Tour operator threatens to abandon Malta

There are fears for the future of tourism to Malta amid threats from a major tour operator to ditch the destination.

At a meeting with tourism bosses this week, First Choice reportedly threatened to pull out if it did not receive a “substantial” subsidy from the island¹s government to run programmes beyond 2007.

First Choice’s tough stance comes almost a year after six UK operators met Malta¹s tourism minister Francis Zammit Dimech to warn that the country was becoming increasingly difficult to sell.

They complained that the island¹s bedstock, predominately three and four-star, was much more expensive than that of rivals such as Turkey, and there had been few improvement since the 1980s.

Hoteliers on the island fear the departure of First Choice could spark a mass exodus by major operators and are furious that the Malta Tourism Authority has not offered to increase financial support to UK holiday companies.   Some have threatened to stop paying contributions to the authority and to market themselves through the local hoteliers’ association.

First Choice confirmed the meeting had taken place, but refused to comment further. However, a source said the company had been unable to reverse a long-term decline in sales to Malta, which appeals to an older client base.

“First Choice is looking to pull out of every destination where it doesn¹t make money, and it doesn’t make money in Malta,” said an industry insider.

A First Choice spokeswoman said: “All we’ll say is that Malta is in our current programme.”

Michael Piscopo, the MTA director in London, was unavailable for comment.

Thomson confirmed it will offer Malta for 2007. Planning and trading director David Burling said: “Malta is an established product. It¹s steady.”

Cosmos dropped its charter programme to the island last summer, but still offers packages using scheduled flights. Thomas Cook also confirmed it would be selling Malta in 2007.

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