HORECA Malta Magazine - Issue 7 by Horeca Malta

May 2022 | Issue No.7

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Trailblazing Positive Change – V&C’s Christabelle Camilleri

Catering & Hospitality magazine This initiative is supported by:

NEW FEATURE : CHEFS WHO’S WHO

REDISCOVER: A STRATEGIC MASTERPLAN FOR TOURISM

FEATURE: MALTA AND THE DIGITAL NOMAD

Editorial

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EDITORIAL When the first issue of Horeca Magazine was published in August 2019, no-one could have ever imagined that we were about to embark on a rollercoaster run for the best part of 30 months which impacted all the Horeca related sectors in the most damaging ways possible. Fast forward to Issue 7 and the general consensus among operators within the Hospitality, Tourism and Catering industries is that the nightmare seems to be finally over. Further COVID related restrictions continue to be removed in a final attempt to get business to an acceptable operating level. However, the onset of the Ukraine crisis and the ongoing human resources issue continue to manifest as challenges to the immediate future so the Horeca industries will need to continue showing their resolve till end of year and possibly also in 2023. As usual, the latest issue of Horeca Magazine is full of exclusive features, interviews and articles. Chefs Edward Diacono (Rubino), Ramona Preca (Palazzo Preca) and Jean Dingli (Barbajean) are featured in the newly launched “Chefs Whos Who”. Other features include interviews with VC Group CEO Christabelle Camilleri and Chef Sean Gravina, studies on Tourism Recovery strategies and programs carried out the Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta Chamber, messages from the Institute of Tourism Studies, the Malta Chefs Society and more!

Publisher Ryan Galea

Editor Tonio Schembri editor@horecamalta.com.mt

Sales & Marketing

sales@horecamalta.com.mt

Administration Jennifer Azzopardi Clara Cachia Daniela Sammut

Production and Design Reno Cucciardi (switchpg.com)

Photography Jonathan Borg

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Contents

Features.

14.

THE PATH TO MAKING THINGS BETTER

THE VALUE OF LOCAL MUSHROOMS AND WHERE TO FIND THEM

24.

CHEF’S WHOS WHO

THE PIXEL: ESSENCE 28. UNPACKING 32. THE MALTA’S NEW TOURISM OF COFFEE

DEFINITIVE(LY) 34. THE GOOD GUIDE

TOP 7 THINGS TO 36. THE REMEMBER WHEN

WELCOMES 42. MTA THE 3RD EDITION

STRATEGY

CHOOSING A CARD MACHINE

18.

LUXURY

AND THE 40. MALTA DIGITAL NOMAD

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

RESTAURANTS AWARDS

OF THE MALTA MICHELIN GUIDE

Publisher.

Ryan Galea

Publisher

Contributors.

46.

REDISCOVER: A STRATEGIC MASTERPLAN FOR TOURISM

50.

A MASTER CHEF’S PERSPECTIVE COOKING ON GAS WITH SEAN GRAVINA

Dr Gavin Gulia

Executive Chairman MTA

George Micallef President MHRA

Jo Caruana

Writer, editor, and presenter

OF 54. INSTITUTE TOURISM STUDIES:

THE PATH TOWARDS INTERNATIONALISATION

CHEFS 56. MALTA SOCIETY

Kristina Cassar Dowling Journalist, blogger and writer

Dr Paulino Schembri Chief Executive Officer, Malta Chefs Society

Denise Briffa

The Definitive(ly) Good Guide

CULINARY 60. BETTA’S FLAVORS: CREATING NEW LIMITS FOR CATERING

FOR THE 62. CHEERS GRANT, GOVERNMENT, BUT HOW DO I ACCOUNT FOR IT?

