| Leaders of over 50 countries from the | | | | people decide where they will be going for their |
| Commonwealth will be meeting on the | | | | summer holidays, and next summer's tourist could |
| Mediterranean island of Malta from November 25 | | | | be next winter's property buyer. But they're only |
| to 27, and for three days the island will be | | | | going to do that if they visit the island first, and |
| enjoying the attention of hundreds of millions of | | | | I'm hoping that Malta will see an increase in |
| TV and online news viewers and newspaper | | | | tourists in 2006 - it really depends on whether the |
| readers worldwide. | | | | island takes this chance to market itself in the |
| Malta has often been overlooked by | | | | months ahead on the back of the free publicity |
| holidaymakers and second home owners in favour | | | | the Commonwealth will bring..' |
| of other Mediterranean islands such as Mallorca, | | | | The Commonwealth Heads of Government |
| Cyprus and Menorca, and hotels and estate | | | | Meeting takes place very two years, and has its |
| agents alike on the island are hoping that the | | | | roots in the British Empire, with 53 members who |
| three days of publicity will boost tourist and | | | | were former British colonies belonging to the |
| property buyer numbers for 2006. | | | | organisation. |
| With good all year round weather and an English | | | | Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the |
| speaking population visitor numbers from the UK, | | | | Commonwealth, and will be visiting with Prince |
| which make up about half of the island's tourist | | | | Philip for a two day trip to Malta to open the |
| numbers, have been surprisingly flat in recent | | | | meeting on November 25 in Valletta, the island's |
| years, and with cheaper holidays available in the | | | | capital. It will be the royal couple's first visit to |
| new destinations from Eastern Europe such as | | | | Malta since 1992, and welcoming crowds are |
| Bulgaria set to capture more of the UK holiday | | | | expected in similar numbers to their previous four |
| and property market Malta could see tourist | | | | visits. |
| numbers remain level or even fall in future years. | | | | In addition to the Queen and Prince Philip, among |
| Malta Holidays | | | | the attendees will be the United Kingdom's Prime |
| Malta missed it's own target of a modest increase | | | | Minister Tony Blair, and the Prime Ministers of |
| in tourists this summer, and there are worries on | | | | Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, |
| the island that the opportunity to increase | | | | Singapore and Australia. |
| awareness among potential visitors will be missed. | | | | 'Around half of Malta's tourists are from the UK' |
| Michael Johnson of Tribune Properties who | | | | adds Michael Johnson, 'and it's a similar figure for |
| specialise in property for sale in Malta comments: | | | | non islanders buying property here. As well as |
| 'Malta is ideally situated in the Mediterranean to | | | | increasing holidaymaker numbers from the |
| attract tourists from all over Europe and further | | | | traditional UK market we should be trying to |
| afield but for a lot of people I speak to in other | | | | appeal to people in Canada, Australia, South Africa |
| countries it isn't an obvious destination of choice. | | | | and New Zealand and other countries who take a |
| The island has a strong domestic property | | | | holiday in Europe to consider visiting Malta for a |
| market and doesn't rely too heavily on overseas | | | | few days to sample the fine hotels, hospitality, |
| property buyers like some of the Mediterranean | | | | history and culture that the island is so rich in. But |
| islands do, but at the same time those that do | | | | it remains to be seen whether the tourist board is |
| buy here play a good role in the economy overall. | | | | capable of translating good free publicity into |
| The timing of the Commonwealth meeting is good | | | | visitors for the island. |
| as it's just before the New Year when a lot of | | | | |