Prime Minister Robert Abela has received the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) Leadership in Tourism Award in recognition of Malta's tourism success, the Office of the Prime Minister said in a statement.
During the WTTC Global Summit, Abela emphasised that the next step for the tourism sector must take the country beyond mere growth in numbers, moving instead towards a tourism model built on quality, greater value, and increased sustainability.
Abela highlighted the sector's strong performance in the country. He noted that last year, for the first time, Malta welcomed over four million tourists, with total expenditure exceeding €3.9 billion.
This positive trend has continued into the first eight months of this year, with more than 3.1 million tourists visiting the country and generating nearly €3 billion in expenditure. The Prime Minister said that while the Mediterranean summer holiday remains a key component of Malta's tourism product, the country is increasingly becoming a year-round destination. This shift is driven by a more diversified tourism offering that includes-among other things-cultural tourism, conferences and business travel, weddings, gastronomy, diving, wellness, and language learning travel.
Abela noted that the unique cultural heritage of Malta and Gozo remains a vital asset, but he emphasised that the character and hospitality of the Maltese and Gozitan people are equally important elements.
He said that, through the Malta 2050 Vision, the country is looking toward the sector's next phase of evolution.
"An evolution steering us toward tourism defined by higher quality, greater value, and increased sustainability, benefiting visitors, businesses, workers, and communities alike. Consequently, we are increasingly focusing on attracting visitors who appreciate what Malta has to offer, explore its culture and heritage, and support local businesses," he said.
The Prime Minister said that moving ever closer to this goal requires increasingly higher standards across the entire tourism value chain, including quality experiences, continuously improving infrastructure, enhanced skills, quality jobs, better use of technology, and an increasingly robust tourism product.
Abela emphasised that sustainability cannot be an afterthought, nor can it be discussed in isolation from economic growth. Therefore, quality of life and quality tourism must go hand in hand. Abela said that this is the direction being established through the Malta Vision 2050.
He noted that this is not merely a challenge for Malta, but a global one.
"In this context, the future of tourism requires a genuine partnership between governments, businesses, investors, workers, destinations, and communities," Abela said.
He explained that this is precisely why organisations such as the WTTC play an important role by bringing together leadership from both the public and private sectors around the same table. Abela added that this Summit provides an opportunity not only to discuss the future of tourism but also to exchange ideas and forge partnerships that can truly help further strengthen the tourism sector.
Following his address, the Prime Minister was presented with an award recognising the way Malta is leading and setting an example within the tourism sector. The 'Leadership in Tourism Award' was presented to Abela by WTTC Chairman Manfredi Lefebvre d'Ovidio.
Throughout the day, the Prime Minister also held various meetings, including discussions with a number of CEOs from international companies operating in the tourism sector.
During these meetings, many CEOs praised the organisation of the conference, which brought together around 1,000 delegates and nearly 200 journalists. Several others also commended Malta, particularly for the significant success it is achieving in the tourism field.