A number of boutique hotels in Valletta have told WhosWho.mt that they’re seeing little to no domestic tourism, despite the strides made in controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, but remain hopeful that things will pick up as foreign tourists start to trickle in.
Fabian Vella, General Manager at Domus Zamittello, a restored 17th century palazzo on Republic Street, said that the hotel has not seen much demand from the domestic market and, indeed, has not yet opened its doors. It will do so, however, in two weeks’ time, as more tourists start to trickle in now that the airport has been opened.
“All of our current bookings are foreign, and we’ve seen a positive increase here with bookings coming in from August onwards, although July is still quite slow. Despite this, we, of course, do not expect to reach the numbers we had before, but, considering the fact that, we’re starting from zero, the demand has been encouraging.”
He associated the lack of domestic tourism with the shortage of events currently being organised in the capital, as well as the general tendency for the Maltese to seek out experiences by the sea, in the countryside or in Gozo during the summer.
“There tends to be less local tourism in Valletta in summer. However, usually, local guests come back during the winter, particularly around Christmas, when there are more events taking place.”
Alessandro Mazzola, the General Manager of Casa Ellul, also said the hotel had not seen much recent movement in the domestic market. Indeed, the hotel, which boasts nine upmarket suites, will not open until the 22nd July, and, although the boutique establishment has little custom that last week of the month, they decided they need to get settled before more clients come in.
Yet, despite the low local demand, Mr Mazzola said there might be a boost in domestic tourism once the Government vouchers get distributed, but he underlined that, nevertheless, the realities for a hotel in Valletta were not the same as those in the north of the island. “Valletta is not a destination for a weekend break for many locals, who prefer to be closer to the beaches or, even, the clubs.”
In terms of foreign demand, he said the hotel has seen an increase in bookings but has had to adapt and be flexible, keeping in mind that custom currently depends on how comfortable people feel to travel. Indeed, the hotel is not taking a deposit and is allowing cancellations up to 24 hours before arrival, in order to boost demand.
“It’s a bit tricky, and we cannot expect an occupancy higher than 50 per cent for 2020,” he stated, adding that the hotel’s main market was the United Kingdom and, since there’s been little communication about when and how the country will open up, there hasn’t been much movement. And, the same also applied to American and Chinese tourists, he said, both of which have, in the past, been a source of revenue for the business.
Yet, Allelon Hospitality Malta Chief Executive Officer, Nicky Borg – which owns and runs La Falconeria and Palais Le Brun – said that there has been some interest from the local market, both from Maltese as well as from foreigners living on the island.
“These are, typically, people who are more cautious and who are looking for a quieter and safer place. And, that is something which we can offer with great confidence,” he said.
Indeed, Palais Le Brun has been open for three weeks while La Falconeria opens this coming Monday. “There have been encouraging signs. Of course, it’s nothing like we had before, but we need to see it in current context,” he explained, saying that even a small number of bookings can make a big difference for boutique establishments, so recovery is expected to be different to the larger hotels.
Main Image: