Getting lost between one narrow alley and another will never be more intriguing. There are statues at every corner and colourful balconies from which the curious wonderer is likely to meet two scenarios. A young worker on a quick coffee break, in an attempt to break away from the cosmopolitan whirlwind, or a calmer, more observant, elderly person, one hand holding hot tea with milk in a glass, the other poised on a purring cat.
Such are the streets of Valletta; a vibrant blend of old and new. Valletta is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, built as a city-fortress. Centuries later, it was declared European Capital of Culture for 2018 by the European Commission.
Local authorities have invested strongly in a programme that will include hundreds of local and international artists, curators, artist collectives, performers, workshop leaders, writers, designers, choirs and film-makers.
The Valletta 2018 Cultural Programme will involve a collection of over 140 projects and 400 events taking place throughout the European Capital of Culture year. This means that during peak and off-peak months alike, prospective holiday makers will find interesting activities taking place in Malta's cultural calendar. The very diversity offered by the programme helps in promoting the Maltese Islands as a destination that is able to tailor for all sorts of tastes.
Not only will the programme itself bring many visitors to our hotels, restaurants and attractions, but those visiting are bound to share their experiences on social media or recount details of their stay once they return to their home country. Being absolutely aware of this, we are working incessantly with several stakeholders in order to ensure that their stay is positive; hopefully to the extent that they either return to our islands for another visit or encourage friends and family to visit. Promoting Malta as a city location also helps combat issues related to seasonality that are already being addressed successfully.
Quality is paramount for such positive experiences to happen. Being conscious of this, we manage The Quality Assured (QA) seal, which is a voluntary quality recognition scheme aimed at businesses offering high levels of quality, consistency and professionalism. The QA seal covers three key tourism business operations, namely restaurants, visitor attractions and destination management companies (DMCs). The participating businesses are assessed either annually or once every two years. The seal is awarded once the QA Monitoring Committee of each category receives and approves the assessor's report.
Additionally, the MTA manages a reward scheme known as STAR, which stands for Special Thanks And Recognition. This is an important initiative through which the Malta Tourism Authority is able to give public recognition to outstanding employees who work directly or indirectly in the tourism industry. The process is completely tourist-driven and gives visitors the opportunity to express their gratitude towards those persons who have made their holiday a memorable one. Companies are encouraged to participate in this scheme with the aim of acknowledging the importance of maintaining high standards of service across this dynamic industry.
Our efforts towards quality tourism are reaping results. All the recent official figures published by the National Statistics Office indicate that the average spent per bed night is registering positve increases, mainly due to an increase spent on accomodation and other expenditure. An increase in the number of tourists setting foot on our islands means that it is ever more necessary for us to attract young, local people to pursue a career in hospitality. We are working towards this by managing different campaigns in various educational facilities.
I must conclude by expressing how proud I am that over two million tourists who have visited Malta over the past year have had the opportunity to not only visit Malta, but experiece what Valletta has to offer, now that it is in a state that best befits its title as cultural capital.
I look forward to this experience, both as a Maltese citizen as well as a host to foreign visitors. We are now all responsible for safeguarding the legacy that we have received and worked for, in order for future generations to benefit.
Paul Bugeja,CEO Malta Tourism Authority