Speaking during a meeting to discuss the MTA Review Report, Dr Gonzi said: “We consider this sector as a top priority area that must be tapped to realise its utmost potential.”

“As in other areas across Government, we are ensuring that a dynamic change process is set in motion – a process that responds to present day exigencies and opportunities. Together with all stakeholders we can ensure growth from which the entire nation stands to gain immensely,” he said.

The meeting was also attended by Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech during which the MTA Review Report was presented by a strategy team set up for the purpose by government two months ago.

The strategy team comprises four members of the MTA board, Chris Grech (chairman), Samuel Mifsud, George Micallef and Mr Winston J. Zahra and a team of partners from the professional services firm Deloitte & Touche, including Raphael Aloisio, Nick Captur, Steve Cachia and Stephen Paris.

The strategy team was set up at the end of July following a directive to this effect by Dr Zammit Dimech, and given two months to carry out a comprehensive review of the MTA’s organisational structures, expenditure, human resources, procedures and work practices. The team was entrusted to give its recommendations on how the MTA should be re-dimensioned to ensure that government expenditure on tourism promotion resulted in added value, effectiveness and accountability thereby catalysing economic growth from the tourism sector.

The process undertaken by the strategy team included extensive interviews with over 100 key players in the tourism industry thereby ensuring the inclusion of their opinions and recommendations on the way forward. Moreover the team tapped the experience and knowledge of three international experts who have been extensively involved in similar restructuring exercises in the international field.

Dr Zammit Dimech was equally determined in his words: “We know the tourism sector has the potential to perform much better if we all focus and coordinate our efforts. This report prepared by Deloitte and the MTA strategy team is proposing some significant changes which we are committed to implement as soon as possible following due consultations with stakeholders.”

“We are confident that the new proposed structure will lead to a much greater emphasis on the marketing dimension of the MTA and with a shift away from a

traditional destination-led strategy to

a much more aggressive and focused industry-based segment-driven strategy,” he said.