Britain experienced her coldest December for decades and it resulted in a rush for holidays for warmer climes, with the Mediterranean island of Malta getting a good number of bookings for January and February, along with more advanced bookings for the summer than the previous two years.

It's welcome news for the island which has seen in common with other destinations a slow down of tourist arrivals since the economic crisis started in 2008.

Despite the economic outlook for the UK being for slow growth in 2011, and there still being uncertainty over job security in the public sector especially, the weather was bad enough for many to throw caution to the wind and investigate the costs of a Malta holiday in the coming months.

And they might be surprised at just how reasonable it can be, and just why so many UK tourists return to the island time and again.

Thomson Holidays for example are offering return flights to Malta, and hotel for a week, departing from London from under £200 a person in late February for those wanting to get away from the winter to some sunshine, and for a hotel with a good reputation in Mellieha, which has a good beach area, it's under £350.

For the summer months it's not a lot more, with a week in Sliema for £327 a person in June including flights, while Mellieha is available for a holiday in Malta for under £500 a person - prices that match any of the island's Mediterranean competitors.

Meanwhile another well known reliable tour operator - the pioneers of modern travel Thomas Cook - have a week in Sliema available for £290 for late February / early March. A little more expensive than their main competitor, but the hotel does have a rooftop pool, is close to the Mediterranean, along with views of Valletta Harbour.

For early summer they do better, with a self catering package available in Qawra for under £250. For those who prefer Mellieha it's from £450, comparable to what Thomson have on offer, and they have a choice of over 40 different packages to choose from, including some for the neighbouring island of Gozo.

For anyone considering a trip to the island the choice of hotels is good, and while invariably on the coast there are different resorts that cater for different groups of tourists - Mellieha as mentioned has a good beach area and some of the best family Malta hotels, while St Julian's with her clubs and active nightlife is geared towards the younger generations mainly from the UK and Italy, with some more basic and cheaper accommodation available.

The weather is a big draw, not just in the summer months when it's as warm as any of the other Mediterranean islands, but over the winter time too. While much of Northern Europe was in the grip of an Arctic blast of cold air with snow to match in December, it was in the mid 60's to low 70's in Malta with good amounts of sunshine.

Flights are available year round, with some of the major tour operators running their own flights from April to October prices are competitive during the main season, but throughout the year the island's history, beaches, restaurants and bars make a Malta holiday a good choice whenever it's taken.

It's a good island to visit in the winter, but a visit to Malta is worthwhile any time of the year.