Joseph Cutajar

The International Institute of Gastronomy, Culture, Arts, and Tourism (IGCAT) has nominated the Maltese neighbourly island of Gozo for the prestigious Award of European Region of Gastronomy for 2026, marking a significant milestone in Gozo's culinary journey. It also reaffirms Gozo's status as a vibrant island destination at the heart of the Mediterranean.  Gozo's successful bid for the European Region of Gastronomy Award is a testament to the island's rich, eclectic gastronomic heritage, innovative culinary scene, and unwavering commitment to sustainability. It follows a diligent effort and collaboration between several important stakeholders spearheaded by the Gozo Regional Council.  After reviewing…

Through its participation in a pioneering European initiative and under the auspices of the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA), the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is poised to enhance its crisis management and governance capabilities. The "Crisis Management and Governance in Tourism" project aims to fortify the European tourism sector's resilience. Amidst the unprecedented challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the MTA and other vital stakeholders recognise the critical importance of effective crisis management mechanisms.  Key MTA management personnel that took part in the crisis management initiative. Photo: MTA The initiative, funded under the Single Market Programme, has…

The Malta International Airport’s (MIA) full-year traffic in 2023 has recorded an astonishing increase of 6.7 per cent over the pre-pandemic year numbers, amounting to 7.8 million passengers. Announcing the results during MIA’s yearly traffic press conference, the company’s CEO Alan Borg said that these results represented a growth of almost 500,000 passenger movements, comparable to the throughput of an average winter month for the airport. Malta International Airport terminal. Photo: MTA At the same time, the airport also outperformed pre-pandemic levels in seat load factor, with each month of the year registering varying degrees of growth over 2019, peaking…

Malta reached a new milestone in tourism last year (2023) when it welcomed over three million visitors to the islands, representing an increase of over 8% over the previous record of nearly 2.8 million set pre-COVID-19 in 2019.  MTA Deputy CEO and Chief Officer for Strategic Development Leslie Vella disclosed this statistic during an industry event hosted by the Malta Tourism Authority, entitled Writing History Together. Minister for Tourism and Public Cleanliness Clayton Bartolo, the MTA Chairman Dr. Gavin Gulia, the MTA CEO Carlo Micallef, MTA personnel, and industry stakeholders attended the event. The figures demonstrate that Malta's tourism recovery from the…

Addressing a joint event by MTA, ITAKA Poland and Alpine Sterling DMC at a hotel at Golden Sands, Malta to celebrate the growing success of Malta amongst Polish travellers, the Chairman of the MTA, Dr Gavin Gulia, gave a warm welcome to ITAKA's President, Mr Piotr Henicz, the company's top management, sales managers, and agents, and thanked them for their commitment in selling Malta, for choosing to visit and experience the Maltese Islands, and for hosting the ITAKA Lider conference in Malta. MTA Chairman Gavin Gulia (2nd left) with guests at the MTA-ITAKA event in Malta. Photo: VisitMalta A few months ago,…

VisitMalta has launched its first comprehensive guide for high-end travel to the Maltese Islands in collaboration with Greydoor Publishing. This exclusive, informative, and fun publication covers anything from general destination information to tips for family travel, sailing, adventure, wellness, itinerary ideas, gastronomy, and much more. The guidebook aims to inspire readers and inform prospective travellers about the best places to visit in Malta and Gozo. The publication will be distributed at various touchpoints in print and digital versions. It will be available at high-end hotels around Malta, Gozo, and other important venues around the Islands, at international fairs attended by…

Joséf Bonello, the MTA’s first Wine Ambassador The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has appointed Mr Joséf Bonello as the first ambassador for promoting the wines of Malta and Gozo. His task shall be to raise the profile and knowledge of Maltese wines locally and, more importantly, internationally. The MTA said it is confident that through his great experience and love of the wine sector, Mr Bonello will succeed in establishing a brand identity for the Maltese Islands and Mediterranean wines. Mr Bonello's wine journey began more than thirty years ago when a local winery presented him with an opportunity to…