David Leone Ganado Director of Accounting Advisory Services

Opinion

Dr Gavin Gulia Executive Chairman Malta Tourism Authority

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!

hile the above headline is oftentimes used as a slogan for TV commercials of sorts, I truly believe that this embodies the overall feeling which can be felt all over the industry as we are finally seeing this crucial industry slowly coming back to life. Restrictions are being eased, as the Health Authorities have been progressing along their exit roadmap, and this has been possible because once again, it was proven that when we all pull the same rope, great results are achieved. Needless to say, it was, and still is an uphill climb, and I continue to urge everyone to take a day-by-day approach, but keeping all eyes and options open for future plans. Talking of the future, as an Authority we have all the resources available to analyse, interpret and get a clear picture of what the coming weeks and months will look like for the industry. I can safely say that we are on the way to a successful recovery for 2022, if all things remain more or less the way they are, locally and internationally, and when considering all the variables at play. We have noticed that the main source markets are still proving to be the best markets for Malta as a destination, and as of recently we have also been noticing increased interest from countries such as Poland. This has led us, as an Authority, to explore the possibility of opening up a new office in the heart of Warsaw which will definitely serve as

a bridge for Polish tourists to choose Malta for their next vacation. I am happy to say that the plans are indeed on track and this new office shall be up and running in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, locally, our Marketing team has continued working hard across the board to ensure that everyone out there truly experiences the beauty of Malta, irrespective of what their main interests are. Our ten-year strategy is allowing us to continue focusing on the various niches which can be found on our islands, whether it’s diving, food, culture, history, sports and even faith tourism, where, for example, we have seen increased interest, brought about by the recent visit of His Holiness Pope Francis. Apart from all this, our quest to establish Malta as a quality destination continues to intensify. Whilst I take this opportunity to congratulate the 31 restaurants which have been shortlisted in the 2022 Edition of the Michelin Guide, I would like to encourage you to explore the Forbes Travel Guide STAR Journey Award, which aims to set Malta as an In-Partnership Forbes Travel Guide Destination with a focus on Service Excellence and Safety. Malta is in fact the first country to collaborate with Forbes on this Award Scheme, and we are very proud to be supporting it, as an Authority. We have always said that this Award, and the various criteria which make up the various facets within it, are a clear

example of where we want to take our beloved industry in the years to come, where once again, everyone’s efforts, combined, will deliver great results. All in all, this is truly an exciting journey, if you pardon the pun, that this industry is now starting, as we continue to see various aspects and segments reopening and slowly getting back to normality. As an Authority, we naturally welcome all the news relating to the relaxation of COVID-19 measures, which affect the industry in the most holistic manner imaginable, be it restrictions relating to tourist arrivals, or restrictions on indoor and outdoor events, or even restrictions to do with the wearing of masks. This has led us to be in a position to further plan an exciting calendar of events for 2022 with positive prospects even for 2023. After a very successful family show in April, as we welcomed Carter Entertainment Group and the L.O.L. Surprise Live Shows at the MFCC in Ta’ Qali, we are now looking forward to offering yet another family favourite event, as the Nickelodeon Treasure Hunt will be returning to Malta at the end of May, with Valletta as the backdrop of two jam-packed days of activities with some of the world’s most loved TV characters. We are pleased to be hosting the Grammy-Award winning pop sensation Lewis Capaldi, who will be Live in Concert on the iconic Granaries, on the 2nd of July, which will be

followed by another stunning performance by the BBC Concert Orchestra, who will, this year be honouring an iconic British band which has provided most of us with the soundtrack of our youth. Apart from all this, Festival Tourism is also back this year, and some of the world’s brands will be once again in Malta for some great events, including the Isle of MTV, Annie Mac (Lost and Found) and Abode on the Rock 2022, to mention but a few. I am also pleased to announce the the world-renowned Cirque du Soleil will once again be returning to Malta later on this year, and plans are already in motion to once again transform Pjazza Tritoni in Valletta into the ultimate Christmas Fantasy during Fairyland. I am convinced that, even after my many discussions with most of you, these events will definitely provide a positive incentive to all those in Europe, and beyond, who would be scouring the corners of the internet, looking for their ideal destination, and there is definitely nowhere better than this little island in the Mediterranean, which truly has something to offer, for people of all ages. I wish you all the success in the upcoming weeks and months, and on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Malta Tourism Authority, and the Management, I thank you for always being a shining example of the resilience which has now become synonymous with Maltese businesses, especially those in the tourism industry.

