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Karl Stagno-Navarra
The newly appointed Malta Tourism Authority Board is set to have its first meeting tomorrow, with an agenda that calls for decisions regarding the marketing strategy to be immediately implemented overseas.
Speaking to Business Today, MTA chairman Sam Mifsud explained that the new board – that replaces the previous one that resigned en-bloc a month ago over a press leakage issue – will be called to decide on approving a strategy plan to re-open MTA offices in major European cities.
Business Today has learnt that while the Rome, London and Frankfurt general sales agents will remain, MTA will now replace GSAs in Stockholm, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam with specific remits for marketing and promoting Malta as an all year round destination.
The new board, that received appointment a week ago from Minister Francis Zammit Dimech is made up of Austin Calleja, Albert Caruana, Mario Loporto, Joe Preca and Angela Saliba as government representatives.
Josef Formosa Gaci has been appointed on the MTA to represent the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), Joe Cappello, representing Air Malta, and Iain Tonna, from the Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (FATTA), were reappointed.
John Dimech and Glorianne Mizzi have been elected to represent tourism associations, namely the MUTG, the Hotel and Catering Institute and Institutional Hotels, the Pensions and Catering Establishments, the Timeshare Association, the Rent-A-Car Association, the Malta and Gozo Restaurants Association, the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations Malta, and the Unscheduled Bus Service.
Commenting to Business Today, MTA chairman Sam Mifsud said that the funding for these offices will be sourced by redirecting what was previously budgeted for the GSAs.
Asked also to comment about Malta Labour Party tourism spokesman Evarist Bartolo’s call yesterday for government to publish the recommendations submitted by the consultative group, Sam Mifsud stated that “there is nothing particularly new to report”.
Sam Mifsud also confirmed that MTA will be doubling the finances to Air Malta’s budget to start off an aggressive television marketing campaign in the UK.
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