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INSIDER

Newspaper Post

VOLUME III, NO 14 - APRIL 2016

The publication of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association

Angelo Xuereb

dreams turned into achievements

in this Issue

MHRA President - 09

From the MHRA CEO - 13

Our own action-man - 22

Deep inside the world of chefs - 35

05 The MHRA sponsors

40 A €650mn opportunity for Maltese companies

07 The editor’s letter 09 From the MHRA President 13 From the MHRA CEO 16 MHRA Associates’ Members List 19 The council members in depth

43 20 hotels receive Eco Certification

During MTA Seminar and Certificate Presentation

45 Eating in style 50 Record-Breaking 2015 For the Maltese Tourism Industry

56 There are other ways of financing projects

Ben Muscat

Crowdfunding with ZAAR makes perfect sense

22 Angelo Xuereb

60 Three cheers to the start of a

great Mediterranean story

Our own action-man

33 Antalya

Land of beautiful contrasts

35 Deep inside the world of chefs 2

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67 Star Awards:

Recognising People in the tourism industry

69 Custom design furniture manufacturer rebrands as Chillischilli

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Eating in style - 45

Record-breaking 2015 for the Maltese Tourism Industry - 50

Crowdfunding with ZAAR makes perfect sense - 56

Three cheers to the start of a great Mediterranean story - 60

April 2016 Vol III Issue 14

Cover: Angelo Xuereb - page 22 Photographer: Sean Mallia

Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association Nr. 2, Gallina Street, Kappara San Gwann, SGN 4111, Malta Tel: (00356) 21318133/4 Fax: (00356) 21336477 Email: mhra@mhra.org.mt Web: www.mhra.org.mt

Published by

a member of

iMNG Ltd Ajiree Court, 04, Testaferrata Street, Ta’ Xbiex XBX1403, Malta Tel: (00356) 2010 7775 Email: info@i-mng.com

Publisher Jason Attard jason@i-mng.com Editor Victor Calleja vc@i-mng.com

Presentation Art Director Jason Attard Layout & Design iMNG Design Assistant Fabiola Rampazzo

© All rights reserved by the Publisher. The Publisher’s written consent must be obtained before any part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means whatsoever. Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. Whilst every care has been taken in compiling contents and in safeguarding against plagiarism, the publisher and/or editor cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions. You are reminded of your right to refuse receipt of this publication and/or our other products or services by sending such requests in writing to iMNG Ltd, signed by the person refusing receipt.

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the MHRA Sponsors

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he President and Council of the Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association, on behalf of the members, would like to thank the Sponsors for their support and commitment towards the MHRA. The long-term agreement reached with the sponsors has enabled the MHRA to take a more long-term perspective to its operations.

Platinum Sponsors:

Corporate Sponsors:

Join the MHRA and support it in its quest to safeguard the interests of the tourism industry and at the same time enjoy the benefits of membership.

For further information contact the Membership Officer at membership.officer@mhra.org.mt

Editor’s Letter

Inside numbers

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hen the numbers were all bad and the tourism industry was in crisis the cry was to do whatever was possible to bring in the numbers.

Thankfully the past seven years have been a time of plenty for tourism, with success after success, boom after boom. The situation is so good that some operators shout out “boring” each time anyone in authority or who cares about the industry points out that the numbers are not just good but getting overall better.

The recently published numbers make great reading. The growth is not just great but sustainable.

More growth was registered in the lean months than the peak ones.

But it was great news even for the operators, as more money is being spent by tourists.

2015 was the seventh year of growth.

Anyone who thinks in biblical terms might feel ominously worried. In the bible the seven years of plenty were followed by a seven-year period of scarcity.

In 2006, after much prodding by

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MHRA, the authorities and even MTA changed tack and took the plunge to go for low-cost carriers.

This and other very welcome changes made possible the results we have been seeing for so long.

If we keep the momentum, the graph can remain rosy. But the work mustn’t let up and we must be vigilant of all aspects of this most important pillar, not just of our economy but our whole well-being. With Air Malta, who have contributed so much to tourism and its success, finding a strategic partner, this rosy future can be nurtured and sustained.

Change and evolving a product is possible and necessary even when success has lasted more than seven years. The Barracuda Restaurant came into being by someone who had no experience in catering. Walter Cassar, doyen of our restaurateurs, and soul behind the Barracuda proves how a restaurant can remain a success story if quality remains the main goal. However even to quality one must also add innovation and a need to grasp and welcome change.

In this issue of Insider we find out all about Walter Cassar’s recent changes and his choice of the chef who is part of the face of Barracuda.

We also delve into how the man who dreams a lot turns his seemingly extravagant dreams into action.

Angelo Xuereb too has been present during the good times as well as the bad times of our tourism sector.

“The contrast with Cassar cannot be emphasised enough but this is what makes tourism so exciting.

Delving deeply into all the personalities, the men and women who run the show or help run the show, gives Insider magazine a privileged viewpoint. Besides the numbers tourism in Malta has something else going for it—the depth of character, the resilience, the strength to go on and on even when the odds are stacked well against us.

Long may this last.

Enjoy this issue of Insider and let’s all work to beat even biblical scares of scarcity.

VICTOR CALLEJA

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From the MHRA President

Tony Zahra, President

Excellent results but a word of caution

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uring the MHRABOV Quarterly Review meeting, Deloitte stated that Malta’s hotel sector continued to report positive growth in the fourth quarter of 2015 and the overall results of the 2015 BOV MHRA survey by Deloitte are very encouraging, notwithstanding a relatively flat trend in overall collective accommodation bed nights.

All sectors reported significant rate improvements in 2015, leading to increased revenue. However, this

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was partially offset by increased expenditure in payroll, direct costs, property maintenance and marketing. The increase in expenditure is indicative of a general upgrade in Malta’s accommodation product which is being reflected in increased room rates.

Whilst tourism statistics for 2015 report an increase of 8% in arrivals and 5% in guest nights, the reported growth continues to be practically all going to non-licensed accommodation establishments.

The number of tourists and guest nights reportedly opting for collective accommodation in 2015 was substantially in line with what was reported last year. This is also reflected in the survey results, where occupancy levels increased marginally notwithstanding temporary reductions in capacity due to a number of hotel refurbishment projects, leading to less bed capacity available.

Although overall volumes were relatively flat in 2015, the average rate increases were substantial in all sectors.

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G1, Triq il-Handaq, Handaq, Malta Email: info@jmpmalta.com / Tel: 2141 3154 G1, Triq il-Handaq, Handaq, Mob: 9947 2922 / Fax: 2131 Malta 3183 Email: info@jmpmalta.com / Tel: 2141 3154 Facebook: jmpmalta Mob: 9947 2922 / Fax: 2131 3183 Facebook: jmpmalta

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MHRA has consistently stressed that Government must be the support for the engine of the economy, and not the economy itself

We urge the Government to embark on an aggressive campaign to address unlicensed operators, since these do not only create an unfair level playing field in the market place from a competitiveness perspective but also threaten the quality product and service standards of our tourism sector.

Indeed we all need to remember that it has been very challenging over the past years to gear our sector to the level we all enjoy today and that we have to continue to strive for the top.

Total average revenue per available room (REVPAR) increased by 1215% across all sectors. Costs also increased in most sectors to reflect the quality improvement which resulted in the increased rates. The impact of increased expenditure was partially cushioned by significant savings in utility costs following a drop in utility rates early in the year.

Revenue growth was significantly more substantial than the reported cost increases and all sectors continued to strengthen their overall reported Gross Operating Profit.

Looking ahead, although on average hoteliers are generally expecting occupancy levels to remain fairly stable, they remain fairly upbeat regarding rate improvement prospects.

Accessibility remains the key to this success and seat capacity for 2016 is presently forecast to increase by just under 3%, which would indicate that 2016 could see another record year of arrivals. These results come through the close co-operation of all the stakeholders as well as Minster Zammit Lewis, MTA, Air Malta and MIA.

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With reference to the 50 cents a night environment contribution, the MHRA has held innumerable meetings with Government on this matter and we now believe that we are near to reaching an agreement on the method of collection and the make up of the foundation which will administer the funds. We can confirm that the environment contribution will start to be collected later than the 1st April, possibly as from the 1st June.

With regards to the current political situation: our politicians need to focus their efforts more on how to take our economy and our international standing to the next level. Good governance is essential in a democratic society and, as MHRA has supported the introduction of measures during this legislature like the Whistle Blower Act, we will also be supporting measures recommended in the PN’s document Restoring Trust in Politics, such as the need to have public hearing sessions for persons nominated to certain positions which call for the highest level of integrity.

There should not be any objection from people who have been nomi-

Accessibility remains key to success. nated to accept to place themselves under scrutiny from a committee drawn from civil society and political parties prior to being formally approved. However we should not forget that Malta is doing outstandingly well, especially when one considers the distressed economic situation most of our source markets are experiencing and the political turmoil in North Africa, not least Libya.

MHRA has consistently stressed that Government must be the support for the engine of the economy, and not the economy itself. Successful economies depend on policies strong in foresight but this is not enough.