Opinion

George Micallef President – MHRA

THE ROAD AHEAD…

p to a few weeks ago, we were talking about going back to normality and questioning if normality was really the best word to describe the aftermath of the pandemic. Over the past two years we sailed through unprecedented storms and found ourselves in unchartered water, some bruised more than others, but grateful that we survived. Critical to our survival was government’s support throughout the entire ordeal. The wage supplement scheme launched at the start of the pandemic and extended up to May this year, was surely on the forefront of the most important aids amongst other fiscal schemes and incentives which helped businesses to weather the storm. Consumer confidence was growing then, as evinced by a steady pick-up of summer bookings. This was a breath of fresh air that instilled much needed confidence amongst all operators in the tourism sector. All stakeholders came together, yearning to go, keen to maximize on all opportunities, not least, market share. At the time, the repercussions of the Ukrainian invasion were nowhere to be seen. Despite everything, Malta is registering positive trends and the season ahead of us looks promising. In fact, prospects for Southern Europe and the Mediterranean are indeed encouraging. However, we are already feeling the pinch and effects of the war in Ukraine and no doubt we will have to face additional challenges, but at this stage we are uncertain about the medium and long-term effect of the war crisis.

This will make the recovery process more difficult. We started to note an escalation of prices way back in November, but inflation is now one of our main concerns. Many of us would have to absorb most of the increases, as we cannot simply up our selling prices at this stage. We must keep a close watch on our competitiveness level and remain sensitive to consumers’ spend disposition, be it local and international. Inflation will also put disposable income under pressure and will affect discretionary spending, such as holidays. Human resources, or the lack of it, is another major concern for tourism and indeed other economic sectors. This problem was there before Covid and the Ukrainian war, but only got worse since, and it is becoming increasingly harder for tourism operators to attract new and skilled staff. This is having a toll on the hospitality sector and is not only impacting the quality of service provided, but at times limiting operational capacity. Tourism operators have no choice but to employ untrained workers sometimes originating from culturally diverse countries with language barriers and without a minimum level of training or skills. This is not conducive to customer satisfaction we are aiming for. The pandemic only helped to precipitate these problems and the impacts of the war can only make it harder. This is a worrying widespread trend that extends beyond the shores of Malta.

Connectivity and airline seat capacity remains a foremost critical success factor of our tourism sector. The aviation sector was amongst the hardest hit, and we still have to experience the full effects of the pandemic on the sector. The rising cost of fuel and the other impacts of the war crises on the airline sector, will not help the recovery process and will test pricing elasticity of the travel sector. Nevertheless, recent IATA projections remain positive. Increases in tourist accommodation supply, is another concern for the tourism sector, as new hotel beds have since come on the market, with more and different types coming on stream over the next years. The effective management of bed supply constitutes a huge challenge for the sector, both in the immediate and long term. Consumer demand and supply of tourist accommodation will no doubt have a major impact on long term sustainability and our competitiveness level, amongst other important considerations. Liquidity is another area of concern for many businesses in the sector, and pressure on cashflow could peak for many, after a two-year term, as moratoriums end and bank repayments, deferred statutory and other payments are called in over the next months. Many businesses are now relying on improved revenue generation over the coming season as a means of recovery, as businesses cannot and should not rely on further Government financial assistance. In the process of revenue generation, we must also aim to provide for sufficient disposable capital for re-investment,

as our tourism offer must remain fresh and updated if we are to deliver on our promise of value for money while competition becomes harsher. However, the pandemic experience was not only about doom and gloom, and lessons have also been learnt. It showed us that we cannot take business cycles for granted as we are constantly exposed to unforeseen and sudden crises, despite reliable projections and a robust past performance. The pandemic compelled us in taking a reality check in the background of progressive growth registered over the last decade, which may have made some of us complacent. All this will help us to better cope with the effects of the war. The pandemic taught us that our business plans need to be sufficiently resilient to withstand unprecedented shocks in the system. It made us look at things differently and look at what is more important in life. This will help us manage better the effects of the war on the industry. I would like to think that after these tough two years, we are more focused and more able to manage our businesses with more steadfastness than ever before. We must remain positive and convinced that tourism will once again prove its resilience. Tourism is most certainly here to stay; we just need to make sure we get the best out of it.

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Feature

The Path to Making Things Better Art, design, accountancy, marketing: the extensive professional resume of V&C Group CEO Christabelle Camilleri mirrors the Group’s own aptitude for diversification. As V&C ventures further into the hospitality sector, she tells Laura Bonnici how the Group is ‘making things better’ both for Malta and the planet.

Christabelle Camilleri

or almost 30 years, V&C has trailblazed positive change in Malta across a host of sectors from construction, infrastructure and manufacturing to education, real estate, retail and hospitality.

