Traditionally holding the number one spot for holidays, a Spanish island has surprised many by opening a new route to holiday competitor island Malta - which is riding the crest of a tourism wave after some years in the doldrums.
Vueling, a Spanish low cost airline, will start flying to Malta from March 31 three times a week, to and from the Spanish capital Madrid.
The airline was set up just four years ago and already has 24 aircraft in her fleet, and before the announcement of the new Malta service already served some 57 destinations, and passenger traffic grew an impressive 75 per cent year on year to November 2007, when it carried nearly half a million passeners in that month alone.
Current destinations include internal Spanish flights to Alicante, serving the Costa Blanca region, and Malaga for the Costa del Sol - both ideal to escape from the city for a golfing or sailing break, or just to spend some time on the beach. With low prices a weekend break is affordable and easy.
Less surprising in the routes the airline flies to are Nice in the South of France, Milan in Italy, which allows easy access to the Swiss Alps - and Venice, ideal for a romantic couple of days away.
Choosing Malta as a destination for Spanish tourists is a clear example of how Malta is successfully diversifying from her main holiday trade from the UK, which has formed the vast majority of her tourists in recent decades. Allowing low cost airlines to fly to the island's Luqa Airport has boosted the Malta holidays and hotel trade tremendously in the last two years.
New official figures show that this year's all important summer season has been the best in six years for Malta, reversing the decline in fortunes for the Mediterranean island.
The good news for Malta is that despite the increase in the number of tourists arriving on the island via low cost flights, the occupancy levels of hotels has increased from basic to 5 star, showing that Malta can appeal to all.
Further good news for Malta came from the figures for hotels and holidays with the news that while the number of arrivals from her traditional UK market rose by eleven per cent, the number of people from Germany visiting Malta increased by a third this year, adding strength to the holidays industry that has been reliant on tourism from one country in the past, and even Spanish tourists now visiting the island.
Both Germany and the UK have seen new low cost flight operators sucessfully applying to fly to Malta, and the increase in tourism can largely be put down to them, but with Spanish and Scandanavian airlines taking an interest Malta could see a real cosmopolitan mix arrive for a holiday this year.
Related Articles
Airline Price Wars Sees Malta Fares Tumble For 2008
By: Roger Munns | 04/04/2008 | Flights
2007 Tourists Numbers Up For Malta
By: Roger Munns | 26/08/2007 | Travel
Travel related articles, including flight destinations, hotels and special tours.
Late Boost For 2007 Majorca Holidays
By: Roger Munns | 11/10/2007 | Travel
Travel related articles, including flight destinations, hotels and special tours.
New 2007 Air Route For Malta
By: Roger Munns | 10/07/2007 | Travel
Travel related articles, including flight destinations, hotels and special tours.
Hotel Chain Expands to Spain
By: Roger Munns | 15/01/2008 | Travel
Travel related articles, including flight destinations, hotels and special tours.
Flying Start For 2008 Holidays
By: Roger Munns | 23/01/2008 | Travel
Travel related articles, including flight destinations, hotels and special tours.
Holiday Mix Is Changing For 2008
By: Roger Munns | 13/04/2008 | Travel
Travel related articles, including flight destinations, hotels and special tours.
Spain Has The Mix For 2008 Holidays
By: Roger Munns | 21/07/2008 | Destinations
Latest Flights Articles
Use The Internet To Find Cheap Flights In Greece
By: Nick Nikolis | 06/10/2008
If you are planning a trip to Greece for a vacation but cannot really afford the trip take heart, it is possible to find cheap flights in Greece by Internet surfing.
Fear of Travel an Experience More Common Than You Think
By: JP Richards | 04/10/2008
Anyone who has ever experience a fear of flying may be surprised to learn that in some cases it is secondary to an actual fear of travel!