Policies need proper structures and institutions across the public sector and service to reap the expected outcome – that is why we believe that Government matters.

We have an excellent economic and internal security situation; we are the envy of numerous countries. Let us keep it that way by seeking to find solutions to internal problems, for if we lose our way it will be hard and costly to get back to where we are now.

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From the MHRA CEO

Andrew Agius Muscat

Factors affecting the tourism labour market in Malta

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he tourism industry accounts directly for circa 14.7% of GDP. A successful tourism industry depends on a number of factors, in particular a hotels and restaurants sector that reaches tourists’ expectations. On the other hand, quality service is a function of a dedicated and skilled workforce.

The challenges of attracting and retaining skilled workers in hotels and restaurants features high on the agenda of the current debate on how

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to further develop our industry.

Indeed, towards this end, in November 2015 MHRA commissioned HVS to study the related situation and accordingly come up with a proposed action plan to address the challenges.

A field study was conducted to evaluate the factors affecting the tourism labour market in Malta and to assess the current situation and make recommendations on the future actions that should be designed and implemented. The methodology used questionnaires to elicit feedback

from a number of core components of the existing and potential employment scene within the Maltese tourism industry.

The four distinct samples which were analysed (unemployed, students, employers, and employees) for their attitude towards the working conditions within the hospitality industry in the Maltese islands revealed that the country’s accommodation and restaurants sector is broadly considered to be a prestigious one that provides

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"MHRA believes that a stronger foundation for education in tourism and hospitality will be key to start attracting talented individuals who wish to take up a career in hotels and restaurants." promising career opportunities and it is not perceived as a temporary solution by the majority of those already involved (current employees and students). For those outside the industry however, the hospitality sector is not only perceived to be one of the most underpaid industries in the economy but, perhaps more importantly, one that they would not be proud to work for. In order for this image to improve, resulting in the attraction of a skilful and talented labour force by the Maltese hospitality employers, specific actions need to be formulated and implemented for each one of the involved parties.

To that end, some of the best global practices regarding human resource development in the hospitality industry were examined and, in combination with the findings of the research study, an indicative action plan was drawn up.

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The proposed action plan to attract and retain skilful workers in the Maltese hotels and restaurants is based on three fundamental pillars, each including specific actions and role accountability: • Measure: systematically collect comprehensive tourism employment statistics which need to be shared with every stakeholder in the industry; • Plan: develop plans for attracting, developing and retaining the most talented labour force in the industry, thus encompassing all aspects of the employee spectrum; • Act: related to the implementation phase of the plan, the execution of the various programmes, and the decisionmaking process for moving forward.

A concrete action that MHRA is spearheading with the aim of improving the attractiveness of the tourism sector is the establishment of a Mediterranean Institute of Tourism Studies (MITS) which will not be yet another school but rather a network of leading schools and universities from different parts of the world specialising in different fields of tourism and hospitality studies.

The MITS will work in close collaboration with the Institute of Tourism Studies as well as the University of Malta.

MHRA believes that a stronger foundation for education in tourism and hospitality will be key to start attracting talented individuals who wish to take up a career in hotels and restaurants. This must be complemented by a strong marketing campaign highlighting the benefits of working in the tourism sector, in particular in hotels and restaurants.

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Associates Members List Platinum Associate Members Air Malta E-mail: stefan.bartolo@airmalta.com Contact: Stefan Bartolo Service: National Carrier Bank of Valletta p.l.c.

E-mail: customercare@bov.com Service/Product: Banking & Financial Services

Deloitte E-mail: info@deloitte.com.mt Service/Product: Audit, Tax Advisors, Financial Advisory Services, Management Consultants

Malta Public Transport E-mail: sales@publictransport.com.mt Contact: Jean-Marc Camilleri Service: Public Transportation

GO E-mail: sales@gobusiness.com.mt Service/Product: Communications & Entertainment

Corporate Associate Members Captain Morgan Cruises E-mail: info@captainmorgan.com.mt Contact: Kevin Zammit Briffa Service/Product: Specialises in cruises around the Maltese Islands, Jeeps Safaris on Malta & Gozo and also Underwater Safaris and exclusive charters.

City Sightseeing Malta

Ernst & Young E-mail: ey.malta@mt.ey.com Service/Product: Assurance, tax, transactions & advisory services Grant Thornton Malta E-mail: mark.bugeja@mt.gt.com Contact: Mark Bugeja Service: Audit and Assurance, Business Advisory, Tax, Corporate Services

off tours on open-top buses, both scheduled and chartered Emirates E-mail: paul.soler@emirates.com Contact: Paul Fleri Soler Service: Air Carrier

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E-mail: laf@farsons.com Service/Product: Beer Bottlers & Catering Operations Smart Technologies E-mail: info@stl.com.mt Contact: Christopher Demicoli Service: IT Solutions Packages Studio 7 Co. Ltd.

E-mail: info@citysightseeing.com.mt Service: Operators of Hop on Hop

Simonds Farsons Cisk plc

Malta International Airport plc E-mail: mia@maltairport.com Service/Product: Airport Operators MSV E-mail: info@msvlife.com Service/Product: Provider of life insurance protection, long term savings and retirement planning

E-mail: studio7@studio7malta.com Service/Product: Audio Visual Services, Sales, Installations, Media Productions

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Gold Associate Members Attard Brothers E-mail: info@attardbros.com Service/Product: Shop fitting, contract furniture, machine services Global Payments Limited E-mail: stephen.teuma@globalpay.com, raymondzammit@globalpay.com Service: Payment institution, debit/ credit cards, acceptance-EPOS, telephone/internet HSBC E-mail: nathaliecamilleri-sultana@ hsbc.com, infomalta@hsbc.com Service/Product: Banking Services

Impact Consulting Contact: Ilona Cristauro E-mail: ilona.cristauro@impact-consulting.org Service: Professional Training & Coaching INIALA E-mail: petra@iniala.com Service: Corporate Philanthropy, part of the Inspirasia Foundation John’s Garage E-mail: dabdilla@johnsgroup.eu Service/Product: Taxi, car rentals, transport services, leasing

Laferla Insurance Agency Ltd E-mail: mlj@laferla.com.mt Service: Insurance Micro Technology Contact: Philip Cortis E-mail: pcortis@mtmalta.com Service: IT Consultancy & Support MFCC | Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre Contact: Anita Mifsud E-mail: anita.mifsud@mfcc.com.mt Service: Fairs and Conventions Venue

KPMG E-mail: kpmg@kpmg.com.mt Service: Audit, Tax & Advisory Services

Palazzo Parisio E-mail: info@palazzoparisio.com Service: Weddings & Events

C. & H. Bartoli Ltd

Continental Purchasing Ltd

The General Soft Drinks Co Ltd

E-mail: import@chbartoli.com

E-mail: salesadmin@cpc.com.mt

E-mail: mmicallef@gsd.mizzi.com.mt

Service/Product: Hotel & Catering

Service/Product: Catering equip-

Service/Product: Bottlers & Dis-

Equipment & Supplies, Carpets &

ment and supplies

tributors of Soft Drinks, Water, Beer

Silver Associate Members

Floor Coverings

& Energy Drinks

Bronze Associate Members Contact Advisory Serv.

E-mail: angelo@contact.com.mt Service: Business Consultants Hospitality Web Systems (HWS)

Impressions Printing & Signs E-mail: info@impressions.com.mt Website: www.impressions.com.mt Service: Effective printing and sign services, Menus, brochures, business cards and more possibilities

E-mail: info@hwebsystems.com Service/Product: Hospitality E-Commerce Solutions including websites, e-marketing, on-line booking facilities, search engine optimization and more

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Mac Pherson Med Ltd E-mail: andrewmo@macmed.com.mt Service: Paint suppliers Maltatransfer.com Ltd E-mail: sales@maltatransfer.com

Jmp&C E-mail: info@jmpmalta.com Service/Product: Kitchen Hygiene, Housekeeping Detergents, Disposables, Trolleys, Safety signs & Colour coded Products

Service/Product: Transport Services Sigma Coatings (Malta) Ltd E-mail: tony.critien@sigmamalta.com Service/Product: Paint Suppliers

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The Council Members

The Council members in depth Adrian Attard In this series of articles we find out about the people who matter in the association that truly matters, the MHRA.

Position at MHRA: Council Member Establishment represented: Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julian’s Years in council: One year Reason you are in hospitality: I always tell my colleagues that we are in the Happy Business. Our industry is all about making people’s dreams come true, allowing them to experience all the things which are not part of their everyday life.

Most of our guests work hard and save all year to get away for a week at one of our hotels where they can enjoy tranquillity, culture, entertainment and excellent guest service.

As hoteliers it is our aim to deliver and to make sure they leave having had a great time.

My reason for being in this industry is because I love to create these experiences for our guests.

List previous places you worked in, owned or managed: I started off my career as a poolboy, back in 1993, at the then newly reopened Corinthia Palace Hotel in Attard. Following this first experience I enrolled for the management

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"In 2005 I returned to Malta and formed part of the pre-opening team at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Golden Sands, initially as Food & Beverage Manager and then as Assistant General Manager"

programme at ITS which saw me work in a number of hotels locally as well as in the UK and Ireland.

