Founded in 1950, ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK.

Malta to host ABTA's Travel Convention

The Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Environment and Culture, the Hon. Mario de Marco welcomed the announcement today by ABTA – The Travel Association of the UK which confirms Malta as the chosen venue for its 2010 ‘Travel Convention’ that will take place from Monday 18th to Wednesday 20th October 2010. The Convention will welcome around 800 UK high-profile travel operators as well as around 50 journalists to our shores, and is the leading convention of the Travel Trade in the UK. This is the first time that the Convention will be held outside the UK or Spain for the last 20 years.

Dr de Marco said that the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and Airmalta had been working hard to ensure that Malta wins the bid to host this high-profile Convention. The hosting of this leading UK travel trade annual convention in Malta is all the more significant given that the UK accounts for 35 per cent of all incoming tourists to Malta, and ABTA earlier this year declaring Malta as one of the top 15 travel hotspots for 2010 due to the increased accessibility as well as the regeneration plans for Valletta. He also welcomed the statement by ABTA’s Chief Executive, Mr Mark Tanzer that “Malta is a vibrant and developing destination for UK travellers” and that The Travel Convention will give its Members “a great opportunity to acquaint, or re-acquaint themselves with all that it has to offer”.

The Parliamentary Secretary thanked the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association for working together with the authorities to ensure this success, which will welcome these key players of the UK travel industry to our islands.

Dr de Marco concluded that he is confident that all stakeholders will be doing their utmost to ensure that this Convention is a success and that all ABTA members attending will experience Malta and the Maltese people in a way which will benefit the local tourism industry.

MTA CEO, Mr Josef Formosa Gauci said that the UK is Malta’s foremost market in so far as tourist arrivals are concerned and thus hosting ‘The Travel Convention’ gives Malta the perfect opportunity to highlight the unique proposition the Maltese Islands have to offer. Moreover, this will also give prominence to Malta over a period of eight months due to the continued promotion from now till the event itself.

ABTA is the largest travel association in the UK and was founded in 1950. It currently has 1,351 members with 5,700 outlets. Members include travel agents, tour operators and support services right across the spectrum from small family-owned businesses to the largest tour operators. Its members provide 90% of the foreign package holidays in the UK as well as selling millions of independent travel arrangements.