| Popular TV soap and the world's longest running | | | | destination in the future, and the power of Coronation |
| drama, Coronation Street, has boosted interest in the | | | | Street's appeal will outlast any tourist board television |
| island of Malta, according to a British based Malta hotel | | | | campaign because it's independent, and they portrayed |
| and holidays guide. | | | | Malta in a positive light.' |
| Aired in the summer, the soap ran a storyline of two | | | | Coronation Street was first aired in 1960, with just a |
| of Coronation Street's characters taking a last minute | | | | few episodes planned, but has evolved to become the |
| holiday to the island. The episodes featured Eileen, | | | | world's longest running soap. Viewing figures in the UK |
| played by Sue Cleaver and Steve, played by Simon | | | | regularly top ten million viewers an episode, and as |
| Gregson initially in the capital Valletta, before heading to | | | | recently as April this year reached twelve million. In |
| a hotel by the Mediterranean. | | | | addition to reaching Malta's prime UK market, additional |
| Their arrival on Malta starts ominously as the island's | | | | benefit for the Malta holiday industry would come from |
| hotels are fully booked, but Steve manages to get a | | | | Canada and Australia, where the show is aired some |
| shared room after visiting the tourist office. | | | | weeks after the UK. |
| 'Despite the difficulty in finding suitable accommodation | | | | The stories centre around a fictional cobbled street in |
| as Steve had booked last minute flights but not a hotel, | | | | the north of England, a suburb of Manchester, with a |
| the episodes showing Malta showed the island in a | | | | pub called the Rovers Return at one end, and a corner |
| good light', according to a Malta travel guide. ' The | | | | shpo at the other, with a row of terrace houses |
| timing was good as the programmes ran at the peak | | | | between, setting for the home lives and dramas of the |
| of the holiday booking season, and with millions of | | | | characters. |
| viewers it helps Malta to be considered along with | | | | Spread over the 47 years since Coronation Street |
| British holiday favourites like Majorca not just for a | | | | first began, storylines have includes murders, teenage |
| summer holiday next year but for the autumn this year | | | | pregnancies and other issues reflecting the real lives of |
| too, boosting Malta's holidays and hotels industry'. | | | | British people living in a big city. |
| The number of visitors to the travel guide's internet site | | | | Famous actors and actresses who have appeared in |
| more than doubled on the evenings immediately after | | | | the soap include Lord of the Rings actor Sir Ian |
| the episodes featuring Malta were screened | | | | McKellen, Norman Wisdom and perhaps most unlikely |
| compared to normal, and the overall impact is still | | | | of all Prince Charles, in the 40th anniversary edition. |
| bringing benefits. | | | | The Malta holidays industry hope for a return visit |
| 'Even on the days between the programmes being | | | | before another 40 years pass. |
| aired we were seeing a much higher volume of | | | | Holiday news and companies offering holidays and |
| visitors than we normally get', they say, 'while we don't | | | | hotels in Malta are available at The travel guide |
| expect dramatically increased visitor numbers for | | | | includes details for the well known Maltese resort of |
| much longer, overall Coronation Street featuring holiday | | | | Bugibba and other holidays information including a map, |
| Malta locations will be enough for many millions of | | | | weather forecast and travel deals for holidays in the |
| viewers in the UK to consider Malta as a holiday | | | | Mediterranean. |