Over the last 22 years I have worked in ten different hotels, making my way up the ranks as a waiter, receptionist and I even spent some time in the kitchen. My first management role was as Assistant Food & Beverage Manager at the Corinthia Mistra Village Club hotel. I think that was a great school and I have many fond memories of my time there. Following a number of positions with Corinthia Hotels locally I moved to Tunisia where I was Executive Assistant Manager at the Corinthia Khamsa Hotel in Tunis.

In 2005 I returned to Malta and formed part of the pre-opening team at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa Golden Sands, initially as Food & Beverage Manager and then as Assistant General Manager. This was an amazing experience with very tight deadlines, in particular due to our commitment to be ready for the 2005 CHOGM. Over the last ten years with Island Hotels I have held various group roles, including Group F&B Manager and Group Director of Revenue. In 2011 I was appointed General Manager for the Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julian’s, a position I still occupy.

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Dirty hands because of handson policy or better suited for delegating?

The best part of my job is that I get to do it all, to be hands-on while also being able to delegate certain tasks. On any particular day, I am suited up ready to greet guests as they arrive at the hotel, spend time with the marketing team developing new opportunities or creating new menus with the chef. This is followed by finance meetings and in there somewhere is a maintenance issue or project that needs to be attended to. It really is an all-round job, with very few dull moments.

What are your aims for MHRA? As a key industry on the island, tourism and in particular hospitality is essential for the island’s success and growth. I believe that MHRA’s role in this is to ensure that the industry is not only well represented but that it has a clear vision to ensure the longevity and more importantly the sustainability of the island’s tourism product.

The sustainability of our industry can only come from ensuring that operators are investing in an environment that is conducive to growth and to effective return on investment for their efforts. For too many years this has not been the case and the industry has suffered from a lack of

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"Malta is too small to compete in terms of numbers. How many more tourist arrivals can we handle well?"

clarity when it comes to the identity of the product, a lack of consistent standards in service delivery, as well as increasing issues with the availability of resources, human as well as material.

MHRA’s role is to highlight these issues and act as an entity that works with government as well as operators in proposing solutions which are implemented and followed up.

Favourite pastime: I love to travel and to spend time with my family. A combination of the two is definitely top of my list.

Favourite food: As an hotelier food has to be one of the things to be passionate about. I enjoy discovering new flavours and am willing to try anything once, but my go-to comfort food is undoubtedly delicious ħobż biż-żejt.

What are Malta and Gozo’s shortcomings in tourism?

Despite having built a great industry over the last 50 or so years, I feel that we have not truly defined our product and positioned it where it can perform at its very best.

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Without wanting to sound clichéd it is the perpetual quantity versus quality. Numbers are important, vital for growth in fact, but to a far greater extent more important than numbers is the spend each of those numbers leaves. It has taken us too long to define and design a tourism product that is truly able to get what it deserves in terms of rates and thus make this industry a sustainable one.

Malta is too small to compete in terms of numbers. How many more tourist arrivals can we handle well? So it is quality that we need to ensure that we develop and capture. It is important to clarify that quality in itself does not mean that we need only a five-star customer or product. Quality means we need to have three- and four-star customers who are paying for their three- and four-star experiences what they would be paying in any other European destination. Of course the experience they are receiving must also be at par. It is a chicken-and-egg situation where better rates will lead to better experiences being created, and better experiences are what it takes to get

better rates. So as an industry we need to make this leap, a leap in product delivery that will get us to sell our products at the rate we really deserve so we can reinvest and continue to upgrade our hotels and restaurants and create ever better experiences.

And what about the positives?

It’s true we are always quick to criticise and never really take the time to appreciate just what an amazing place this is. To say that it is safe and has great weather is to sell it very short. I am fascinated by our culture, our history, our architecture and I believe this is why people really visit our “rock”. I would say that the proximity to our main source markets together with our ability to speak English and make people feel comfortable very quickly is crucial to our success as a tourism destination, and in general we do this very well.

I also believe that over the last fifty years we have added a flavour to the island that makes it unique and different to our competitors.

Yes, you either love it or you hate it, but isn’t that the trait of all great experiences?

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Cover Story

Our own

action-man Words: Victor Calleja Photographer: Sean Mallia

I first met Angelo Xuereb about 34 years ago. We were to meet in Qawra in what was then a stretch of fields; a wasteland unknown to most men and women. I met this striking, tall man who had been described as a builder with a hospitality project in mind. I greeted him and he told me that by November he would have a gym, a top-class restaurant and a leisure centre where we were standing; speaking in a hurry to explain what he had in mind. I asked him “November of which year?” and he replied “Now, this year.” I nearly burst out laughing and packed all my things back in my car. Waste of time and going on a wild goose chase in the back of beyond on a hot July day was not for young, dynamic me.

X

uereb managed what to me seemed the impossible and he launched his project with great success. Coral Reef, a sophisticated restaurant out there in the wild, was hailed as one of the best places to dine in.

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For a number of years, the restaurant became a place synonymous with fine dining, rivalling the few other top restaurants scattered around the island. The gym and health centre too were part of the futuristic way forward; in the early 1980s such sophistication in personal fitness was practically unheard of.

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Angelo Xuereb

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The Valletta Waterfront

The man who spoke to me like a hurricane, compressing a million ideas in a few words, was proved right. He then proceeded to build the largest hotel on the island at the time; the 458-room Suncrest hotel and again, against all odds and in spite of its size, the hotel was built and launched in super time. He had originally planned to finish it over an extended period but brought the launch forward by at least a year - the project was opened just 13 months after the laying of the first stone. One usually expects builders to delay original deadlines, sometimes even at the risk of being fined. But our Angelo is known to regularly beat his own ambitious deadlines by quite a bit.

The Suncrest for a long time was the darling of all tour operators and anyone involved in tourism. Yes, back then Qawra meant the Suncrest and this was (and still is) a quality gem.

It was a time of crisis in the hospitality world and the few top local hotels weren’t functioning too well; Malta was still trying to emerge from the much-maligned ‘bucketand-spade phase’ when many of the tourists who were attracted to this island were those British tourists who loved our eggs and bacon, greasy burgers, sloppy hot dogs and cheap plonk and beer.

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Xuereb’s recognition of the need for a more exclusive product put some sparkle and taste into the equation and paved the way for other hotels which came on the scene in St Julian’s, the Golden Mile and beyond. And our tourism took off, slowly and with some spluttering, but it moved on to what it is today: a more sophisticated experience for discerning travellers.

In his usual indomitable style Xuereb has once again returned to the drawing-board and come up with another innovative concept for the local market and one which recognises Malta’s need to cater for its aging population; a village for retirees. I met him at The Palace in Sliema, another hospitality project of his, which many thought would never work. It eventually turned out to be a resounding success, but who except Xuereb would have ever thought of building and running a hotel in Malta’s trendiest town centre, instead of taking the more obvious option of developing real estate therein?

His all-action disposition is still evident in his mannerisms, although he is now rather more relaxed and actually uses an office to meet and greet people, unlike back then when a building site still was his preferred domain.

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His language might also have become more sophisticated.

But he still speaks too quickly for anyone hearing him to really get all his gist. He usually talks and leaves the others a few pages behind. Some might also argue that he dreams way too much.

sure all buildings are constructed in the proper manner.

But authorities many times do take too long and, to an extent, we are a nation ruled by bureaucracy. There is an inherent fear of ideas, big ideas, transformational ones.”

Xuereb is a dreamer; sometimes this could be considered a handicap as many criticise him for saying too much too vociferously. But isn’t that a common fault found in many action-men visionaries? Though one could convincingly argue that his forays into politics, although well-meant, was one of his dreams best left unexplored.

“Sometimes,” Xuereb says, “things take so long the very concepts they are built on start to date. I fully support proper regulation and it’s all great and good to check and make

Xuereb feels the project will give people who have worked all their lives a great place to live in their retirement. Hilltop Gardens comprises 133 luxury apartments - all with terraces and all beautifully designed. The whole concept is that of moving to apartments which are cosier, smaller, more manageable than a normal house - all this whilst surrounded by various amenities such as indoor and outdoor pools, a SPA, a gym and fitness centre, a crafts centre, a hairdressing salon, a convenience store, a top-quality a la carte restaurant, a bocci pitch, a library and piano bar and a large underground carpark. All of this makes Hilltop Gardens a true haven of relaxation and fun. The place is also a blueprint for comfort and luxury; more than 50% of the Hilltop Garden’s footprint is not built and all is finely landscaped with open spaces and various trees and plants, offering a great place to live in and receive visitors.

The lobby of The Palace, Sliema

Sunny Coast Resort & Spa, Qawra

His latest project is nestled on the outskirts of Naxxar and in the short time since its launch, has already proven to be a success. He had dreamt of developing and operating Hilltop Gardens for 23 years and waited patiently albeit doggedly to be given the go-ahead.

