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Hosting foreign students in Malta

Foreign students coming to study English in Malta constitute a growing niche market. KURT SANSONE takes a look at this mushrooming sector

During the Easter and Summer holidays, Malta is bustling with youngsters from the Continent who have come over to improve their English language skills.

The English language student sector is a relatively new phenomenon in the tourist industry, growing rapidly over the past 10 years.

A number of students stay at language schools, but many choose, instead, to stay with host families.

The number of licensed host families providing accommodation for foreign students last year stood at 937, according to figures made available to MaltaToday by the Hotels and Catering Establishments Board.

Alfred Vella from the HCEB told MaltaToday that host families have to apply for a licence every year.

"Before giving out licences, the HCEB carries out a number of inspections to verify that the host families meet the basic requirements specified by law. Host families are classified as second class guesthouses," Mr Vella said.

Host families may accommodate a maximum of four students in two different rooms, at any one time. Furthermore they cannot host students of different sex unless they are hosting a family.

Mr Vella said that if these conditions are flouted the HCEB can revoke the licence. Reports of families hosting eight and 10 students are not rare.

Mr Vella explained, "Whenever we receive reports of abuse we investigate and there have been times when we instructed schools to find alternative accommodation for the students."

Some schools carry out their own inspections to ascertain good accommodation for their students.

Host families are paid an average of Lm10 per student per day by the schools. A family can easily make Lm280 per week hosting four students for seven days. However, people who regularly accommodate students say that the expenses for hosting could easily reach Lm8 per student per day leaving a drastically reduced income. Host families generally agree to what type of accommodation to give students with the respective schools.

Schools stress that host families have to be English-speaking to help students get a better grasp of the language. Although no regulations exist as to the nationality and age of students, the HCEB recommends that families host students of the same nationality and if possible of the same age.

The locality with the largest number of host families is Sliema with 154. Second largest is San Gwann with 115 families and St Julian’s comes third with 96 host families.

The number of foreign students coming to Malta to learn English has increased dramatically over recent years. Last year more than 35,000 foreign students came over compared to 27,000 in 1996. The figure for 1998 stood at 31,105, while operators in the sector are estimating a higher number for 2001.

The increase in the influx of students is reflected in the number of English language schools that have mushroomed on the islands. The Malta Tourism Authority web site lists 32 English Language schools. These schools offer different language programmes ranging from a general knowledge of English to more technical English language courses.

Although the figures look promising, the common feeling among various tourist industry operators is that students are not the best market for Malta because they are not big spenders. Some complain that other niche markets, and mainstream tourism in particular, are being neglected.

"Some visitors are bemused to find that the island has been ‘taken over’ by students and is not the resort that they thought it was, or used to be," one said, while another pointed out that these visitors are not the greatest of spenders.

However, other operators stress that Malta needs different markets and the student segment is a niche market that creates a number of spin-offs. Maltese youngsters looking for some summer fun with their foreign male and female counterparts will certainly agree.