| Malta ranks as one of the top five locations for safety | | | | get it'. |
| in the world, according to American travel writer Laura | | | | Malta Holidays |
| McKenzie. | | | | The two surveys with positive news about Malta |
| In her report Ms McKenzie says of the Mediterranean | | | | comes at a worrying time for the Malta holiday |
| holiday island 'In Malta there is no such thing as a dark | | | | industry. |
| and uninviting alley, while the police force is one of the | | | | The number of tourists visiting Malta this year is down |
| oldest in the world'. | | | | on previous years, and some predictions are that it |
| The report also praises New Zealand, Switzerland and | | | | could be 100,000 less than 2005 - while the Malta |
| Singapore as safe destinations. | | | | Tourist Authority had hoped to see a similar figure in |
| Top was Monaco, with one police officer for every | | | | the opposite direction. |
| one hundred residents, and 24 hour cctv coverage of | | | | But recent news of low cost airlines gaining permission |
| the entire principality. | | | | to fly to the island has given some hope in the Malta |
| Commenting on the report, a local travel guide was not | | | | hotel and holiday industry that next year will see the |
| surprised that Malta reached Ms Mckenzie's top five | | | | decline reversed. |
| safest locations, nor that Monaco was top. | | | | Hotel and resort owners have seen the Maltese |
| 'Malta has her problems with the state of the roads | | | | government drag the negotiations out with the low |
| and some other infrastructure, but when it comes to | | | | cost airlines for some time, with delays in agreements |
| the people it's doubtful if you will find a friendlier more | | | | losing Malta the potential of having extra tourists for |
| helpful island in the Mediterranean. This report from Ms | | | | this summer season. |
| McKenzie has come at around the same time as | | | | Statements from Ryanair, the first low cost carrier to |
| another survey showing that Malta is one of the best | | | | be flying to Malta, indicate that at one stage they were |
| places in the world for retiring to. The Malta people and | | | | taking a booking a minute for their new Malta route. |
| weather make for a great combination'. | | | | 'If the Malta government had the agreement in place |
| Commenting on Monaco, who just beat Malta to top | | | | six months ago, the tourist industry would be in a much |
| spot for safe destinations, the guide say that the | | | | better position today, after a good summer', add the |
| reasons for moving to Malta and Monaco are very | | | | travel guide. |
| different. | | | | Some of the anticipation of an increase in hotel and |
| 'Monaco is for millionaires and billionaires, who often | | | | holiday bookings for Malta has been tempered recently |
| choose to live there because of the zero income tax. | | | | after a survey in the UK - Malta's largest market - |
| Malta is a low tax island and has her share of | | | | showed that package holidays in 2007 would be more |
| millionaires, but Monaco needs the security and does it | | | | expensive than comparable holidays in Spain and her |
| well because it's what the wealthy expect - and they | | | | islands. |