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A separate fully-equipped Residential Care Home is also to be found within the village which offers the necessary comfort, and medical and domiciliary care to those who might eventually need it.

Hilltop Gardens also constitutes an excellent investment for heirs in that the apartments are eventually inherited, providing heirs with excellent rental income potential. In fact, heirs could decide to rent out the property or sell the remaining years of rent, or even decide to eventually move in themselves.

Main milestones of Angelo’s work achievements • Angelo Xuereb (AX)’s first contract was for approximately €450, laying kerbs along a pavement in Balzan and employing just two workmen.

• After 8 years in construction and property development, AX entered the tourism sector with the first hotel, the Sunny Coast Holiday Complex.

• In the same year, AX opened a quarry and a concrete batching plant, diversifying further into the construction sector. These were followed by a pre-cast concrete factory in Naxxar.

“In fact the concept is so well developed,” Xuereb adds, “that instead of family members picking up their mother or father or whoever is staying at the retirement home and taking them out, these will love staying there. There is so much to do, see and roam around that the visit will be truly looked forward to.

At Hilltop we have really perfected the concept of good living for the owners and their loved ones who visit.” Accessibility around the Hilltop is also easy, and regular trips to the Naxxar centre are organised.

This is where Xuereb shines - he makes it all seem so easy, so normal to have a retirement complex that will set the bar for others to follow. And this is what he hopes will happen: that others do the same as him as, he says with a twinkle, “no man or woman should live their retirement in anything but comfort and ease.”

Xuereb’s belief in Malta’s tourism potential and in the importance of constant change and innovation and

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• 1987: AX builds what remained for many years the largest hotel on the island The Suncrest Hotel.

• 1991: General Precast Concrete established. This which was, and still is, the largest pre-cast and pre-stressed concrete plant on the island.

• 1996: AX develops the Capua Hospital in Sliema, the first private hospital, equipped with the latest state-of-the-art equipment.

• 1996: AX opens The Victoria Hotel in Sliema.

• 2001: AX is the prime promoter of the Valletta Waterfront and Valletta Cruise Port. Today AX is one of just 3 shareholders, owning 36.7% of it.

• 2002: The luxury Verdala Mansions Apartments are developed.

• 2007: The Five-Star Boutique Hotel The Palace opens in Sliema.

• 2015: The Hilltop Gardens Retirement Village at Naxxar, with an investment of

€43m, is launched.

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Image: The Hilltop Gardens entrance

of coming up with a value-added product has been scorned upon by some, but time has proven him right. He believes in people; he believes in giving clients more than just a good service and feels that it is key to return business. Today Xuereb’s AX Group employs over 700 people. He could reduce the number and run a more streamlined business; but, together with his children who are now fully integrated in running the business, he believes corners on service provision should never be cut. The best is always a little bit more expensive but, like with all good brands, people recognise the benefits of good service and are ready to pay more.

Together with the tourism sector in Malta, the hotels in the AX stable have been on a high, in fact higher than the average. Rates are also good and on the up - and the quality of tourist arrivals is far better than in the past, convincing tourism entrepreneurs to invest in better offerings at their hotels.

This means Malta is more visible and is more and more sought after. “We’ve come a long way,” Xuereb tells me, “from the time when we only attracted British tourists coming for a bargain holiday through tour operators. Our dependence on tour operators is significantly reduced and we now depend a lot on our own marketing. Malta has done well.

But so have the individual operators; we are super proud

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of what we have managed to do at the Suncrest, the SunnyCoast, The Victoria, The Palace.”

I ask Xuereb, who still plays a pivotal role in the business, if he would like to expand AX Hotels by adding more hotels to his stable. “We are constantly looking for opportunities so if the right one crops up, why ever not? Right now, besides the big investment in Hilltop Gardens, we have also consolidated our shareholding in the Cruise Terminal. We are now one of just three shareholders. Global Ports Holding, a Turkish group, owns the major part of Valletta Cruise Port, with AX owning 36.7%. Our construction and restoration division is also an important, integral and successful element of the AX Group.

So now that the Hilltop and our involvement in the Cruise Terminal are consolidated, the next step could be a hotel. Or something completely different!” Xuereb exclaims with a laugh.

Angelo Xuereb is a dreamer; but he has turned his dreams into achievements, invested and kept ploughing his profits into developing his vision and perfecting his projects.

Unlike the usual developers in brick and mortar, he knows the importance of looking at things long-term.

Words, even the most amazing ones, without action, can and do sound hollow. Xuereb is definitely one man who has transformed his words into action.

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Feature

Antalya

land of beautiful contrasts

T

he FIJET Malta Chapter has now been launched and is up and running.

In October the president and secretary-general of the chapter were invited to attend the annual congress in Antalya, Turkey.

This was a very informative and successful congress and the main line of thought was that journalists and the rest of the world cannot—and must not— abandon a country hit by terrorism.

Dr Tijani Haddad was very emphatic about this and most journalists and others who were at the congress agreed with him. “Violence and terrorism should not frighten us,” a very convincing Dr Haddad told the congress. “We should always do our utmost to make governments and other bodies understand that blacklisting any country or destination because of a terrorist attack is only giving terrorism a victory.”

Ironically, the congress was held in Turkey just a few weeks after a bombing incident in Ankara. Dr Haddad in fact was rather annoyed at some FIJET members who did not attend the congress as they thought it was

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too dangerous to travel to Turkey.

“How,” Dr Haddad fumed, “can we, as representatives of the travel trade and an international body that wants to see peace and well-being flourish through travel, ever reason in this way?” Haddad was echoed by all the attendees who agreed that terrorism and violence can happen anywhere, even wherever home is.

The congress also included some important meetings about the way forward for FIJET. FIJET welcomed the new member Malta with open arms, congratulated the Malta representatives and wished them well, auguring that one day a congress or a meeting would be organised on the Mediterranean island.

Antalya offers everything from great sights including a waterfall and the longest aqueduct in the world, to lovely walks and beautifully limpid sea. It is situated on the Mediterranean coast so enjoys all the warmth of that region.

But the biggest surprise is the amount of history it boasts. Ancient cities and myth and legend - of days of old and different eras - can be lived, enjoyed and relics of that past admired.

Besides good swimming and snorkel-

ling the place also offers mountains, caves and interesting flora and fauna.

Food is part of any good tradition and Antalya, even if it attracts mass tourism, has a gastronomy that is the envy of many.

During the congress the members stayed at the BelConti Hotel, an all-inclusive resort very close to the centre of Antalya. What at first sight looked like a place which was too big to offer good food turned out to be not just good but highly recommendable. The five-star hotel truly serves what it promises—good food, good entertainment and impeccable service. Set in a vast area of shrubs, greenery and pathways the hotel gave the journalists enough time, food and space to enjoy themselves as well as discuss business.

The congress was superbly organised by Marijana Rebić, who also produced a most informative power point presentation about what FIJET had achieved during the year and also what each member chapter had done in the preceding months.

Antalya was a great baptism for the Malta Chapter and undoubtedly a great place for anyone to visit.

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Interview with a chef

Deep inside the world of chefs A new series of articles where we find out what some of the leading chefs think about their role, the pitfalls and the inspiring moments of their life.

In this issue we meet Chris Hammett of the Villa.

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Insider: What are the roles of an Executive Chef?

Chris Hammett: Managing and inspiring staff, buying the right food, menu design and costings, controlling food and service standards as well as constantly educating oneself to name a few roles.

I: What was the most challenging situation you ever found yourself in?

CH: With every day comes a new and more challenging situation.

A funny one comes to mind, when the lights went out and the generator failed, with a terrace full of people on a Saturday night in summer.

We took out hundreds of candles which made for a real romantic evening – although cooking in the dark with torches strapped to our heads with cling film was challenging to say the least. Everybody was happy in the end. It’s very satisfying when you come out of a moment of adversity with flying colours.

I: What are the best qualities for an Executive Chef to possess?

CH: Time and people management as well as the ability to constantly push and inspire themselves to be better, year after year.

I: Do you believe in quality over quantity or vice-versa or a constant combination of the two?

CH: Quality, quality, quality! Push it to the limit and never become complacent. You can always improve.

I: Have there been any changes in kitchen technology which have affected your role and/or your style?

CH: New technology and cooking techniques are always being invented.

You have to research constantly and learn from your surroundings – a good chef is a commis chef for life.

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Image: The Villa, St.Julian's I: Education or experience? Which has served you best?

CH: Experience.

I: Have there been any changes in culinary fashion which a chef ought to follow? Which do you follow?

CH: Culinary fashion is continually changing. That being said however, besides taking inspiration from what’s happening around you, it is also important to try being a trendsetter. This can always come back to haunt you as clients don’t always want change and can be set in their ways.

It’s important to take the risk at times but ultimately listen to your customers.

I: What advice would you give to our emerging chefs?

CH: Make sure you love what you are doing, work hard and strive to be the best.

I: What made you choose to be a professional chef?

CH: An infinite love of food.

I: Do you feel you have made the correct career choice? Why? CH: Yes, of course. I love what I am doing so that has to be the right choice.

