number: 37 |
| Copyright: Other |
Agents’ choice
UK promotional budget: £1.1m, running from January to December this year.
Training initiatives:audio-visual presentations. Up to 1,000 agents are being taken on educationals to Malta this year. The roadshow series starts in July.
Promotional material: special-interest A5 leaflets have information on archaeology, athletics, golf, diving, food and honeymoons. Other items include a hotel guide, events calendar, tour operator listing and walking tour leaflets.
Contact details: Malta Tourist Office, Malta House, 36-38 Piccadilly, London W1V 0PP. Tel: 020-7292 4900. Fax: 020-7734 1880.
Gozo: a short distance from Malta, the island is a popular place to visit
“We don’t want Malta to be measured on price,” said Montague. “Our attractions blend into a rich cocktail that appeals to all categories of visitor.”
The 2000/02 strategic plan calls for aggressive targeting of the incentive market – a market that Montague describes as “weak” in the UK.
“Malta attracts more incentive groups from mainland Europe than the UK because distances are shorter. But we should be doing much better than we are,” he said.
The plan also seeks a more even spread of tourists throughout the year to relieve pressure on the summer.
Of the total number of Malta’s arrivals, 74% come in the April-October period. The plan also sets out to increase visitors’ holiday spend by upgrading cultural attractions.
According to the Malta Tourist Office the average holiday package costs £392 for nine days, with customers spending an average of £185 in the destination.
Montague is looking for a 10% increase in UK visitor numbers this year and the early signs are good.
“Indications so far are for a healthy increase – it could go higher than 10%,” he said.
“In the past, too many operators have been offering the same product in exactly the same way. Whether it’s weekends away, cultural tours or diving, we need to make it different. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be sending 700,000 people from the UK each year but to achieve that, we need to repackage Malta for different market segments.”
MALTA is strengthening its marketing efforts with a new £1.1m UK promotional budget – the largest for 10 years.
The country is keen to attract younger visitors, particularly after the recent decline of its major market of the over-50s age group.
Arrivals from the UK fell by 6% to 422,368 last year. More importantly, the UK market supplied just 35% of Malta’s total 1.2m tourist intake – the lowest percentage ever.
Malta Tourist Office UK and Ireland director John Montague said: “We’re very keen to maintain our key over-50s market, who look on Malta as a safe country that’s easy to get to and a former colony where English is spoken.
“But we also need to target a younger market – people between 25 and 45 who are keen to experience the culture of the islands and enjoy the water sports and cafe life.”
Though Malta’s inclusion in Virgin Holidays’ winter 2000/01 programme is seen as a step in the right direction, Montague wants the islands to be featured by more short-break operators.
“Diving is another younger person’s niche area. We’re getting up to 10,000 divers a year – again, that number should be increased,” he said.
One tool for driving up numbers is the Malta 2000 roadshow. Having already toured Ireland, it sets out in Britain next month. The core message will be to regard Malta as a holiday destination for young people, said Montague.
Malta’s current advertising is focusing on friendliness of the Maltese people rather than specific attractions.
Meanwhile, a three-year strategic plan just released by the Malta Tourism Authority is looking to make the destination less price-sensitive, while stepping up marketing in the UK.
“We don’t want Malta to be measured on price,” said Montague. “Our attractions blend into a rich cocktail that appeals to all categories of visitor.”
The 2000/02 strategic plan calls for aggressive targeting of the incentive market – a market that Montague describes as “weak” in the UK.
“Malta attracts more incentive groups from mainland Europe than the UK because distances are shorter. But we should be doing much better than we are,” he said.
The plan also seeks a more even spread of tourists throughout the year to relieve pressure on the summer.
Of the total number of Malta’s arrivals, 74% come in the April-October period. The plan also sets out to increase visitors’ holiday spend by upgrading cultural attractions.
According to the Malta Tourist Office the average holiday package costs £392 for nine days, with customers spending an average of £185 in the destination.
Montague is looking for a 10% increase in UK visitor numbers this year and the early signs are good.
“Indications so far are for a healthy increase – it could go higher than 10%,” he said.
“In the past, too many operators have been offering the same product in exactly the same way. Whether it’s weekends away, cultural tours or diving, we need to make it different. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be sending 700,000 people from the UK each year but to achieve that, we need to repackage Malta for different market segments.”
MALTA is strengthening its marketing efforts with a new £1.1m UK promotional budget – the largest for 10 years.
The country is keen to attract younger visitors, particularly after the recent decline of its major market of the over-50s age group.
Arrivals from the UK fell by 6% to 422,368 last year. More importantly, the UK market supplied just 35% of Malta’s total 1.2m tourist intake – the lowest percentage ever.
Malta Tourist Office UK and Ireland director John Montague said: “We’re very keen to maintain our key over-50s market, who look on Malta as a safe country that’s easy to get to and a former colony where English is spoken.
“But we also need to target a younger market – people between 25 and 45 who are keen to experience the culture of the islands and enjoy the water sports and cafe life.”
Though Malta’s inclusion in Virgin Holidays’ winter 2000/01 programme is seen as a step in the right direction, Montague wants the islands to be featured by more short-break operators.
“Diving is another younger person’s niche area. We’re getting up to 10,000 divers a year – again, that number should be increased,” he said.
One tool for driving up numbers is the Malta 2000 roadshow. Having already toured Ireland, it sets out in Britain next month. The core message will be to regard Malta as a holiday destination for young people, said Montague.
Malta’s current advertising is focusing on friendliness of the Maltese people rather than specific attractions.
Meanwhile, a three-year strategic plan just released by the Malta Tourism Authority is looking to make the destination less price-sensitive, while stepping up marketing in the UK.
“We don’t want Malta to be measured on price,” said Montague. “Our attractions blend into a rich cocktail that appeals to all categories of visitor.”
The 2000/02 strategic plan calls for aggressive targeting of the incentive market – a market that Montague describes as “weak” in the UK.
“Malta attracts more incentive groups from mainland Europe than the UK because distances are shorter. But we should be doing much better than we are,” he said.
The plan also seeks a more even spread of tourists throughout the year to relieve pressure on the summer.
Of the total number of Malta’s arrivals, 74% come in the April-October period. The plan also sets out to increase visitors’ holiday spend by upgrading cultural attractions.
According to the Malta Tourist Office the average holiday package costs £392 for nine days, with customers spending an average of £185 in the destination.
Montague is looking for a 10% increase in UK visitor numbers this year and the early signs are good.
“Indications so far are for a healthy increase – it could go higher than 10%,” he said.
“In the past, too many operators have been offering the same product in exactly the same way. Whether it’s weekends away, cultural tours or diving, we need to make it different. There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be sending 700,000 people from the UK each year but to achieve that, we need to repackage Malta for different market segments.”