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Crisis Management Group set up to discuss impact
on tourism sector
by Ivan Brincat
The Malta Tourism Authority has set up a Crisis Management
Group to analyse the implications the terrorist attack on the
United States last week will have on the tourism sector.
The group will be meeting for the first time on Monday. Today,
the Marketing Directorate of the MTA will be convening to discuss
the strategy that Malta will adopt.
The head of the Marketing Directorate at the MTA Joe Preca told
The Malta Business Weekly that the Crisis Management Group will
monitor the situation and see how the MTA’s plans will
have to change after what happened last week in New York and
Washington.
The Crisis Management Group comprises the Malta Tourism Authority,
Air Malta, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and
the Federation of Travel and Tourism Agents.
“Malta will definitely suffer losses and we have to see
what strategy to use both in promotion and public relations,”
Mr Preca said.
Meanwhile, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association is sending
out questionnaires to its members to quantify the number of
bed nights lost since 11 September.
MHRA president Tony Chircop told The Malta Business Weekly that
a number of conferences in various five-star hotels have been
cancelled. “These were due to be held over the next few
days.”
Tourism industry sources reported hotels losing thousands of
liri after conferences were cancelled. One hotel which was hosting
three conferences is believed to have lost more than Lm50,000
worth of business.
The number of cancellations at Air Malta both for incoming and
outgoing flights is also reported to be high, at times reaching
500 in a day.
Mr Chircop said that under present circumstances travelling
is not an enjoyable experience. “Some conference organisers
are in fact trying to hold them in their own countries to avoid
the need to travel.”
The MHRA president also said that hotels have repor-ted a lull
in bookings from tourists wanting to come over to Malta for
a holiday.
“There have been some reports of cancellations but these
have not been very high so far even though we are still monitoring
the situation. Developments in this sector could be reported
in the coming days. What is of concern to the tourism industry
is this lull. This will leave its mark over the next days or
even weeks.” Mr Chircop said.
A number of large groups had already pre-booked a visit to Malta,
however these have not been confirmed due to the attacks in
America and the high level of uncertainty about what will happen
next.
Meanwhile, the cruise-liner business in the Mediterranean is
also reported to have been adversely affected by what happened
in the United States.Retailers in Republic Street who benefit
from the presence of cruise liners stopping in Malta said that
a large cruise liner which was in Malta last Tuesday did not
have any US passengers on board and these were normally their
best clients.
A four-star hotel owner told The Malta Business Weekly that
the immediate repercussion for the
travel industry was that Americans would prefer cruises and
these would mainly be cruises in the Americas to avoid the need
for air travel.
Mr Chircop said that it was important at this stage to portray
Malta as a relaxed tourist destination in all marketing campaigns
abroad. “We have to work hard to avoid any potential downfalls
in the long term.”
September had been expected to be a good month for tourism but
terrorist attacks last week may have a negative effect on tourism
figures for the month. One has to wait and see what retaliatory
measures the US will take because some tourists might wait till
the last moment before deciding to book a holiday. “What
is certain is that the tourism industry will be adversely affected
in the next few months,” he said.
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