I: What do you enjoy most about your work?

CH: I love the fact that we are constantly creating, I love the challenge, working with food, the constant learning and the interaction with different people all day – from the fisherman to the client.

I: And least?

“Quality, quality, quality!...You can always improve.”

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CH: The least would be the long hours.

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going to the suppliers such as fishermen and farmers and seeing the produce at source whenever possible.

I: Is it part of your role to economise in your operation?

CH: Of course – it’s not only about the selling but also about the buying and of course the market you are cooking for.

I: Who is your role model in the culinary world?

CH: There are many, for different traits. I don’t have one in particular as they all have their good and bad qualities.

Maybe the Galvin brothers, whom I worked with, would be the most important.

I: Why do you choose those role models?

CH: They are both very intelligent with a great love for classical French cuisine. They have never rested on their laurels and, from having one restaurant when I worked with them, they now have a mini-empire in London with over 6 successful restaurants. Not to mention the amount of good chefs that came out of their kitchens.

I: Which qualities do you bring to the table?

CH: I like to think that I am versatile, strong-willed and a leader and am always ready to push myself and others as well as listen to people and consider my surroundings.

I: Do you find sufficient human resources to ensure the smooth running of the kitchen?

CH: This is a big issue – especially in Malta.

Ours is a very tough trade and when you insist on high standards it is even harder. It is not just about finding people to work – the hard part is finding people who really love the job and want to learn and push themselves to bigger goals.

I: Does service form an essential part of the culinary experience?

CH: Without good service the restaurant experience is ruined, and vice-versa. It’s a combination of front-ofhouse, kitchen and back-of-house. It’s a team effort.

I: How do you choose your raw material?

I: What would you describe as an ideal situation in your trade?

CH: Through constant research, tasting and by physically

CH: A restaurant fully booked a year in advance.

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A €650mn

opportunity for maltese companies Words: Steve Ellul

In recent years, some Maltese companies have been extremely successful in getting financing from domestic bond market investors. It is fairly common for Maltese investors to provide a substantially higher level of financing than what companies actually ask for.

This flow of funds earmarked to the Maltese bond market should not come as a surprise. Indeed, Maltese

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investors have tried to place nothing short of €2.8 billion euros in the entire Maltese bond market since the start of 2014.

Out of this €2.8 billion, the Maltese Government and Maltese private corporations, together and through bond issuance, only absorbed less than €1.6 billion of these funds.

This implies that there is more than a billion euros that has been made

available by Maltese investors to local issuers needing financing. Almost €650 million of which were specifically intended for private corporations in Malta.

How the Tourism industry is faring A similar trend has been registered in the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. In the last two years, four

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Feature Maltese hoteliers tapped the Maltese bond market asking for €137 million to finance their respective projects.

-These issuers received nothing less than €355 million in aggregate.

purpose vehicles in order for the granting of citizenship application to be considered.

How SMEs can access capital funding This is almost three times the amount actually asked for. Obviously, these companies had to decline the €218 received in excess from Maltese investors willing to lend money to local hoteliers.

Why is this happening?

Low interest rates on bank deposits are evidently pushing Maltese investors into the bond market. Data compiled by local financial blog twocentsopinion.com suggests that the average rate on one-year bank deposit is currently close to 1.2%. By comparison, the average coupon rate on all bonds issued in Malta over the last two years is 4.4%.

The huge discrepancy in potential income is clearly encouraging the public towards the seemingly more attractive bond interest rates. This is so, despite the fact money will be advanced to companies for far longer periods than 1 year. Indeed, the average maturity of these corporate bonds is close to 10 years.

This also comes in a period of increasing cash inflows through government induced programmes which are incentivising investment in Maltese real and financial assets.

The Individual Investor Programme requires, amongst other things, the investment of a minimum €150,000 in Maltese stocks, bonds or special

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It is true that the Maltese corporate bond market is mainly composed of the largest companies on the island.

However, relatively smaller companies have been recently getting access to public financing.

Furthermore, the Malta Stock Exchange is proposing an SME oriented initiative with the objective of making it easier for smaller entities to raise capital from the market. The Malta Stock Exchange has launched Prospects®, which is a platform designed to reduce barriers for SMEs looking to finance projects in the region of €3mn to €5mn.

Proper financial planning and risk management is crucial All efforts which are directed towards

bridging the financing gap between owners of capital and companies needing financing are essential for the effectiveness of an economy.

However, participants in such markets need to take into consideration all the risks involved.

Different sources of financing necessitates different considerations to be made in terms of sustainability of repayments. Bond investors usually require less tangible collateral compared to bank lending, however the cost of financing might be relatively higher for smaller enterprises which are new to the market. Furthermore, whilst periodic repayments on bonds comprise only the interest element, companies need to take into account that the bullet capital repayment at maturity might be significant.

These are only some of the risks which need to be taken into account before considering entering the capital markets. Decisions which have a bearing on financial sustainability are just as important as operational and business-related choices.

Steve Ellul is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) and a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta.

He occupies the role of Senior Investment Manager at Valletta Fund Management.

He is also a regular contributor to the Malta-based investment blog TwoCentsOpinion.com.

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Feature

20 Hotels Receive ECO Certification during MTA Seminar and Certificate Presentation

MTA Chairman Dr. Gavin Gulia and CEO Mr. Paul Bugeja presenting the certificate Recently 20 hotels in Malta and Gozo were awarded with the Eco-certification - a national scheme which aims to ensure the environmental, socioeconomic, and cultural sustainability of hotels on the Maltese Islands. The certificates were presented by MTA Chairman, Dr. Gavin Gulia and MTA CEO, Mr. Paul Bugeja.

Currently 22 hotels are Eco-certified, and of these 18 were re-certified whilst two hotels, the Be.hotel and the Radisson Blu Malta St. Julian’s, were awarded the certificate for the first time. A further two hotels were not up for renewal at this time.

The MTA Eco-certification scheme is recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) meaning that a local hotel that receives the Eco-certification as 28244 Genericpart J&C of Pisani 11/18/10 3:30 PM Page is 1 also automatically the Ad MTA managed scheme

GSTC-certified and this will contribute to increased exposure for the certified establishment. Today 24 national and international eco labels have been recognised by the GSTC amounting to almost 10,000 certified hotels.

The seminar also included a number of relevant presentations. Ms Eilis McCullough, from ADI Associates spoke about the outcome of the certification audits, Ms Natalí Ruiz Gómez, Fuerte Hoteles Spain and Mr Edward Bonello, Westin Dragonara Resort Malta both addressed the matter of communicating sustainability, whilst Mr Clyde Falzon, Wasteserv Malta spoke about food waste separation.

More information on the Eco-certification made be found on www.mta.com.mt/eco-certification C

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Feature

Eating in style Words: Victor Calleja

Beauty, it is said, is subjective. Food is too; what is godly to some is poison to others. It’s all a question of taste, of particular likes and dislikes. Mood too plays its part: the mood of the diner, the mood of the chef, the mood of the server. All add to the beauty, indifference or horror of the food presented. The universal allure of food survives, and even strives, because of its subjectivity. But there

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is one thing that belies subjectivity, and ironically can be a most objective one: longevity. If one is more than just a success for nearly 40 years that surely is not for subjective reasons.

Long-lived success in the food world only happens if the restaurant is objectively good. The Barracuda Restaurant has, since inception, been a place that strives to offer quality every time. The Barracuda must have done

something special to keep ranking for so long as the place for good food.

Walter likes and knows his food; but he has never been a chef, at Barracuda or anywhere else. He started his working life in very different areas like building development and fashionwear. Circumstance placed him in a restaurant he had planned to co-own but not manage.

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“Long-lived success in the food world only happens if the restaurant is objectively good.”

Chef Andrew Pace with Walter Cassar outside Barracuda Restaurant

One secret of Barracuda and its longevity has been its continuous evolution. Change has never been embraced by Walter just for change’s sake; in fact he hates fads with a passion. But he changes at his own chosen pace, making sure that the change is for the better. Nothing pushes him to do things to impress. And in this he is always backed by his family.

Walter, who has always been partnered and supported by his wife Pat in all that happened at the Barracuda and beyond, is today taking more of a back-seat role. Part of the natural evolution of the Barracuda has seen Walter’s and Pat’s daughter Denise now running the restaurant together with her husband, Terence Cachia.

The Barracuda team has engaged chef

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Andrew Pace to lead the restaurant kitchen brigade. Andrew has been in wine and food preparation and restaurants for 20 years. He knows his work inside out and loves it. But his great asset—to some uninspired gourmets maybe a minus—is that he is completely self-taught. He learnt his trade mainly through experience but he has more than made up for this by choosing mentors who led him well.

Andrew believes that anything that might smack of boring can be given a twist, a knowledgeable twist, and a winning one. One of his major flourishes is that he takes over and suggests what to feed you himself, with no nod to specials, menus or words of advice. When I went there to

meet him and find out all about his ways he asked me if that appealed to me—it definitely did. You leave it all to him and he prepares your food his way, following his ideas.

