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SHOWCASEMALTA
EXPO 2020 DUBAI
VISITMALTA
Aiming for the “Happy to go again” tourist For the CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, Johann Buttigieg, ‘acceptable is not acceptable’. Showcase Dubai caught up with this dynamic captain of industry who made it clear that average is not what he does. For Buttigieg, nothing short of excellent, of 5 star plus is considered as good enough in Malta’s tourism sector.
O
ne of the very first things which strikes you when speaking to Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) CEO Johann Buttigieg is the way he sees all things interlocking in one whole. Speaking of Malta’s participation in the Dubai Expo, Mr Buttigieg said that while this will expose Malta to a Middle Eastern Market, it will also be important because nomads would get an idea of what the country offers. Nomads today is not simply applied to itinerant agricultural workers. More frequently it means people who may live in different countries at will because they can take their work with them via digitization. “These people need to know that when they log out of their computer, they have places to go to, that they are safe, that the country has a lot to offer,” said Buttigieg. His words echo the same trend of though as other CEOs who spoke to Showcase Dubai, indicating that the strategy is a unified one aimed at uplifting quality and providing variety. Tourism in a pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic spared no country and Malta was no exception. Mr Buttigieg noted that Malta is a very safe place in terms of contagion because of various factors. “We have one of the highest take-up rates of vaccination in the world, we have an excellent health care system, a general hospital which is one of the best in Europe, as a country we are very safe,” ticked off Mr Buttigieg. This is being recognized by travelers. Mr Buttigieg said that the projections made before Malta opened its doors to tourists in recent weeks undershot the mark considerably. “We were estimating airline capacity at 60% when in reality we are seeing an arrival capacity rate at 80-90%,” observed the MTA CEO. Connectivity
Malta, he said, has all the attributes to attract people to it: it is central, well linked in an established airline network and an excellent digital connectivity. Besides that, said Mr Buttigieg, placed almost right in the mid-point between the USA and the Middle East, Malta has an excellent vantage point to be able to do business with both “Almost the ideal place to close a business deal” smiled Mr Buttigieg. Malta, he said is also quick on the mark. When the pandemic struck, Malta was in the midst of a very populated tourism peak. Mr Buttigieg said that within 10 days approximately 100,000 people had been repatriated. “That’s almost 20% of the population of Malta and it’s no joke,” he observed. The central location and facilities which Malta offers make it not only responsive but also enhance its level of safety since emergencies can easily be catered for.
f We have one of the
highest take-up rates of vaccination in the world, we have an excellent health care system, a general hospital which is one of the best in Europe, as a country we are very safe.
