In October Noel Zammit was appointed as Acting Chief Executive of Heritage Malta. In his new role Mr Zammit looks back at the challenges and the achievements that characterised the past year, and gives us also an overview about the challenges and projects for the upcoming year with the aim to showcase in a better way the Maltese heritage to the public and the agency's way forward to 'ensure a future to our past'!

 

You have been in charge of Heritage Malta for these last two months, what are you first impressions on this new venture?

Having been already with the Agency for the past 13 years, I was more or less aware of what I would find when I took office.  To be honest I confirmed what I already knew, during my site visits, since the first thing I did was to visit each museum, site and office and meet all the employees.  Every employee has something to give and is very valid for the Agency's mission.  There are some issues, ranging from the organisation structure, the culture and the product we have on offer.  However, it is not impossible to overcome them.  I am sure that with the right direction and some good will, we will succeed.  

Before your new appointment, you were also Head Corporate Services and ICT within the agency. How would you say that 2017 was for Heritage Malta?

2017 was a very challenging year for Heritage Malta.  It was the year were Malta hosted the EU Presidency - which brought several challenges due to planned closures of certain sites such as the Grandmasters' Palace and Fort St. Elmo - two important cash cows; a year which saw the re-opening of the Ħal Saflieni Hypogeum - another cash cow; and where we had to face a huge turnout of inbound tourism - which means we had to walk the extra mile to satisfy demanding customers.  This year was, so far, another record year for the Agency in terms of admissions - notwithstanding the closures of the mentioned sites.  We received not less than seven Tripadvisor Certificates of Excellence and a Travellers Choice Award for the fabulous temples of Ħaġar Qim and Mnajdra.  In a nutshell, we can safely say that 2017 was a fantastic year for the Agency.

 

In your opinion which were the greatest achievements for this year?

Various achievements I suppose, but the re-opening of the Hypogeum and the De Valette dagger exhibition are both landmarks for 2017.

The tourism industry is one of the main pillars in the Maltese economy. This sector has been flourishing with the number of tourists visiting the island increasing year after year. Are you satisfied with the number of visitors to museums and sites under the guidance of Heritage Malta? And how many visitors visited HM's museums?

To be fair, I cannot say I am not satisfied with the total number of visitors to our museums, especially since we are looking at a potential record year of admissions in museums and sites managed by Heritage Malta.  However, when comparing the rate of increase of inbound tourism for 2017, we can deduce that the increase of visitors is not proportional.  This means that, at face value, we could have done better.  It could be a matter of marketing, or the quality and type of tourist, or even the time of year marking high inbound tourism, but whatever the reason we can always do better.  So far we can compare our statistics up to November, and we have an increase of 10% over 2016, which was another record year, and an increase of 15.5% over 2015.  Considering everything, this is a good result and the whole nation should be proud of the fact that over 1.2 million tourists visit and appreciate our past.

 

What is the visitors' feedback about Heritage Malta's sites and museums? And what is Heritage Malta doing to raise the interest in its sites, museums and national collection?

The feedback is, more often than not, positive.  Of course this depends on the type of tourist leaving the feedback, however, from our guest books we can say that a huge percentage of visitors love our product. 

We have been investing, in the past 10 years, in the presentation of our cultural heritage and also in ways to improve the general visitor experience, through the introduction of audiovisual experiences, interactive installations, educational programmes, on site resources and general improved amenities.  It goes without saying that investment in the product is not enough to raise the much required ratings.  Marketing and value adding initiatives are a must to outreach to different audiences.  This has been an important asset for the Agency's success in attracting more visitors.  We are reaching out new markets and audiences through investment in marketing and the varied programme of events. 

This year's thematic events, such as All Hallow's Eve at the St. Paul's Catacombs, L-Għid tal-Erwieħ at the Inquisitor's Palace, Dark Tales of Fort St Angelo, Filfla tours and various heritage trails were all fully booked well before the actual event. This is a clear signal that the audience is positively responding to our initiatives. A very important and successful project was the Wonders of Malta Google Cultural Institute collaboration.  This has integrated our museums and sites on the Google street map service hence increasing accessibility through virtual means. The next step is to capitalise on this product and launch it in schools.

 

The agency embarked on new projects and is always doing its utmost to enhance the national collection. What are the main challenges for 2018 and which are the main projects that will be highlighted during the new year?

2018 is a very challenging year, not only because it's the year that Valletta will be the European Capital of Culture, and so bringing in new challenges to satisfy the visitor demands, which I hope will flock towards our sites, but also because we have very important projects and initiatives to launch.  Starting from the Mużew tal-Arti, MUŻA, at the Auberge d'Italie, a Valletta 2018 flagship project under the management of Heritage Malta, which will be launched mid-2018.  We shall be hosting the Shranz exhibition at Fort St Elmo, bringing together important works from the Shranz family under one roof.  The target is to launch this exhibition in March.  We shall also be launching a Hall dedicated to the Maltese Regiments at Fort St Elmo, the 3D room at St. Paul's Catacombs, the 3D exhibition at the National Museum of Archaeology, the FRAGSUS project exhibition and more.... We already have a jam packed calendar of events for next year and we certainly will have something going on for everyone.

 

After several years Heritage Malta registered profit in its financial year. Apart from EU funds and other income, the agency benefited also from donation through the IIP scheme. How important are such funds for Heritage Malta to invest in its museums and collection?

 The IIP funds proved to be a very important source this year.  Many projects have been done through this funding such as the Documentation of the Gran Salon at the National Museum of Archaeology, the Bells and Chimes project at the Maritime Museum, the GAMAR Mobile App to be launched soon at the Inquisitor's Palace, several storage systems for the Natural History collection and so on.....these important projects are usually put on the back burner due to other more important and pressing issues, however, through the IIP funds, we managed to implement these projects as well.

 

Heritage Malta launched also several schemes and embarked on various marketing plans to generate money and funds essential conservation work, projects and ensure continued enjoyment of our sites and museums to present and future generations. Can you describe these schemes and plans, and are you satisfied with the results achieved so far? And what are the targets for 2018 as funding is concerned?

Heritage Malta is currently investing in particular Business Development initiatives that will generate the much needed funds whilst creating different ways of interpretation.  A Taste of History is a practical intangible heritage project developed to explore specific historical instances and explained through the production and consumption of researched recipes. The Agency has, for the first time, participated in specialised local fairs such as the MFCC Weddings & Events Exhibition and international experiences such as the World Travel Market, a must attend B2B travel event. The collaboration with other governmental agencies and authorities such as the Malta Tourism Authority and other private entities is essential to ensure continuity and growth in the respective areas. This kind of synergies will help continue growth in these respective initiatives and the target is to increase revenue generation.

 

And finally what is your message to the general public and tourists to pay a visit to Heritage Malta's sites and museums?

Apart from wishing all the very best to the readers - I'd say - Let's participate more, let's all involve ourselves to preserve our cultural heritage.....and be on the lookout for upcoming events - there will be something going on for everyone next year!