The result was quite a feast of tastes, a meal and dishes which I might not normally opt for. The secret to good food is that it must be great as eye-candy but also be super-generous on the taste-buds and make you feel sated. And sated I was, fully.

If you like your food you might forget the setting. But at Barracuda one cannot but admire the scenery; the restaurant has a most wonderful view. The smell of the sea beneath and beyond is perfect to add a tantalising touch.

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tastes that could even sound startling or clashing is his preferred way.

He also uses known tastes like pomegranate in different and surprising ways. He experiments, and teases out, flavours in food with his use of herbs, some of which are also sourced from Walter’s garden.

Looking after and sourcing herbs and the continuous search for tastes in nature is one of the Barracuda chef’s passions.

Andrew loves simplicity—in simplicity he says lies a wealth of aromas and delightful tastes. One of the things that inspires him is the smell which pervaded his home when he was young. It is widely known that capturing that is one of the things diners desire most. Andrew feels that if he manages to extract the smells of his youth, these will be replicated for many other diners out to have a good time and a dip into food that means something besides tasting good.

“in simplicity lies a wealth of aromas and delightful tastes”

I manage to take a few minutes of Andrew’s time; he’s passionate but hardly a jabberer. Like all truly talented people he lets his work do the talking.

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He tells me—or rather I extricate out of him while he constantly looks around to check what might need seeing to—that he loves sourcing unusual ingredients. Experimenting with

Andrew tells me that the advent of good restaurants dotted all over the island, in contrast to the situation a couple of decades ago, is great news. Having rivals dishing out good fare makes him dream of better, newer, more explosive tastes and dishes.

“Without change, without a challenge, we all get fossilised,” he tells me before disappearing to continue what he says he does best: being a chef.

Walter Cassar knows a good find when he sees one.

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Feature

Record-Breaking 2015 for the Maltese Tourism Industry

2

015 was another record-breaking year for the Maltese Islands, reaching an all-time high of 1.8 million incoming tourists. This is equivalent to an increase of 5.4% when compared to 2014.

Other tourism indicators have also experienced impressive growth throughout 2015. The number of guest nights generated by incoming tourists last year was 14,217,158, which amounts to an increase of 695,047, or 5.1%, when compared to the previous year. More importantly, tourist expenditure reached an impressive â‚Ź1.65 billion, which amounts to an increase of 7.5% or â‚Ź115 million over the corresponding figure for 2014. It is relevant to note that the per capita expenditure increased by â‚Ź13.

These results can be attributed to a number of factors, including increased connectivity from European gateways and points beyond, improvements in the local

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offer of products and services, and the ongoing marketing efforts carried out by hoteliers, travel agents, DMCs, airlines and other stakeholders in the tourism industry.

Undoubtedly, the role played by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Ministry for Tourism contributed significantly to the achievement of these results.

The UK market is once again the largest source market for the Maltese Islands, with over 525,000 tourist arrivals during 2015, an increase of almost 8% when compared to the previous year. This is in part thanks to the greater connectivity of the Maltese Islands, with 19 routes available out of the UK, two more than in 2014. This source market also had a substantial growth in expenditure, with an increase of around 17.5% year on year.

Throughout 2015, the UK MTA office conducted a number of marketing campaigns on a variety of advertising platforms, including TV, radio, print

and out-of-home initiatives. Besides these traditional forms of advertising, the MTA also made extensive use of digital media, including campaigns on social networks and other platforms. MTA also hosted 57 British journalists throughout 2015, which resulted in 881 articles being written, with a total readership of over 5.1 billion people. A number of travel consumer and trade fairs were also attended so as to promote the Maltese Islands in general as well as certain specific niche markets, such as diving and weddings.

A successful radio campaign was carried out on the Capital FM Breakfast show, with the presenters promoting the Maltese Islands on air and holding a consumer competition, as well as reading out celebrity endorsements. The MTA also had a 6-month partnership with Lonely Planet through which a series of full page adverts were published, showcasing different aspects of what the Maltese Islands have to offer.

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"Street marketing in Italy was pushed in some of the major cities such as in Rome and Catania."

One of the campaigns which provided most exposure was the London Digital Escalator panel campaign, which ran for two weeks in key central London underground stations.

Numerous digital escalator panels and LCDs displayed pictures and offers of the Maltese Islands, raising awareness and promoting flights at stations with high footfall.

For 2016, MTA aims to develop further awareness in the UK market, particularly by highlighting ease of access as well as by projecting Malta as an all-year-round destination. The Islands will also be promoted as a destination for adventurous activities and for weddings and honeymoons.

Italy has maintained its position as the second largest incoming source market, with 16.1% of tourists arriving from the Italian market. In 2015, a total of just under 290,000 tourists arrived from Italy, which equates to a 10% increase compared

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to the previous year. Expenditure increased by an impressive 18.5% year on year.

MTA promoted the Maltese Islands at a variety of fairs and roadshows during 2015, including TTG Rimini, the largest tourist trade fair in Italy, No Frills Bergamo and BMT Napoli. Besides these, MTA participated in a MICE roadshow, whereby 150 meetings were held over a 3-day period targeting specifically the Meetings and Incentives market.

The Maltese Islands also featured on Italian TV a number of times, both by means of advertising campaigns and exposure on television shows. A nationwide campaign ran on the TV station LA7, with various 15-second adverts airing over a number of weeks. The MTA also hosted a TV crew for the production of three 45-minute long episodes titled ‘Adventures in Gozo’, dedicated to the sister island, which were aired on Marco Polo TV. The Maltese Islands

also featured on Rete 4, with Ricette all’ Italiana dedicating six 45-minute programmes to discovering Malta through its gastronomy.

Street marketing in Italy was pushed in some of the major cities such as in Rome and Catania, as well as marketing in the main squares of Torino, Treviso, Pisa, Bologna, Bari and Lecce. In order to increase exposure of the Maltese Islands to the Italian public, another football training camp was organised with Javier Zanetti, former captain of FC Internazionale, which obtained considerable coverage on Italian media.

For the coming year, MTA Italy aims to continue reducing the issue of seasonality by promoting Malta’s diverse calendar of events, highlighting major annual appointments such as the Malta International Fireworks Festival, the Isle of MTV Malta Special, the Rolex Middlesea Race and the Mdina Grand Prix.

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These results can be attributed to a number of factors...

Undoubtedly, the role played by the Malta Tourism Authority and the Ministry for Tourism contributed significantly

MTA will also strive to push the Maltese Islands in the MICE sector with increased intensity, particularly following the establishing of Conventions Malta.

The German market remains the third largest source market, accounting for just under 8% of total visitor arrivals. In 2015, MTA’s marketing activities were increased and diversified, with the inclusion of external campaigns using billboards and city light posters across various German cities. These adverts were accompanied by a tactical offer from a leading tour operator. This is just one of several joint-marketing activities carried out with tour operators targeting different segments of the German market.

With regard to television, the Maltese Islands received a boost in exposure through Rhein Main TV with an airline and country profile which was aired repeatedly during peak hours. A TV spot produced together with weg.de was also aired in a two-week primetime promotion on four German TV stations.

One of the main promotions in which MTA took an active part was the EZB Malta Cultural Activities in Frankfurt. At this event, which lasted over four months, the MTA provided informational material, as well as some local delicacies, to the many visitors. The event was covered by various newspapers, and was accompanied by a radio campaign carried out in collaboration with Lufthansa to promote flights to Malta, as well as the islands in general.

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In 2016, MTA’s office in Germany aims to increase outof-home advertising even further than in previous years. One novel medium will be the branding of double-decker buses in Berlin for a period of one year. These buses, which are used on routes around the city, will feature images of the Maltese Islands printed on the side. In 2016, MTA aims to build on the LGBT segment of the German market, particularly through advertising in a guide which is distributed across the country.

Additional exposure of the islands will be obtained through sponsoring of sports teams such as DEG, the top ice hockey team in Germany. Finally, a documentary will be shot in Malta titled ‘This is my Malta’, where a German celebrity will take the audience through his experience of the Maltese Islands.

This documentary will be broadcast on German, Swiss, Austrian and Italian TV stations.

France has retained its previous ranking as the fourth largest source market for Malta with 7.1% of visitors. Last year, the French market saw an increase of 2% when compared to 2014. Throughout 2015, MTA conducted external campaigns using metro posters and bus advertising in the main cities having direct flight connections with Malta.

These campaigns were supplemented by digital marketing campaigns on social media. As a result, the French visitmalta Facebook page has grown substantially and now boasts over 100,000 followers.

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"These buses, which are used on routes around the city, will feature images of the Maltese Islands printed on the side."

In 2015, a number of French journalists were hosted on press and media trips to the Maltese Islands. These resulted in a total of 140 articles being written, as well as 16 programmes being broadcast on television and radio. In addition, joint-marketing collaborations were undertaken with some of the main French tour operators and travel agents.

For 2016, MTA’s office in France aims to consolidate and maintain its market share, whilst ensuring increased seat load factors for all airlines servicing the Malta route. Besides this, MTA France will also be sponsoring

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the renowned ‘C a vous’ programme which airs on TV France 5.