Flying Without Fear not Accomplished With Breathing Exercises Alone
By: JP Richards | 04/10/2008
Flying Without Fear is the title of a book penned by Duane Brown in 1996. Citing a 1978 study by Boeing Corporation that suggested a fear of flying was ingrained in more or less 25 million Americans and thus detrimental to their enjoyment of life, the author sought to offer solace but also suggestions on how to enjoy flying without fear.
Fear of Flying Cured With Education as Proper Treatment
By: JP Richards | 04/10/2008
Do the prospects of holiday air travel rob you of your night’s sleep? Does thinking of booking that flight online make you nauseous? On the drive to the airport, do you have to fight the temptation of stopping the car and getting out?
Get Great Deals on Airline Tickets
By: mike jhon | 03/10/2008
No longer will you have to wait for the right time of travel- because with easy access to airline tickets for anyone and everyone who loves to travel, traveling has become one of the most sought after affair in the running world. When you are surrounded by pressures and stress is your sole companion; nothing has the ability to cheer you up more than a good holiday. Go; get it, as you won't get your airline tickets cheaper than this.
How to Travel Cheap or Even Free
By: Stanley Griffith | 02/10/2008
This guide will expose every truth there is about buying tickets online. Be warned: this truth might literally scare you! Amazing secret on how you can earn free vouchers for airfare tickets just from making a phone call and knowing what to say to the agent.
Attention All Travelers; How Would You Like Information About Discount Travel?
By: Kristi Ambrose | 01/10/2008
Don't worry this isn't going to be like one of those scary thriller movies about the couple staying in the creepy hotel! These hotels are like the ones you would be staying in if you paid the original price.
Super Jumbo Jet Promises Cheaper Air Fares
By: Andy Adams | 01/10/2008
If you’ve seen any of the latest developments in passenger jets then chances are you’ll know about the enormous A380, the giant of the skies. The A380 can seat 450 people in varying degrees of prestige from economy, premium economy, business class and first-class.
More from Roger Munns
Fernando Alonso: 2008 Singapore Grand Prix Champion
By: Roger Munns | 05/10/2008 | Sports and Fitness
At 27 years old, Spanish race car driver Fernando Alonso captured the first race in the inaugural Formula One Singapore Grand Prix. This was Alonso's first win of the current season and his 50th overall since he started racing professionally.
Most Expensive Street In The World
By: Roger Munns | 05/10/2008 | Real Estate
The most expensive street in the world for buying a residential property has just been announced.
It's not Fifth Avenue, it's not even in the US...
Tenerife Spends To Gain Tourists
By: Roger Munns | 04/10/2008 | Travel
Times are hard for tourist resorts in Europe as holiday spending is cut back - Tenerife is investing to get the tourists to the island.
The Perfect Sands of Majorca
By: Roger Munns | 03/10/2008 | Destinations
Majorca is one of the hottest vacation destinations in Spain for many reasons. This island is one of three off the tip of Southern Spain. Majorca is known to some as Mallorca.
Menorca Golf - The Twilight Zone
By: Roger Munns | 02/10/2008 | Golf
Spain has many fine golf courses, and while Menorca only has one it's offering golfers a good deal to play in the early evening in the peak summer months when day time golf can be just too hot.
Ibiza: Not Just a Party Destination Anymore
By: Roger Munns | 01/10/2008 | Destinations
Ibiza has always been known as a party destination. Recently the island has been sporting a somewhat tamer image. These days it's not unlikely to see families vacationing on the island and enjoying its peaceful natural beauty.
The Many Sides of Davos
By: Roger Munns | 01/10/2008 | Destinations
Davos, still a winter sports Mecca, has also earned a reputation as a seat of thinkers, movers and shakers. Its many sides have given it a permanent position in the public eye and the world map.
Take a Two-Day Mini-Cruise Through the Canary Islands
By: Roger Munns | 30/09/2008 | Cruising
Travelers who want to experience all that the Portuguese and Canary Islands area has to offer can now take a new ferry to get around. The ferry takes travelers from Portimao, through Madeira and ultimately to Tenerife.
Travel 
| Posted: 26-01-2008 | Comments: 
