Tourism’s gross earnings up 7.8 per cent, six month arrivals up 2.9 per cent

- Corinthia declares Bab Africa Hotel open

According to statistics released by the National Statistics Office yesterday, gross earnings from tourism for the first six months of the year reached Lm112.3 million - an increase of Lm8.1 million, or 7.8 per cent, over the same period last year.
During the same period tourism earnings per capita increased by Lm9.8 to Lm225.9 from Lm216.1 a year earlier.
Meanwhile over the first seven months of the year the number of tourist arrivals on Maltese shores was up by 18,207, or 2.9 per cent, and reached 642,878.
Tourism from the British market increased by 20,789 to 258,073. Other increases in arrivals were recorded from, amongst others, the Austrian, the Swiss and the Finnish markets.
In the period under review, drops in arrivals were recorded from the German, the Italian and the Libyan markets.
Zooming in on the important tourist month of July, the number of tourist arrivals increased by 3,362 or 2.4 per cent to 145,849. Arrivals from the British, Frech and Swiss markets saw increases, while the German market fell by close to 10 per cent. Arrivals from the Belgian and Italian markets were down marginally.
In another aspect to tourism, one which the Corinthia Group has often capitalised on, the superior five-star Corinthia Bab Africa hotel in Tripoli, was this weekend declared officially open by Libyan PM Dr Shukri Mohammed Ghanem.
The Corinthia Bab Africa Hotel – expected to become a northern business gateway to Libya and to the vast African continent - is situated on the Tripoli coastline and is adjacent to the ancient Medina and the city's business hub.
The hotel is a superior deluxe five-star and is setting new standards of excellence on the African continent by way of its spectacular architecture, luxurious interior design, and superior services.
The hotel is now welcoming visitors from all over the world, who are availing themselves of its services, accommodation, banqueting, conferences and restaurant facilities.
The 300-room landmark hotel features two tall, elegant towers that enhance the Tripoli skyline. Besides the 300 luxurious bedrooms and suites, all with sea-views, the hotel offers a number of top quality facilities and a wide range of dining venues and cafes. These include the main restaurant featuring traditional Libyan and international cuisine, an Italian restaurant, a lobby café, an outdoor fish restaurant with sea views, a Moroccan restaurant on the 28th floor offering spectacular views of Tripoli, and a pool café.
"The Corinthia Group has an honest and long standing commitment in Libya" comments Corinthia Group chairman Alfred Pisani. "Through the construction of this landmark hotel, this commitment has been further strengthened and is clearly manifested in this beautiful property, which is fast becoming the pride of the people of Libya, who can now boast of hosting one of the world's leading hotels."
The Corinthia Bab Africa is the first hotel of its kind in Tripoli and besides the leisure business, also aims to attract the ever-increasing MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and events) market and corporate travel business. In line with this, the hotel features fully equipped large conference halls, banqueting halls and meeting rooms to cater for all kinds of international events.
A focal point of the hotel is its superb Executive Floor on the 16th floor of the higher, 28th storey tower, providing independent check-in facilities, separate breakfast service, board rooms for private meetings, computers, secretarial services, and exclusive lounges for relaxation and informal meetings. Various leisure facilities include an indoor spa with private treatment rooms, saunas, Hammam, an exercise studio, a gymnasium, and indoor and outdoor swimming pools.
An adjoining Commercial Centre with its own independent access, provides 7,500 square metres of top quality office space rented to Libyan and international
companies.