Hotels and restaurants hit by virus fears, but situation ‘not yet at crisis level’ – MHRA CEO
The hotels and restaurants sector has been hit as a result of the coronavirus fears, but things have not reached crisis level, the CEO of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) Andrew Agius Muscat told The Malta Independent.
Tourism is one of Malta’s largest economic sectors, and tourism worldwide has taken a hit due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
Contacted by this newsroom and asked about the impact the virus has had on the industry, he said that statistics are still being collated, but from the many calls he has had with people within the industry he can say that a negative effect is strongly being felt.
“It is clear that the industry has been hit, especially over the past two weeks when the coronavirus hit Italy.”
He explained that there are groups cancelling trips, as well as conferences being cancelled. “Conferences are a very important part of the tourism formula in Malta,” he explained.
He expressed his hope that things will not get worse, as if it does, then the “risk of a crisis is there.”
It is not just a question of bookings being cancelled, but the bookings that would normally be coming in at this time of year are also down, he said. This is as people don’t want to book and lose money having to cancel later on, he explained, as people are unsure of what will happen in the future.
The effects of the virus fears are not solely being felt in the hotels industry; restaurants are also suffering, he said.
Agius Muscat explained that fewer people are now going out to eat at restaurants.
Asked what the MHRA is doing to prepare in case the situation worsens and the virus does come to the island, he explained that in terms of mitigating the economic impact, various options are being discussed. “We are seeing what can happen, but it isn’t easy. We are in discussions and looking at ways to mitigate the potential economic crisis tied to drastic movements in terms of tourism and the impact that has been felt up until now,” he explained, while again stressing that the situation has not yet reached crisis level.
The coronavirus has not yet hit the island, however, it has spread to many countries in Europe. Fears of the virus have however been felt here in Malta, as people flocked to supermarkets to bulk buy essentials.