away from anything else. You can detach yourself and visit local bars and restaurants for variety.
“We consider them to be all-inclusives for beginners.”
He added: “But that is not to say that quality is in any way lacking. The service is excellent, quality is up to international standards and each has a range of outlets for dining.”
Repeat clients are also being attracted to the product.
Zahra said: “It will give repeat visitors an extra reason to come back. We’ve got a certain amount of migration from bed and breakfast and half-board accommodation, as repeat visitors look for something new.”
Properties range from established fully all-inclusives such as the Fortina and Topaz to hotels with an all-inclusive option, such as the newly opened four-star Soreda in Qawra and the long-established Ramla Bay Resort in the north of the island.
Other properties with an all-inclusive option include the Concorde, Crown, Preluna, Tigne Court and Windsor.
Zahra said initial fears that hotels would be unable to cater satisfactorily for all-inclusive and half-board guests at the same time had proved unfounded.
“At first, we were reluctant to feature hotels that offered just an all-inclusive option. From an operational point of view, we thought they would always have to check whether the client was staying on an all-inclusive or half-board basis,” he said.
“But hotels that have chosen not to go fully all-inclusive are managing their business well and are offering a good level of service.”
He added: “All-inclusive is a great product for agents to sell, as it earns them commission on the client’s spend in resort.”
Panorama sales and marketing director Martin Young also viewed all-inclusives with unease in the product’s early days. “I was sceptical about all-inclusives in Malta at first,” he admitted.
“But the Crown in Bugibba has proved our strongest seller – it’s head and shoulders above all else. It scores very well on food and service and its prices are competitive.”
He added: “Malta lends itself well to the all-inclusive concept, especially in summer.
“Where there’s a vast selection of beaches, people want to be mobile, but that’s not the case with Malta.”
Sunspot managing director Martin Bugeja has great faith in Malta all-inclusives – seven feature for summer 2000. “They are popular because they allow people to budget,” he said.
“All-inclusives haven’t peaked yet. They are attracting the type of client who would have booked a full-board holiday a few years ago – that’s the way package holidays started.”
The Fortina, which set the all-inclusive ball rolling in the mid-1990s, is Unijet’s best Malta seller, said short-haul product manager John Riley.
“Malta has seen the fastest growth this year and the Fortina is the island’s best-selling hotel year-round for us,” he said. “The hotel has got its product just right.”
MALTA’S all-inclusives are ideal for those new to the concept, according to leading operators to the destination.
Belleair general manager Martin Zahra said: “Properties such as the Fortina are within walking distance of the heart of Malta’s cafe society.
“It’s not like you are out in the middle of nowhere, miles away from anything else. You can detach yourself and visit local bars and restaurants for variety.
“We consider them to be all-inclusives for beginners.”
He added: “But that is not to say that quality is in any way lacking. The service is excellent, quality is up to international standards and each has a range of outlets for dining.”
Repeat clients are also being attracted to the product.
Zahra said: “It will give repeat visitors an extra reason to come back. We’ve got a certain amount of migration from bed and breakfast and half-board accommodation, as repeat visitors look for something new.”
Properties range from established fully all-inclusives such as the Fortina and Topaz to hotels with an all-inclusive option, such as the newly opened four-star Soreda in Qawra and the long-established Ramla Bay Resort in the north of the island.
Other properties with an all-inclusive option include the Concorde, Crown, Preluna, Tigne Court and Windsor.
Zahra said initial fears that hotels would be unable to cater satisfactorily for all-inclusive and half-board guests at the same time had proved unfounded.
“At first, we were reluctant to feature hotels that offered just an all-inclusive option. From an operational point of view, we thought they would always have to check whether the client was staying on an all-inclusive or half-board basis,” he said.
“But hotels that have chosen not to go fully all-inclusive are managing their business well and are offering a good level of service.”
He added: “All-inclusive is a great product for agents to sell, as it earns them commission on the client’s spend in resort.”
Panorama sales and marketing director Martin Young also viewed all-inclusives with unease in the product’s early days. “I was sceptical about all-inclusives in Malta at first,” he admitted.
“But the Crown in Bugibba has proved our strongest seller – it’s head and shoulders above all else. It scores very well on food and service and its prices are competitive.”
He added: “Malta lends itself well to the all-inclusive concept, especially in summer.
“Where there’s a vast selection of beaches, people want to be mobile, but that’s not the case with Malta.”
Sunspot managing director Martin Bugeja has great faith in Malta all-inclusives – seven feature for summer 2000. “They are popular because they allow people to budget,” he said.
“All-inclusives haven’t peaked yet. They are attracting the type of client who would have booked a full-board holiday a few years ago – that’s the way package holidays started.”
The Fortina, which set the all-inclusive ball rolling in the mid-1990s, is Unijet’s best Malta seller, said short-haul product manager John Riley.
“Malta has seen the fastest growth this year and the Fortina is the island’s best-selling hotel year-round for us,” he said. “The hotel has got its product just right.”
Belleair: seven-night all-inclusive option at the three-star Concorde in Bugibba, from £339 including flights.
First Choice: 14 nights at the four-star all-inclusive Topaz in Bugibba in mid-August, £719 including flights (child £169).
Panorama: seven-night all-inclusive option at the new four-star Crown in Bugibba in January, £278 including flights.
Sunspot: 14-night all-inclusive stay at the four-star Ramla Bay Resort in August, £775 including flights (child £249).
Unijet: seven nights at the all-inclusive Fortina in Sliema in June, £489 including flights.