The Special Thanks and Recognition awards presentation ceremony, organised by the Malta Tourism Authority, took place on 23 February at the Radisson Blu Resort in St Julian's. Now in its 12th year, this annual event recognises exceptional service by people who work in the tourism industry.
The Star awards is an initiative which sees the tourists themselves nominate people they met during their holiday who, in their view, offered outstanding service and helped make their stay better. In 2016 the MTA received almost 5,500 tourist nominations for individuals from all sectors of the tourism industry.
Another important award on the night was the Hotel Worker of the Year. For this award, employees are nominated by the hotel where they work and the winner is chosen by the Star committee which has five members hailing from different tourism-related organisations, namely FATTA, ITS, MAHE, MHRA and the MTA.
During his address, the Minister for Tourism, Dr Edward Zammit Lewis emphasised the importance of offering high quality service with a product to match. He also cautioned against the risks of complacency, mentioning that one cannot rely on past successes, but needs to continue working hard and improving one's product offer in order to remain competitive.
The MTA CEO, Paul Bugeja, referred to the fact that the tourism industry relies heavily on human resources and that these awards aim to recognise those people who are its foundation. Mr Bugeja said that hospitality has always been a strong national trait and continues to be one of the characteristics of Malta that are most appreciated by holidaymakers, as confirmed in all surveys conducted by the MTA. He concluded by thanking the hotels and tourism operators for supporting this initiative while encouraging others to do the same in forthcoming editions.
This year's ceremony also featured the launch of the new Star awards website, www.starawardsmalta.com, which will serve as an online platform for the industry to participate in and for tourists to submit their nominations and also avail themselves of numerous vouchers and discounts. Newly designed printed brochures were also launched on this occasion.
During the event, seven nominees received a Star award, consisting of a trophy specifically designed for the occasion by Mdina Glass, a certificate and a monetary gift. The nominees were Patricia Flores Martin, Tourist Guide; Warren Galea, Falconer, Malta Falconry Centre; Natalene Smith, Sales Representative, Supreme Travel; Ridha Ben Moussa, Front Office manager, Salini Resort Hotel; Mark Dove, Boatman, Paradise Diving and Water Sports and Martin Hall, diving instructor, Neptunes Diving Centre. The Hotel Worker of the Year for 2016 was awarded to Doreen Bonnici from the Pergola Hotel & Spa.