Malta Upbeat After UK Winter Gloom
Poor weather can affect anything from the price of food in the shops, whether sporting events take place - and for the travel industry when people book a holiday and where to.
It's welcome news for Malta which has seen in common with other destinations a slow down of tourist arrivals since the economic crisis started in 2008 due to her good weather.
Despite the economic outlook for the UK being for slow growth in 2011, and there still being uncertainty over job security in the public sector especially, the weather was bad enough for many to throw caution to the wind and investigate the costs of a Malta holiday in the coming months.
And they might be surprised at just how reasonable it can be, and just why so many UK tourists return to the island time and again.
Thomson Holidays for example are offering return flights and hotel for a week, departing from London from under 200 a person in late February for those wanting to get away from the winter to some sunshine, and for a hotel with a good reputation in Mellieha, which has a good beach area, it's under 350.
For the summer months it's not a lot more, with a week in Sliema for 327 a person in June including flights, while Mellieha is available for a holiday in Malta for under 500 a person - prices that match any of the island's Mediterranean competitors.
Meanwhile another well known reliable tour operator - the pioneers of modern travel Thomas Cook - have a week in Sliema available for 290 for late February / early March. A little more expensive than their main competitor, but the hotel does have a rooftop pool, is close to the Mediterranean, along with views of Valletta Harbour.
For early summer they do better, with a self catering package available in Qawra for under 250. For those who prefer Mellieha it's from 450, comparable to what Thomson have on offer, and they have a choice of over 40 different packages to choose from, including some for the neighbouring island of Gozo.
For anyone considering a trip to the island the choice of hotels is good, and while invariably on the coast there are different resorts that cater for different groups of tourists - Mellieha as mentioned has a good beach area and some of the best family Malta hotels while St Julian's with her clubs and active nightlife is geared towards the younger generations mainly from the UK and Italy, with some more basic and cheaper accommodation available.
The weather is a big draw, not just in the summer months when it's as warm as any of the other Mediterranean islands, but over the winter time too. While much of Northern Europe was in the grip of an Arctic blast of cold air with snow to match in December, it was in the mid 60's to low 70's in Malta with good amounts of sunshine.
A good enough reason for anyone to fly out to Malta for a week or two!
It's welcome news for Malta which has seen in common with other destinations a slow down of tourist arrivals since the economic crisis started in 2008 due to her good weather.
Despite the economic outlook for the UK being for slow growth in 2011, and there still being uncertainty over job security in the public sector especially, the weather was bad enough for many to throw caution to the wind and investigate the costs of a Malta holiday in the coming months.
And they might be surprised at just how reasonable it can be, and just why so many UK tourists return to the island time and again.
Thomson Holidays for example are offering return flights and hotel for a week, departing from London from under 200 a person in late February for those wanting to get away from the winter to some sunshine, and for a hotel with a good reputation in Mellieha, which has a good beach area, it's under 350.
For the summer months it's not a lot more, with a week in Sliema for 327 a person in June including flights, while Mellieha is available for a holiday in Malta for under 500 a person - prices that match any of the island's Mediterranean competitors.
Meanwhile another well known reliable tour operator - the pioneers of modern travel Thomas Cook - have a week in Sliema available for 290 for late February / early March. A little more expensive than their main competitor, but the hotel does have a rooftop pool, is close to the Mediterranean, along with views of Valletta Harbour.
For early summer they do better, with a self catering package available in Qawra for under 250. For those who prefer Mellieha it's from 450, comparable to what Thomson have on offer, and they have a choice of over 40 different packages to choose from, including some for the neighbouring island of Gozo.
For anyone considering a trip to the island the choice of hotels is good, and while invariably on the coast there are different resorts that cater for different groups of tourists - Mellieha as mentioned has a good beach area and some of the best family Malta hotels while St Julian's with her clubs and active nightlife is geared towards the younger generations mainly from the UK and Italy, with some more basic and cheaper accommodation available.
The weather is a big draw, not just in the summer months when it's as warm as any of the other Mediterranean islands, but over the winter time too. While much of Northern Europe was in the grip of an Arctic blast of cold air with snow to match in December, it was in the mid 60's to low 70's in Malta with good amounts of sunshine.
A good enough reason for anyone to fly out to Malta for a week or two!
Source...