Commenting on the success that the Maltese Islands and the Malta Tourism Authority enjoyed in 2015, MTA CEO, Mr Paul Bugeja said that “this remarkable performance is the result of hard work and collaboration of all the tourism stakeholders. Apart from positive performances by the core markets, we have seen impressive growth in other markets, such as the US market which increased by almost 16.5%, and the Belgian and Spanish markets which grew by 14.6% and 12.3% respectively”.

Mr Bugeja concluded by saying that “we must continuously strive to improve our product across the whole of Malta, Gozo and Comino, and to consolidate all that has been achieved thus far. As MTA we shall be focusing more on quality, on diversification of source markets, on providing and supporting events throughout the year, and on extending the season beyond the peak summer months, so as to make Malta a truly year-round destination. For this reason we are confident that 2016 can follow the impressive year which we have just had with another positive performance.”

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Interview

There are other ways of financing projects Crowdfunding with ZAAR makes perfect sense Take two organisations like the University of Malta and MBB, get them to find a working alternative to traditional funding projects and bang, you have ZAAR. This is the catalyst that will make projects, big or small, commercial, artistic or philanthropic, happen.

Insider made its way to the University Campus, Tal-Qroqq, to find out all about this phenomenon. Finding one’s way around campus is no easy job so maybe it would be a good idea to get some whiz kid to create a form of beat-the-maze app that will get you around our top seat of knowledge. But all was fine as we meandered through and were greeted by Karl Grech, the man behind the whole crowdfunding platform.

Insider: Why ZAAR? Karl Grech: We felt it sounds good and the people we tested it on liked it. It also means small in Maltese.

Obviously we spelt it to be read by non-Maltese speakers and to make it typing-friendly, without needing Maltese fonts and orthography.

I: What is its main functions?

I: Is it intended only for small projects, as the name implies?

KG: ZAAR has a dual meaning:– a) starting from a small idea (the entrepreneurial side); b) the ‘supporters’ donate the equivalent of spare (small) change to back the idea they believe in.

KG: Not at all. All projects are possible, from small to big in any industry. But one part of crowdfunding which is very successful is that it is mainly effected by small donors from many people - the crowd.

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"We do a lot for the idea but the people behind the project need to do a lot too. "

I: What is the main aim of crowdfunding?

I: The idea of risk is practically non-existent?

KG: It’s an alternative to financing by traditional means.

Crowdfunding is typically used by organisations for research, financing and marketing. It is ideal for start-ups which need funding but cannot manage it through banks and other traditional ways of financing. This usually entails security and would need a very thorough business plan which start-ups do not have the means to finalise.

KG: Actually it’s like any other project—if it succeeds all are happy, including the ones who donated, because they feel the satisfaction of having launched or assisted growth of the project.

Crowdfunding can also assess whether the proposed project is viable. Start-ups cannot expect to raise funds if their proposal does not factually show it is good enough to succeed. A successful crowdfunding round not only provides the business with needed cash, but creates a base of customers who feel as though they have a stake in the success of the venture.

Besides raising funds, entrepreneurs use crowdfunding for proof of concept, early validation of their idea, or for receiving pre-orders from potential customers.

I: Is no business planning is needed at all?

KG: Far from it. The ideas still have to be sound and doable. But good ideas, presented well to us, can be taken on. We do a lot for the idea but the people behind the project need to do a lot too. We also offer a vast pool of services through our associates who guide and mentor the project owner.

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The project itself could be of use or value to the donors themselves. If it fails to raise the required funding, the project owners could have wasted their time however they may also have saved resources required to start the project. If the project owner fails to raise the funds required, the donations will be returned to the backers.

But the risk—beyond the failure—is minimal to the people behind the project and also minimal to the investor, because usually they have only put in a small amount.

I: What’s the tangible return to the investor?

KG: This varies from platform to platform but at the moment ZAAR operates on a donation/reward type of crowdfunding so the return to the backer is a non financial one. This is usually in the form of service or goods and the satisfaction of seeing the project succeed or grow. The people behind the project usually offer attractive incentives— freebies or discounts connected to the project itself. In time we could introduce other forms of return like equity or loan model crowdfunding.

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I: Is it viable to use ZAAR in hospitality?

KG: Definitely. It can help anything from a hotel to a restaurant to a coffee shop. The reward system in a hotel could be tied to the amount donated—and for example the hotel will have a room or an area named after the donor, or a few nights of use of the room.

I: So size of project is not limited?

KG: Not really but we are aiming to keep our projects within the €20,000-€50,000 range till the concept is understood by the crowd.

I: Can you give me an example of how a hospitality outlet can benefit?

KG: Although it is ideal for startups and the main aim is for people who need to boost their ideas or projects from embryonic stages, anyone can make use of ZAAR. Let’s imagine there is a coffee shop wanting to expand its location and its offering. Funding could come from friends and even existing patrons who make use of the coffee shop and so would love to see the expansion desired by the owner.

Let’s call the place TrueBeans.

At the moment, before the crowdfunding, TrueBeans is offering just normal fare; normal coffee and food. If the funding is successful TrueBeans is expanded and new machinery can be installed. It would be possible to offer organic coffee, organic food and a range of more healthy options than previously. Users of TrueBeans, friends of the owners, family and anyone connected to the place, including potential suppliers, could donate to make the funding possible. Apart from the donors’ satisfaction at seeing the

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project’s success, they could also be offered free coffees, free meals or, if the donation is big enough, some secret recipe book just to mention a few examples of rewards.

I: Is the donating and campaign related to it all ZAAR’s responsibility?

1.8% Gateway fee on all donations. The ZAAR concept is all or nothing: if say €10,000 are needed and only €7000 are collected, the full €7000 are returned to the donors. The project owner loses nothing, not even the Gateway fee. Obviously if the project owner wants to subsidise the difference he can do so.

KG: We act as catalyst; we make it happen and give the project owner the means to make it all happen. We have an agreement with Grant Thornton who give their support for free. We also offer advice and contacts to top professionals for design, marketing, and many other important aspects of any business. But the input by the project owner is essential.

We give the means and the platform, but owners have to have a good idea and be ready to work hard to make it succeed. It is like a marketing campaign, ensuring that you are communicating the right story, to the right audience and converting this effort in donations. The more diverse ideas are, the more successful they can be. The social media is excellent for this kind of funding, as it makes it easy to disseminate the contacts and ideas.

I: Other crowdsourcing platforms exist abroad. Why come to ZAAR if one can go to those?

I: Is the service free?

I: How successful have you been with projects?

KG: Basically yes. If anyone has an idea we discuss, suss it out and guide the owner of the potential project to put it on the ZAAR crowdfunding platform. That is all free. But we then charge 5% on all donations collected. There is also a

KG: We’ve just started but things are moving. We want to create more awareness, more interest, more discussion.

We have three projects going at the moment and others are in the pipeline.

KG: ZAAR is more accessible. Everything can be done virtually but one-on-one meetings sometimes work wonders. We can meet, discuss and help refine or define a story or focus of any project. We offer top consultations with a leading, internationally recognised firm. We offer a one-stopshop for many diverse business support facilities. Through University and MBB, who together own ZAAR, any project owner can make use of a vast pool of well-networked personnel and resources. Being local can have another very important benefit—we will stand out, especially with local donors, and your project will not get lost in the crowd.

I: What’s your message?

KG: The more projects we can attract the better it is; so whoever has a story tell it to us let’s see where we can get with it. Although we talk of certain remits we are following, the sky is the utter limit. No idea is too outlandish till it’s discussed and tested.

The idea is to get yourself connected to us, see what the funding target is, then go spread the word. After you define the idea and goals the next step is to have a good awareness campaign and always offer good rewards. Then finally keep the promise. Crowdfunding can be some people’s only way to success. And ZAAR is here to get more successes going.

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H.E. Marie Louise Coleiro Preca, The President of Malta, officially inaugurating the Forum

Three cheers to the start of a

great Mediterranean story From a lobby group to an organisation that makes a difference. And from a local association to one that has established a pan-Mediterranean organisation on its own initiative.

The MHRA started as the dream of a few stalwarts who saw it grow and expand and today the people behind it have managed to kick-start the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation, which gets together stakeholders from all over the Mediterranean to talk, to discuss and to move on to action.

The Foundation saw its actual birth back in December, heralding the start of what will undoubtedly be an eventful life. The Mediterranean Tourism Forum was a great success and the photos on these pages will give you an idea of that success.

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Feature

Discussion panel: Lars Petterson - Vice President FIA Drag Racing Commission, Sweden; Winston Zahra - Hotelier; Paul Bugeja - CEO, Malta Tourism Authority; Dr. Teemu Moilanen - Principal Lecturer, HAAGA HELIA University of Applied Sciences

Attendees at the Forum

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Discussion panel: Slim Tlatli, former Minister of Tourism, Tunisia; Mehmet Kocadon, Mayor of Bodrum, Turkey; Serkan Ceylan, Turkey; Frank Trourt, CEO, Synhorcat, France

Discussion panel: Eva Stravs Podlogar General Director - Slovenia Tourism Organisation; George Saliba - Ambassador, Union of the Mediterranean; The Hon. Edward Zammit Lewis - Minister for Tourism; Salah Derradji - Senator (Algeria)

Delegates from Turkey

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Delegates from China

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Mr. Tony Zahra - MHRA President

Discussion panel: Xinke-lì, co-founder, Global Tourism Leaders, China; Francois Pasteau, Chef Patron, L’Epi Dupan, France; Yasha Chatab, Director DMID, Singapore; Tim Schofield, Director Destination Marketing, Trip Advisor, UK.

