“Satisfied with the results in tourism. It fits well in the strong recovery we have had in this sector. The numbers we experienced in 2023, we should have seen in 2024. Now the next step, which I believe we should emphasize much more about, is the quality in the service.”
The Secretary General of the General Workers’ Union Josef Bugeja said this when asked by this site, in order to comment on the historical results achieved in tourism.
Mr. Bugeja started by saying that the results are very good, where tourists are being
attracted to Malta throughout the year. “There is diversification in the markets from which tourists come. Therefore, we do not depend only on one market, but several markets. The emphasis being placed on the long-haul markets is very important.”
The General Secretary of the GWU also spoke about the work being done, also in relation to marketing, to attract more quality people – who seek to find a good product, a clean environment and even an authentic experience.
“Over the years, we have become known for our quality of service. You attract these people by adding qualities. The qualification step that will be introduced in the coming weeks will raise the level. As GWU, we firmly believe in this. Lifelong learning and acquiring more skills is the basis for social mobility,” Mr Bugeja reiterated.
He said that the fact that tourism is driving the economy, seeing the figures recorded
compared to those of other Mediterranean countries and even in Europe, is very satisfying. for the workers who work in the sector, for the Ministry of Tourism and Public Cleanliness and even for the Malta Tourism Authority, who are doing invaluable work to attract more tourists. He also spoke about the emphasis on connectivity, which is enshrined in the national strategic vision for Malta in this sector.
L’Orizzont also spoke to the President of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) Tony Zahra, who said that the results achieved were better than they had expected.
“We had expected to do as well in 2023 as the best year we had in 2019. We did a little bit better. We are happy with the result, and we are working on improving it for this year,” said Mr Zahra.
In 2023, Malta welcomed over 3 million tourists, an increase of 8% compared to 2019, the year before the pandemic. The total number of nights spent by tourists in our country was 20.2 million nights, an increase of 5% compared to 2019. In addition, total tourist spending in our country last year amounted to 2.7 billion euros, an increase of 20% compared to 2019.
