The Institute for Tourism Studies has launched a new strategy for 2026 to 2030 aimed at improving training, modernising courses and strengthening links with Malta's tourism industry.

The strategy includes further investment in the quality of education, infrastructure, digitalisation, governance and academic capacity, with the aim of making ITS more modern and internationally recognised by 2030.

It also provides for the  modernization of the institute's curriculum, the introduction of new specialist courses and increased collaboration with tourism and hospitality operators.

The plan will also seek to expand ITS's international presence while building on the Skills Pass programme, which is intended to strengthen professional standards among workers in the tourism sector.

Tourism Minister Jo Etienne Abela said investment in ITS was a direct investment in the future of Maltese and Gozitan tourism and in the professionals expected to lead the industry in the coming years.

He said the institute remained one of the main pillars of supporting the development of workers in Malta's tourism and hospitality sectors after almost 40 years of operation.

Abela said the strategy was aligned with the Malta 2050 Vision and the government's objective of developing a tourism economy based on quality, skills and higher-value services.

"Tourism is not measured only by the number of visitors who reach our shores," he said, adding that service quality, visitor experience and the professionalism of workers were also central to the sector's success

ITS chief executive Pierre Fenech said the strategy built on the previous plan, during which the institute achieved most of the key performance indicators it had established.

He said the new plan reflected the institute's achievements while setting further targets intended to deliver measurable and long-term results.