A Hungarian friend of mine is on a 9-day holiday in Malta with his girlfriend. Two days into his trip he sent me this sms: "This is the balance so far - great buildings, perfect setting, excellent weather, extremely nice people, low prices and crap drivers. I'm loving it!". I texted him back two days later to discover whether any Maltese brand managers had spoilt his stay. Apparently they hadn't: "Excellent! After 4 days intensive sightseeing we're now off to Gozo for a few days of relaxation and scuba diving. Will search for a nice farmhouse to stay." And after another probing sms from my side, I got this reply from Andras and Zsuzsa today: "Still staying in lovely Xlendi, been scuba diving around Gozo all day. Fabulous restaurants, La Dolce Vita in St. Julians is no. 1 so far, we'll try Ta' Frenc tonight."

Last Friday some Maltese friends met up just off Place Saint Gery. Some of them had spent a few weeks on the island over the summer hols. The stories they told were dire - four days into a three-week stay the place became unbearable. The trigger was either a general feeling of claustrophobia or an unpleasant remark from some fellow countryman (in this case the offending phrase was "Jaqaw int l*** Malti bl-identity card Ghawdxija?"). Other complaints included the stuff showing on TV, the sheer number of cars on the roads and the feeling that the place is turning into one big building site. Conclusion: one week in that place is more than enough.

My Hungarian friend's experience is far from unique. Over the past 15 years or so, not one of my foreign friends has disliked Malta. Most of them loved it and returned. But the general feeling of malaise experienced by Maltese people themselves seems to be spiralling out of control (and filling inches of column-space in the local press).

More than genuine constructive reactions to the 'Brand Malta' concept, the attacks on it from all quarters appear to be a collective expression of pent-up frustration. With what? Good question. I just have a feeling that the usual suspects - the politicians - don't have much to do with it.