Opening Address

Mr Sam Mifsud, Chairman MTA

Honourable Minister, members of parliament, colleagues within the Industry, ladies and gentlemen.

It is truly a privilege for me to be presenting the opening address of this, the Malta Tourism Authority’s Annual Conference. As those of you who know me are well aware, I try to avoid giving speeches whenever I can… However, this is one that I gladly accept to deliver, and for various reasons. And no. No need to worry. I am going to keep this short, I promise!

Both the CEO, David Mifsud, and myself took office at the MTA on the 1st of September last year. That’s not even nine months ago. The learning curve for both of us was steep. 90 degrees to be precise!. Nevertheless I believe that we started off on the right footing, and the initial results are gradually beginning to show. But there is still a lot to do. This is only the beginning and the road is long.

What have we done, all together, in the past nine months? Well first off we needed to identify what the principle problems facing the Tourism Industry were. No. 2006, overall, was not a good year for the industry. We needed to work out the why this was so. First off was the problem of not enough flight capacity. In certain markets, such as Germany, people wanted to come to Malta but were unable to due because there weren’t enough flights. That problem is now being tackled and tackled properly. This is being accomplished, mainly, thanks to the gradual introduction of new routes operated by low cost carriers, as well as the extremely positive air of co-operation that exists between the MTA and Air Malta. Other legacy carriers have also shown much willingness to rediscover Malta and flights here too are definitely on the increase.

The way in which Air Malta rose to the occasion, though, is worth mentioning again. Our national carrier is now operating in a far more competitive arena than ever before. But Air Malta has adapted to the new circumstances in an excellent way. They have ‘bitten the bullet’, did whatever was needed in the circumstances, and are proving themselves to be a very dynamic airline. We should all be proud of what Air Malta is accomplishing. Special thanks go to Joe Cappello and everyone at Air Malta, bar none.

9 months ago we also needed to take a closer look at the Marketing function, and determine where we could improve matters. A detailed and in-depth study was carried out and changes implemented. These changes have brought about many improvements. The structures aren’t perfect…but we’re definitely on the right track. One of the more significant improvements we’ve carried out on the Marketing side is the re-establishing of an MTA presence in core markets. To date we’ve re-opened offices in the Benelux, France and Scandinavia, with the new Rome office to be opened in two months time.

With regards to overseas marketing…There have been times when the Winter and Spring overseas campaigns were sorely lacking. This Winter and Spring we have focused many of our efforts in promoting Malta effectively in our core markets. We kicked off in October through joint campaigns with Tour Operators then proceeded with a whole new interim campaign, for Spring and Summer. These campaigns seem to have had positive effects across the board. Still, and once again, there is much room for improvement. And that is why we are now looking ahead to advertising Malta much better together with our new communications partners Media Consulta.

This Winter, November to March, tourist arrivals increased by 7% or almost 20 thousand tourists. Unfortunately, the upturn at year’s end was not enough to reverse the fortunes of 2006 as a whole. Nonetheless it was a clear indication that we have begun to turn the tide. It needs to be pointed out though that we are operating in an international market where everything is in a state of constant change. Trends are changing constantly, market factors are changing constantly. What was the norm in one year will probably not be the norm in the next. We need to be constantly aware of these rapid changes and have the means to react in good time.

There is more. Much, much more that needs to be done, and we’re just at the beginning. The theme of this conference is Tourism Towards Tomorrow. It is a commitment to looking forward, yes. But it also highlights the importance of the Here & Now. What we do now directly influences the outcomes of tomorrow. And now is where the challenges really lie.

Bottom line? These are challenging times. Yes. Very challenging. But with every challenge come a multitude of new opportunities. I am sure… No… I am convinced that by all of us, pulling in the same direction… with goodwill… with mutual co-operation… with vision… we can overcome all of the challenges we face, and reap the benefits all the opportunities that lie in store. The MTA is committed to doing everything possible to bring about success for the tourism industry in Malta. We will leave no stone unturned to make this happen.

These past few months have been tough. However, things would have been much, much tougher had it not been for the immediate support that was given from all the key industry players. That same support from the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the government, and Tourism spokespersons, was also a make-or-break factor for us, and for this I am sincerely grateful. Most important, however, and the most instrumental factor that has made these nine months at the helm of the MTA such a rewarding experience… has been the total and whole-hearted support of the Authority’s staff, at all levels, locally and overseas. 9 months ago I spoke about the many, many challenges that lay ahead. I was unsure of how possible it was to deal with all these serious challenges effectively. Today I am convinced that with the very hard-working, efficient and dedicated team at the MTA, the challenges that lay ahead will be overcome. In this regard, we have begun to see various indications of this happening. To all of you… to all of us, at the Malta Tourism Authority… A big, sincere and public thank you.

This supplement is available at: AC07.