Royal Visit Boost For Holiday Island

Leaders of over 50 countries from the Commonwealth will be meeting on the Mediterranean island of Malta from November 25 to 27, and for three days the island will be enjoying the attention of hundreds of millions of TV and online news viewers and newspaper readers worldwide.

Malta has often been overlooked by holidaymakers and second home owners in favour of other Mediterranean islands such as Mallorca, Cyprus and Menorca, and hotels and estate agents alike on the island are hoping that the three days of publicity will boost tourist and property buyer numbers.

With good all year round weather and an English speaking population visitor numbers from the UK, which make up about half of the island’s tourist numbers, have been surprisingly flat in recent years, and with cheaper holidays available in the new destinations from Eastern Europe such as Bulgaria set to capture more of the UK holiday and property market Malta could see tourist numbers remain level or even fall in future years.

Malta Holidays

Malta missed it’s own target of a modest increase in tourists this summer, and there are worries on the island that the opportunity to increase awareness among potential visitors will be missed.

Michael Johnson of Tribune Properties who specialise in property for sale in Malta comments:

‘Malta is ideally situated in the Mediterranean to attract tourists from all over Europe and further afield but for a lot of people I speak to in other countries it isn’t an obvious destination of choice.

The island has a strong domestic property market and doesn’t rely too heavily on overseas property buyers like some of the Mediterranean islands do, but at the same time those that do buy here play a good role in the economy overall.

The timing of the Commonwealth meeting is good as it’s just before the New Year when a lot of people decide where they will be going for their summer holidays, and next summer’s tourist could be next winter’s property buyer. But they’re only going to do that if they visit the island first, and I’m hoping that Malta will see an increase in tourists  – it really depends on whether the island takes this chance to market itself in the months ahead on the back of the free publicity the Commonwealth will bring..’

The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting takes place very two years, and has its roots in the  British Empire, with 53 members who were former British colonies belonging to the organisation.

Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Commonwealth, and will be visiting with Prince Philip for a two day trip to Malta to open the meeting on November 25 in Valletta, the island’s capital. It will be the royal couple’s first visit to Malta since 1992, and welcoming crowds are expected in similar numbers to their previous four visits.

In addition to the Queen and Prince Philip, among the attendees will be the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Tony Blair, and the Prime Ministers of Canada, New Zealand, India, South Africa, Singapore and Australia.

‘Around half of Malta’s tourists are from the UK’ adds Michael Johnson, ‘and it’s a similar figure for non islanders buying property here. As well as increasing holidaymaker numbers from the traditional UK market we should be trying to appeal to people in Canada, Australia, South Africa and New Zealand and other countries who take a holiday in Europe to consider visiting Malta for a few days to sample the fine hotels, hospitality, history and culture that the island is so rich in. But it remains to be seen whether the tourist board is capable of translating good free publicity into visitors for the island.’

Jets Buzz Holiday Island

With visitor numbers static in recent years and facing new competiton from former Eastern Bloc countries offering cheap holidays, the recent announcement by the Maltese government that negotiations were at an advanced stage with two low cost airlines has sparked hopes that the island will see a rise in visitor numbers - much to the relief of some in the travel industry worried about the future of Malta as a holiday destination.

Even before the new carriers to the island land the existing airlines have been offering return flights at prices seemingly much lower than in the past to try and hold on to their share of the market.

According to on-line travel guide YourMalta.com the airline negotiations have been tempered with the need for the island’s government to see that the national carrier, Air Malta, isn’t damaged as it is one of Malta’s major employers.

Traditionally the UK has been Malta’s biggest market for incoming tourists, often making up over half of the island’s visitors in any given year, but some on the island see even this market as under threat. And property buyers from the UK have accounted for seventy per cent of Malta property sales to overseas buyers in recent years.

A good portion of UK visitors and property buyers for Malta in recent years have been ex-forces who served for the British during WW2 when Malta held out against Hitler’s Luftwaffe, and then in peacetime through to 1964 when Malta became independent, who returned for holidays.

But with the inevitability of this market declining a new breed of Malta’s holiday and hotel entrepreneurs see Malta’s future as less dependent on the UK tourist, and being more cosmopolitan in her outlook.

 Declining Market and New Opportunities

Tribune Properties, a UK company specialising in Malta properties, say they have noticed more buyers making enquiries from other countries over the last year. In particular they say they have been receiving enquiries from France, Italy and Germany.

‘The UK remains the foundation for overseas property buyers considering buying property in Malta, but the overall percentage is reducing as more and more people in mainland Europe have visited Malta, and liked it so much they want to either move to the island full time or buy a holiday home.

The arrival of low cost flights to Malta though could reignite British interest as three and four day breaks a few times a year becomes financially viable. If the airlines fly to destinations in Europe too the number of buyers for Malta property could rise in the immediate and medium term’ explains Tribune’s Managing Director, Roger Munns.

For Malta’s tourist industry three and four day visitors in increased numbers will be a welcome boost. There is discussion on the island about extending club’s opening hours beyond the current 4am.

Clubbers in the UK are used to 6am closing, and might be deterred from making a weekend trip with a three hour flight only to find shorter hours available for partying.

‘There are new opportunities for Malta, and it’s for the island to decide whether to embrace them and gain a new generation of visitors – or ignore them and lose an asset for the economy’ agree YourMalta.com

‘Malta has a lot to offer the visitor apart from being a Mediterranean holiday island. Malta has a rich culture and history, and can easily appeal to all generations from toddlers to pensioners. More Italians and other nationalities are discovering Malta as a destination. Malta will become more cosmopolitan. And while some of the older more conservative residents are likely to be against a younger and more diverse mix of visitors from what they have been used to and see change as something to be afraid of, we believe the island will embrace the more cosmopolitan feel, while retaining the features that make Malta a unique visit among her Mediterranean island competitors.’