Although V&C Group is today a key player in so many vital industries, the original V&C Contractors focused solely on construction and Christabelle Camilleri – now the Group’s CEO and, recently, a ‘shark’ on the first investor panel of local primetime TV show Shark Tank – had no intention of joining the family business. “Instead, I studied for my master’s degree in Accountancy and worked with PWC both during and after my time at university,” Ms Camilleri says. Aged just 23, she was offered a lucrative job with a global airline company, which nearly kept construction off her radar – until a chance event shifted her course.

Feature

“Something quite extraordinary happened,” she explains. “I attended a business dinner with my father and a prospective investment partner who was pitching a proposal – but, instinctively, I felt their proposal didn’t make sense. In that moment, the penny dropped: I wanted to join the family business, with the intention to diversify and grow it. The next day I joined our Group as Finance Manager and enthusiastically learned the ropes as I went along.” En route, Ms Camilleri garnered valuable experience in every aspect of the business, which now informs her approach as she oversees the Group’s diversified portfolio as CEO. Yet, her role is not without its challenges – particularly as a woman in what is still a male-dominated environment. “I view everyone as unique, above everything else,” she says. “I don’t expect special or even different treatment because I am a woman and I apply the same principle to all my tasks and responsibilities; to life itself, for that matter. The fact that the construction industry is male-dominated has simply strengthened my resolve.”

In fact, Ms Camilleri uses this inclusive philosophy to influence her management style and power impressive results at V&C. “I encourage our management and all our staff to view themselves as a team – and it has worked. I am extremely proud to be leading an outfit that has doubled profit margins, increased revenue through targeted acquisitions, secured a multi-million line of credit to expand operations, streamlined financial planning, nurtured leaner management and piloted the Group to win multiple industry awards in all the market sectors it operates in.” With such a fine-tuned team and growing list of business accolades, V&C Group’s prudent diversification strategy has more than borne fruit. Now, as the Group ventures into the hospitality sector, Ms Camilleri shares the exciting projects in the pipeline. “We wanted to get away from the ‘same old same old’ and not create just another hotel or restaurant – hence, Cesca Boutique Hotel. We say that Gozo is an idyll and Cesca is its home. After stepping into this breath-taking 300-year-old farmhouse, perched on top of the tranquil

Xlendi Valley, we immediately wanted ‘in’. It has 18 rooms, including three suites with spectacular views: the perfect getaway from it all.” The Group’s efforts have already paid off, with Cesca winning the Best Local New Business, Best Luxury Boutique Hotel and the Best New Business Awards at Malta’s Best in Business Awards. “We hope to spread this vision to create uniqueness in the hospitality sector through our other upcoming initiatives, including a boutique hotel in Rabat and Valletta,” Ms Camilleri affirms. Indeed, the CEO’s focus on building the V&C brand within hospitality characteristically extends to improving the sector at large – as well as the prospects of Malta as a unique destination.

RIBEYE

KNUCKLE

“The quality of hotels, restaurants and the sector in general has been steadily improving, offering more variety and complementing Malta’s climatic, historical, cultural and natural uniqueness,” she says of the local hospitality landscape. “The boutique hotel concept has now taken root in Malta and I augur that it will continue, not only widening choice for travellers but also helping us restore and upgrade the vast pool of dilapidated buildings.” However, she sounds a note of caution for the industry: “Becoming complacent and secure in our success would be a grave misstep,” she warns. “Travellers are becoming increasingly discriminating, trends are changing fast and low-cost airlines have turned far-flung destinations into our direct competitors. Our climate, destiny, history and geography have blessed us with the best ingredients to create a unique destination. To do so, our hospitality sector must continue to innovate and diversify, while the entire country must address infrastructure, public services and, let’s face it, aesthetics.” Meanwhile, V&C Group’s new “making things better” tagline embodies Ms Camilleri’s vision for quality, innovation and sustainability not just in hospitality, but in all the Group’s endeavours across Malta and the globe. “That one word – ‘better’ – is at the heart and soul of V&C Group. We are passionate about doing things better and making our country and our planet a better place for future generations. We are determined to deliver the best goods and services to our clients through the latest specialised technologies, while respecting our country’s environment and that of our planet. ‘Better’ is the only way to grow, professionalise and diversify; to move from dreaming to thinking big,” the CEO concludes.

