Soon after the atrocities were carried out, a board, spearheaded by the Malta Tourism Authority and Air Malta was set up to monitor the situation and keep the social partners informed of developments.

A number of establishments are known to have axed their part timers, while people seeking employment in the hotel sector, especially chefs, told Maltatoday Times that it was impossible to find a job in their line of work.

"There is a complete employment freeze in the hotel industry – everyone is just waiting to see what happens," one unemployed chef said.

The president of the hospitality and leisure section of the Association of General Retailers and Traders said that many key players in the market are adopting ‘watching and waiting’ tactics at present.

"In a sense, what is happening in Malta is a reflection of what’s happening throughout the world," Philip Fenech said. "World economies are changing, and nobody knows when they are going to settle."

Mr Fenech accepted that at a time of uncertainty, few people take risks and that, unfortunately, part-timers are often the first casualties of such a scenario.

"Part-time workers are there to cover an instant demand – if that drops, then the proprietor has to make the necessary adjustments," he explained. "But it should be stressed that many bosses go out of their way to retain their full-time staff in difficult times, partly out of a sense of social responsibility, even keeping them at a loss until things improve."

He also pointed out that just as the airline industry was already in a crisis before the 11 September terrorist attacks, many key players in the local tourism industry had long been voicing concern about the state of the sector.

"We were already talking about cashflow problems and the acute competition we have with other destinations – the events of last month have dealt us yet another blow, it’s just that we don’t yet know its full impact," he said.

But it is not all doom and gloom. Mr Fenech emphasised that although it is a fact that incoming tourism has been impacted, especially the conference sector, it should be remembered that an economy never stops ticking.

"Part-time workers could be reinstated as quickly as they were laid off, if things improve," he said. "There is also a line of thought that Malta could come out positively from a drop in travel to long-haul destinations, although we will have to wait and see if this is the case." He praised the Tourism ministry for convening a meeting with the social partners and keeping them informed of the situation.

"This was reassuring to all key players in the sector, and did, at least, make us feel that the people at the helm were aware of events, even if the actual situation is out of our hands," he said.

Mr Fenech said that from the GRTU’s part, emphasis was given to recognising the importance of ensuring tourists were treated well during these critical times.

"At a time when some travellers are toying with the idea of cancelling their holidays, it is imperative that we consider each tourist to be worth his weight in gold," he said. "We depend on them to take home a good impression of our island, and that dependence has become even greater since the 11 September attacks occurred."