Parliamentary Secretary de Marco addressing employees at the Radisson SAS Baypoint

Parliamentary Secretary de Marco visits hotels and restaurants to exchange new year's greetings

On the morning of New Year's eve, parliamentary secretary for tourism, Dr. Mario de Marco, upheld what is becoming a regular annual tradition, that of visiting hotels and restaurants on New year's eve in order to exchange greetings with the tourism industry's front liners.

Accompanied by Malta Tourism Authority chairman and CEO, Mr. Sam Mifsud and Mr. Josef Formosa Gauci, as well as by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants' Association president and CEO, Mr. Kevin deCesare and Mr. George Schembri, Dr. de Marco visited the Grand Hotel Mercure, San Antonio in Bugibba, The Marina Hotel and the Diplomat Hotel in Sliema, as well as Lulu Restaurant the Radisson SAS Baypoint hotel in St. Julians. During these visits, organised by the MHRA, Dr. de Marco praised the hard work and unstinting dedication of all those who are employed in the tourism sector, calling them the 'backbone' of the industry. The parliamentary secretary for tourism also made reference to a number of inroads being made vis-a-vis new air routes to and from Malta, including the new Easyjet routes from Newcastle, the new Ryanair routes from Bristol, SAS from Stockholm as well as Air Malta's commitment to utilise all its 12 aircraft on Malta-based routes this Summer.

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PRESS RELEASE:

Fiż-żminijiet tal-festi: Apprezzament għal dawk li jaħdmu fis-settur tat-turiżmu

“Iż-żjajar organizzati llum mill-MHRA huwa mod tanġibbli kif nuru l-apprezzament tagħna lejn dawk li bil-fatti huma s-sinsla tal-industrija turistika tagħna – l-irġiel u n-nisa li ta’ kuljum, m’hemmx Ħdud u festi, bil-ħidma tagħhom jaqdu lil dawk il-barranin li jagħżlu lil pajjiżna bħala d-destinazzjoni għall-btajjel taghhom.”

Dan qalu s-Segretarju Parlamentari għat-Turiżmu, l-On Dr Mario de Marco waqt numru ta’ żjajar f’lukandi u ristoranti fl-okkazjoni ta’ Lejlet l-Ewwel tas-Sena. Huwa kien akkumpanjat mill-President tal-MHRA, s-Sur Kevin Decesare, ic-Chairman tal-MTA, is-Sur Sam Mifsud, il-Kap Ezekuttiv tal-MTA, is-Sur Josef Formosa Gauci u l-Kap Ezekuttiv tal-MHRA, s-Sur George Schembri.

Huwa sostna li ħafna drabi nitkellmu dwar il-prodott turistiku tagħna u nirreferu għall-indafa, il-faċilitajiet u lukandi, il-mużewijiet, l-infrastruttura, it-trasport pubbliku u diversi affarijiet oħra; imma hemm aspett ieħor tal-prodott turistiku, dak li bl-Ingliż jissejjah soft, i.e. ir-riżorsi umani, jew aħjar in-nies.

Dr de Marco qal li hemm aktar minn 10,000 persuna impjegati full-time u aktar minn 9,000 persuna impjegati part-time mal-lukandi u r-ristoranti u li dawn huma kruċjali għall-ekonomija tal-pajjiż. Huwa żied jgħid li l-2008 se tkun sena oħra rekord bi kważi 1.3 miljun turist u aktar minn nofs miljun passiġġier tal-cruises li żaru pajjiżna; u li għaldaqstant dawn ir-riżultati jridu jkunu nkwadrati fil-kuntest tal-problemi internazzjonali li qeghdin u li se nkunu qed niffaċċjaw.

Is-Segretarju Parlamentari qal fid-dawl ta’ dawn id-diffikultajiet, il-Gvern u l-MTA qed jaħdmu sabiex ikomplu jtejbu l-prodott turistiku tagħna. Dan minbarra li żdiedu l-fondi tal-MTA b'€3.5 miljun li se jintużaw għal aktar investiment u firxa fir-reklamar ta’ pajjiżna sabiex inkomplu nżidu l-load factor tal-vjaġġi eżistenti lejn pajjiżna u nibqgħu ntejbu l-aċċessibbiltà.

Dr de Marco qal li l-linja tal-ajru EasyJet se tibda topera darbtejn fil-gimgha minn Newcastle, ir-Ryanair darbtejn fil-gimgha minn Bristol, u qed tistħarreġ aktar destinazzjonijet mir-Renju Unit u mill-Italja u l-iScandinavian Airlines (SAS) – se topera darbtejn fil-gimgħa minn Stokkolma. Dan minbarra li l-Airmalta se tkun qed topera it-tnax-il ajruplani taghha fis-Sajf li gej.

Huwa kkonkluda billi qal li f’dawn il-jiem tal-festi, jirringrazzja ‘l dawk kollha li jaħdmu f’dan il-qasam, talli jaħdmu f’dan is-settur li f’dawn żminijiet iżommhom ‘il bogħod mill-familji tagħhom sabiex kemm il-Maltin u t-turisti jkunu nistgħu jiddevertu flimkien mal-familji taghhom.

Iż-żjarat saru fil-Grand Hotel Mercure, San Antonio f’Buġibba, fil-Marina Hotel, u d-Diplomat Hotel f’Tas-Sliema u Lulu Restaurant u r-Radisson SAS Baypoint f’San Ġiljan.