How To Fly A Private Jet On Your Next Trip

It is now possible to charter, rent or lease an aircraft for less than ever before and it has also become easier.

Why charter an aircraft? Here are some good reasons:

The increased security and hassle of commercial airline boarding.

There are fewer airlines around.

Fewer airlines are flying to fewer cities

Because of economy restraints there are fewer seats for more passengers.

It is now easier to charter, lease or rent a plane because there are more companies entering the aircraft leasing business.

Also, a new generation of small jets is being produced as we speak, the so-called air taxis seating between 4 to 6 passengers for a total airplane cost of as low as 1 million dollars.

These small jets are being produced in a so-called cookie-cutter design, 100 at a time and are also being purchased 100 at a time.

Real Air Taxis will soon be on their way into major cities," says London based AVCEN. Avcen is to bring its innovative Jetpod aircraft design off the drawing board and into proof-of-concept build and flight trials.

The Jetpod is a unique, lightweight, Very Quiet Short Take-Off and Landing (VQSTOL), 6-seat, twin-jet powered aircraft.

The Jetpod cruises at 350 mph and uses an unbelievable 410 feet of landing space. This is achieved through a combination of horizontal and vertical thrust management as developed by Avcen.

No runways are required so you can take off from a private parking lot or your neighbor's driveway.
There are similar small jets being manufactured in the US as well.

Aircraft Charter companies provide the following 4 functions in a variety of innovative ways:

Renting (sometimes selling) aircraft for private use, performing aircraft maintenance, providing fuel, and aircraft management.

The best way of finding an aircraft charter company is on line. You can also contact an aircraft charter broker who will sort of act as your airplane travel agent.

They will handle all of your flight arrangements, including price comparisons, they will determine the correct aircraft for your trip,they will locate the correct charter company, make sure insurance is in place, and obtain copies of FAA flight certificates.

There are also aircraft charter auctions available on the Web.

Using a unique online auction, your trip itinerary is instantly sent to a network of pre-approved jet operators who are invited to bid on your trip. This increases competition and ultimately drives the price down. You can view this bidding action live, online.

Fleet Membership allows you to buy occupied flight time in your preferred category of business jet in blocks of whatever flight hours you want with guaranteed availability. You enjoy the freedom and convenience of business jet travel without the costs or commitment of aircraft ownership.

One Ways and Empty Leg Flights When a one way aircraft charter flight is booked, many times the aircraft has to return to it's original airport. In a case like this, the plane will be flying empty. This is known as an empty leg. Because the aircraft charter operators like to make money if possible, they offer these empty legs for much less than a typical charter would cost.

Flying in a Private Jet has become a Status Symbol.

One of the perks most valued to CEO's and lawmakers today is to have the use of a Private Jet. This is another reason why the Charter Aircraft business is at present growing at an astonishing rate which will increase even more as the air taxis costing one million dollars or so will enter service.

...Not Just "Holidays"

As time has gone by, the idea of holiday has undergone deep changes depending on the fast development of our modern lifestyles.

Lignano Sabbiadoro bloomed in the Sixties and Seventies as a seaside resort and it was then considered to be among the most exclusive holiday destinations favoured by VIPs. Nowadays, however, it would be unthinkable to offer the same kind of holiday people used to look for thirty years ago: all holiday resorts and facilities had to adapt to the requirements of modern tourists, just like the Hotel Bella Venezia Mare did in order to be able to offer holidays which could actually turn out to be real “experiences” thanks to the many available activities and sports.

The a Hotel Bella Venezia Mare was founded in 1968 in the new location of Lignano Pineta. This district of the town Lignano Sabbiadoro was developed from an innovative urban planning according to which all the streets were built as being part of a whirl starting from the central “Rosa dei Venti square” and stretching until the outer arches reach the beach. As consequence of this peculiar urban plan, every house and every hotel in Lignano is located in the middle of a peaceful Mediterranean pinewood but, at the same time, not far from the town centre and the beach. The favourable location of the hotel Bella Venezia Mare has turned out to be the linchpin of all evolutions and updates this structure has undertaken.

Recently refurbished, this hotel has decided to focus on the high quality standard of the services it offers. Since now is unbelievably easy to get everywhere around the world, business competition in the tourist sector has exponentially increased and, in order to remain competitive and to be a match for far away exotic paradises, the best solution is to keep very high the quality standard of all services offered to tourists. That actually means making use of the experience acquired in the past, when only few people could afford flight tickets and some countries were not accessible at all.

The solid family management of the Hotel Bella Venezia has made it possible to establish the right balance between consistency and evolution: modern services, like WiFi Internet connection and on-line bookings are here available side by side with old traditional Mediterranean cuisine and customer care , which has remained the same.

Today's lifestyle has turned comfort into a basic requirement, therefore a stay has to offer a lot more than this in order to be considered a true holiday: besides the comfort of baby-sitting services, of bicycles and baby buggies rentals the Hotel Bella Venezia has decided to put at its guests' disposal swimming courses for free, useful presents for all those who stay at least one week and it makes it easier for them to practice several sports: tennis courts and golf green lie nearby while courses of scuba diving, kite-surf, wind-surf and sailing are offered at unbeatable conditions to the hotel guests.

The strategy chosen by the Hotel Bella Venezia Mare proofs that professionalism enables firms to offer very high quality services, thanks to which they are competitive on the market, but due to which they are bound to update constantly their services.