A guest directing a question to the panel

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Interacting during a discussion

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Winston V Zahra receives The Mediterranean Tourism MARE NOSTRUM Lifetime Achievement Award for the development of Mediterranean travel and torusim at the local, national, regional or international.

The Mediterranean Tourism Great Sea Awards, for the significant contributions of innovative tourism initiatives which are both competitive and sustainable in their character, was awarded to Francois Pasteau

Mehmet Kocadan, Mayor of Bodrum, receiving his award.

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Mr Fadi Kattan, consultant to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in Palestine, presenting a painting by Sophie Halabry (1906-1998), donated from a private collection of Mr George Al-Ama, to Mr Tony Zahra, President MHRA and Mediterranean Tourism Foundation.

Mr. George Saliba, Ambassador, Union of the Mediterranean *(Malta) receiving his award.

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A moment of relaxation at the pre-forum VIP reception. MHRA President, Tony Zahra; Alberto Fecchio from Italy; Andrew Agius Muscat, MHRA CEO and Barbaros Kon from Turkey.

MHRA, CEO, Mr Andrew Agius Muscat and President Mr Tony Zahra inaugurating the awards ceremony.

Award winning tenor Joseph Calleja, addressing the guests on Skype

The Zahra brothers, Wiston and Tony

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Feature STAR AWARDS: Recognising People in the tourism industry The Special Thanks And Recognition Awards have been running for the past eleven years and have since served as an opportunity to recognise outstanding persons working in the tourism industry. Throughout 2015, the Malta Tourism Authority received almost 7,000 nominations whereby the winners were announced during the award ceremony as follows: • Paulina Kurowska – Diving Instructor,Paradise DivingCentre; • Anthony Fenech – Coach Driver, Zarb Coaches; • Francis Apap – Taxi Driver; • Doreen Scicluna – Falconer, Malta Falconary Centre; • Sonia Teuma – Front Office, Maria Giovanna Guest House. Gozo; • Charles Abela – Restaurant Manager, The Victoria Hotel; • Barbara Pucciarmati – Sales Representative, Tourist Information; • Anna Aquilina – Tourist Guide;

• Stuart Burke – Recognition award for his contribution to the tourism industry.

Another important award is the Hotel Worker of the Year where an exceptional employee is nominated by the hotel.

The winner is chosen by the STAR committee composed of members from FATTA, ITS, MAHE, MHRA and the MTA. This year’s winner is Theresa Taliana, Head Housekeeper at the Pergola Hotel & Spa. Companies are encouraged to participate in this scheme with the aim of acknowledging the importance of maintaining high standards of service across this dynamic industry. Complimentary nomination forms can be ordered from the Malta Tourism Authority.

For more information on the STAR Awards contact the Quality & Industry HR Development Unit on 22915122 or starscheme@visitmalta.com

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Custom design furniture manufacturer rebrands as Chillischilli Chillischilli rebranding represents its successful and ongoing transition to a company well beyond its custom design furniture heritage In 2002, Alan deBattista's fascination for novel design and high quality furniture led him to launch what would eventually become Chillischilli, a custom design furniture manufacturer. The company proved to be a success story with both residential and corporate clients, and soon outgrew its 180m2 workshop manufacturing capacity. As a way of looking forward, Chillischilli has relaunched its brand all together with the opening of a new manufacturing process plant measuring 800m2.

This was announced by Alan deBattista, Founder and Director of Chillischilli Ltd, during a press launch recently held at Charles Grech World of Wines in Ta' Xbiex. The event was also attended by Hon Dr JosĂŠ Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Competitiveness and Economie Growth.

Mr deBattista said: "The transition of our manufacturing process is a

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natural step for the company to be able to strengthen its manufacturing assets and significantly increase its production capacity. Concurrently, we are thrilled to be evolving our brand identity in order to better showcase our natural flair for bespoke furniture, cabinetry and interior works."

In conjunction with the launch of its new logo and premises, Chillischilli is introducing the new tagline "Bespoke Furniture & Interiors" representing the Company's elevation beyond furniture manufacturing, to a high quality personalized furniture and interior works solution.

For further information, one can visit Chillischilli website: www.chillischilli. com or Facebook page. Alternatively one can email on info@chillischilli.com or call on 2137 8787.

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Golden Harvest Mfg Co Ltd UB21, Industrial Estate, San Gwann SGN 3000

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Cab Services

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Catering Supplies (Equipment)

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Importers, General Merchants & Commercial Agents

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Insurance Services

Middlesea Ins. p.l.c Middle Sea House, Floriana FRN 1442

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Entertainment & Culture Venues

Fat Harry’s Pub

Fat Harry’s pub has a unique British pub theme décor walls cluttered with pictures of bygone days, wooden beams, old plank flooring and shelves full of memorabilia for a walk through time. A relaxed atmosphere is always in the air at Fat Harry’s, which also has outdoor seating for summer or for the lovely Maltese winter days. Every night Fat Harry’s boasts some of Malta’s top entertainers besides a Big Screen showing various sports. One can also enjoy a game of darts, dominoes or cards. The Pub always has a fully stocked bar of local and world renowned beers on draught, wines, cocktails and shooters besides a very good selection of imported spirits competitively priced as house specials. Food prepared in house by our team of chefs using fine local produce and ingredients, is served all day.

Fat Harry’s favourite is the Traditional Fish n’ Chips and Mushy Peas followed closely by the famous 200g Harry burger and some very tasty rice dishes.

Open every day from 12:00 - 02:00 at Bay Square, Bugibba.

Tel: 2157 2163, 2158 1298 Open weekdays from 11.00 - 23.00 and weekends from 11.00 - 23.30 at Level -1, Malta International Airport.Tel: 2757 2163

Tal-Familja

If you are looking for the freshest seafood, fresh fish and tasty Irish beef steak and you want to spoil yourself, Tal-Familja Restaurant is the place to dine.

We serve a variety of seafood and shellfish that is brought in daily from local seafood markets.

The restaurant’s most popular starter is the antipasti of shellfish and this is usually followed up with a grilled or poached fresh fish or a mouth-watering prime cut Irish beef steak accompanied with side dishes of roast potatoes, grilled fresh vegetables and freshly- made salad.

Mirabelle Restaurant

The Mirabelle restaurant has been operated by the Debattista family since 1980.

In 1999 the restaurant was completely renovated and themed with a cottage style Our home made desserts interior, giving you a warm include panna cotta, crème and relaxed feeling the minute brulée and hot chocolate you walk in. It is perfect for pudding served with a scoop lunch with friends, a special of ice-cream. celebration, or a romantic dinner for two. One can also Guests can choose to sit dine alfresco, with St. Paul’s outside on the terrace Islands just across the bay. enjoying country views One of the family, Godwin, or inside in cool airis the head chef and he always conditioned comfort. Early bookings are recommended!! uses fresh ingredients for the good selection of pizza, pasta, salads and succulent We are now accepting reservations for staff parties... steaks. His Specials of the Day have a look at our staff parties have become very popular with our guests. Quality of set menus on our website. service is very important at You can also join us on the Mirabelle, and another Facebook. member of the family is always around, helping out Open Tuesday - Sunday and making sure that all are 11.00 - 23.30 enjoying their food.

Mondays closed all day Triq il-Gardiel, Marsascala Open every day from Tel: 2163 2161 - 9947 3081 www.talfamiljarestaurant.com 9:30 - 23:30 at Bay Square, Bugibba Now also open Palazzo Preca Tel: 2157 2163, 2158 1298 in Strait Street, Valletta

Tourism?

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www.deloitte.com/mt

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. Please see www.deloitte.com/mt/about for a more detailed description of DTTL and its member firms.

Deloitte Malta refers to a civil partnership, constituted between limited liability companies, and its affiliated operating entities: Deloitte Services Limited, Deloitte Technology Solutions Limited, Deloitte Consulting Limited, and Deloitte Audit Limited. The latter is authorised to provide audit services in Malta in terms of the Accountancy Profession Act. A list of the corporate partners, as well as the principals authorised to sign reports on behalf of the firm, is available at www.deloitte.com/mt/about.

Cassar Torregiani & Associates is a firm of advocates warranted to practise law in Malta and is exclusively authorised to provide legal services in Malta under the Deloitte brand.

Deloitte provides audit, consulting, financial advisory, risk management, tax, and related services to public and private clients spanning multiple industries. With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries and territories, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte’s more than 225,000 professionals are committed to making an impact that matters. © 2016. For information, contact Deloitte Malta.