Malta has a firm focus on quality, while it tries to diversify its tourism portfolio as well as legacy feeder markets, Gavin Gulia, Chairman of Malta Tourism Authority, tells TTN on the sidelines of the country’s National Day Ceremony at Expo 2020 Dubai.
“Tourism is a very important pillar for Malta, so we obviously took a hit with the pandemic. However, Malta Tourism Authority has responded very well to the pandemic – we applied our protocols and restrictions rigorously. In summer of 2020, we came out of Covid-19 ‘part one’ very quickly, from then on, it has been like a roller coaster ride. At times we had spikes and we returned to some quasi-normality, but every time Malta was one of those countries that came out quickly from the pandemic,” the chairman says.
The strategy has borne fruit as the country has enjoyed an ‘excellent summer’ last year and the shoulder months were even better than the summer. “September was better than August, October was better than September and November was better than October, and then we had this Omicron spike again. The numbers are dropping dramatically as fast as they rose and now, the situation is under control. We are a safe destination.
“We have also diversified our leisure sector by investing in events, which have proven successful in attracting tourists, not only in summer, but more importantly, all year round”
– Gavin Gulia
“We are looking forward to the second quarter of the year with more optimism and confidence and barring any unforeseen variants, we expect 2022 to be another good year for business.”
Malta is a small – but very well connected –archipelago in the heart of the Mediterranean, known for its beautiful beaches, dramatic cliffs, stunning landscapes and welcoming weather all year round. The Maltese islands have something for every type of traveller, whether they are a romantic couple looking for a getaway, a family seeking a fun vacation, history and culture enthusiasts, or adventurers. Between the capital of Valletta, a fortified city established in the sixteenth century by the Knights of St. John, to the home of Maltese nobility in the city of Mdina and the picture-perfect islands of Gozo and Comino, travellers will find much to love.
Europe is a very important feeder market for Malta, responsible for about 80 per cent of its inbound tourists. Particularly in the last two years, Malta has expanded its reach outside Europe, gaining market share in the Middle East, and also in the Far East.
“The UAE and Dubai are crucial to us in order to attract a new stream of tourists. We had 10,000 tourists from the UAE in 2019, up from practically zero a couple of years before. While 10,000 tourists might seem a small number, for Malta it is a very important number because we are a small country.
“Dubai serves as a very important hub for our more distant markets, such as Japan, Australia, and South Korea. We have received so many tourists from these countries, thanks to the seamless connectivity between Malta and Dubai.
Malta Tourism Strategy 2021 to 2030 is based on three R's, explains the chairman: recovery, rating and revitalising. “We are in the recovery period – it’s important that we recover the numbers again, because it's important to have critical mass. While the tourism vision document focuses firmly on quality, you cannot have quality unless there is a critical mass.
“We don't mean to say that Malta will become a six-star destination. No, what is more important is that we are aiming to raise standards across the board whether it’s a five-star resort, a boutique property or a three-star establishment. The rating has to go into direction of quality regardless of the segmentation. To go in the direction of quality, we also ultimately need to revitalise our product offering,” Gulia says.
“Malta has a lot to give - it's not just the sun and the sea. We attract tourism towards our great cultural heritage and our history. Malta was dominated by foreign nations throughout its history and all this diversity is a big attraction for tourism in general and for Middle Eastern tourists.
“We have also diversified our leisure sector by investing in events, which have proven successful in attracting tourists, not only in summer, but more importantly, all year round. The BBC Concert Orchestra from last year and the Valletta Baroque Festival from earlier this year have played in important part in boosting tourism to the country.”
The Valletta Baroque Festival has always been one of Europe’s most prestigious festival, known for its eclectic programme of early 17th and 18th century music. Next year, the festival will be celebrating its decennial edition, now under the auspices of Festivals Malta, the cultural agency responsible for a diverse portfolio of festivals including Carnival, the Malta Jazz Festival, the Malta International Arts Festival, Notte Bianca and Mużika Mużika, among others.
“We have also made great strides in our culinary offering. Malta has become a Michelin destination.” Five Maltese restaurants have been awarded a Michelin Star, among them are De Mondion in Mdina, Noni, Under Grain, and ION – The Habour, located in Valletta, and Bahia, in Lija.
Malta has never been complacent with its achievements, the chairman tells us. “The moment you say that you have arrived is the moment when you start fading away. For this reason, at Malta Tourism Board, every year on January 1 we start the year on a clean slate, even if we’ve broken records every year for the past ten years, as we did prior to the pandemic.”
