At Auberge de Castille, Prime Minister Robert Abela held a pre-Budget 2027 consultation meeting with members of the Association of Catering Establishments (ACE).
During the meeting, ACE presented its proposals for the 2027 Budget, and the sector’s priorities for the coming months were also discussed.
The Prime Minister stressed that the catering sector plays an important role in the country’s economy and is also an integral part of Malta and Gozo’s tourism product and identity. The owners of establishments, workers and all professionals working in this field contribute every day to an experience that goes beyond the purely culinary.
Through their service and hospitality, they continue to strengthen Maltese culture, traditions and hospitality among all those who visit our country, while also offering a quality experience to residents who choose to visit their establishments.
Dr Abela stated that the Government is committed to ensuring that the tourism sector continues moving towards a model increasingly based on quality, value and sustainability. He went on to say that, as the sector continues to achieve positive results, work must continue to build on this success in a sustainable manner, with an ever-greater emphasis on quality, economic value and benefits for communities.
In this context, the Prime Minister referred to the work being intensified to ensure that tourism success is not measured solely by the number of arrivals, but also by the quality of the experience, the economic value created, and the benefits left in the areas and communities that welcome visitors.
The Prime Minister stressed that, in order for the country to continue building on this success, the Government is committed to continuing to invest in people, workers and their skills, as well as continuing to support quality private investment.
Accompanying the Prime Minister at the meeting were Ministers Anton Refalo, Silvio Schembri, Miriam Dalli, Clyde Caruana, Jo Etienne Abela, Alison Zerafa Civelli and Malcolm Paul Agius Galea, as well as the Head of the Secretariat of the Office of the Prime Minister, Mark Mallia.