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Feature

The Magic of Mushrooms: the value of local mushrooms and where to find them Every year I pick two or three ingredients to experiment with and this year, mushrooms took centre stage in my kitchen. From porcini stocks to chanterelle sauces, reishi coffee and sauteed trumpets, fresh truffle shavings and enoki brownies; I’ve tried to get my hands on the freshest ingredients to make the best umami-packed dishes of both the savoury and sweet kind. But little did I know that a treasure trove of local mushrooms stood in absolute glory, a short drive through the Mgarr countryside.

garr Mushrooms Ltd is home to Malta’s freshest mushrooms of the white button and brown button variety. You’re probably quite familiar with their produce already, as these funghi-loving experts provide tonnes of culinary shrooms to Malta’s supermarkets, directly to the restaurants we all know and love and they also sell directly from the Ta’ Qali Farmers’ Market for those easily attainable caps of mushroomy goodness. Mushrooms are strange organisms. Belonging to the Kingdom of Fungi, these porous edible spores make our taste buds kick into a full-on frenzy the minute we chomp down on their peculiarly textured flesh. Even though most of us buy our mushrooms of the week from our green grocer, these fun-guys are neither vegetables or fruit as they do not grow off edible plants and neither do they contain chlorophyll. Mushrooms come in many different shapes and forms, some of which grow on fallen leaves, others on living barks of trees and some also in nutrient rich compost - the button mushrooms grown at Mgarr Mushrooms are such an example. Finding the right mushroom for the right dish might be difficult if you are not an absolute connoisseur, but keeping buttons as your ultimate go-to is always a good idea. Whether it’s cremini or champignon aka brown button or white button respectively, the value that these beautiful caps and stalks bring to a chef’s table is incredible. In other words, you can’t go wrong with a button mushroom. Established in 2014, Mgarr Mushrooms is run by a passionate and devoted family (John, Carmen and their children Riana, Rico and Ronalie) whose in-depth knowledge of mushrooms surpasses any textbook or fact-filled website. Much like the travelling spores needed to grow mushrooms, their enthusiasm and experience in the world of mushrooms fills the air - a visit to Mgarr Mushrooms is like no other. John and Carmen began their mushroom adventures some 20+ years ago where they were introduced to the trade, learned the ropes and grew their passion for this humbleturned-top-grade product. But when your passion for a

project takes over, stemming into your family interest and piquing in excitement with every mushroom yield, you know it’s time to upgrade from that button cap to a full-on hearty Portobello - and thus began the family’s investment in Mgarr Mushrooms. Speaking with John gives you all the insight you need to get your mushrooms growing, his interest in the field is what makes their family business so fulfilling and so worth-while. “We’ve been in the mushroom industry for over 20 years, working with local producers, learning from overseas cultivators and exploring different techniques throughout the years. What we know about the industry, we learned by doing. Figuring out what went wrong with the previous batch and making sure it doesn’t happen with the next batch.” Nodding in approval Lino, Mgarr Mushrooms Consultant comments with a smile on his face; “Working as a consultant means that you need to choose who you work with rather wisely. The time you spend with one client is time taken away from another potential client. Working with Mgarr Mushrooms is a consultancy dream and one that I treasure, not only because of the sheer amount of effort that goes into preparing each batch of mushrooms, but also because of the attention to detail and devotion to the industry and its impact on the market - not to mention their environmental appreciation also.” Every yield of buttons that comes out of the Mgarr Mushrooms grow houses are shown the love and delicate touch that they deserve. Each mushroom is hand picked, trimmed off any compost and placed into thoroughly washed breathable boxes with the famous Mgarr Mushrooms logo imprinted on the side. With a collection rate of approximately 32kg per hour, these button mushrooms are in high demand. And rightfully so. “At the end of the day, you get what you pay for on the market. And truth be told, even though we have the freshest and most natural mushrooms on the market, our produce is still far more cost-effective for the consumer,” comments Carmen. “Think about it this way… the weight of a mushroom is primarily made up of water; mushrooms lose their water weight rather quickly - you’d notice a

Feature

great difference in a week in fact. Now imagine if your mushrooms are packed and made to travel overseas before they arrive at your local supermarket, wouldn’t that take the quality down a notch or two?” The produce at Mgarr Mushrooms is prepared on an allnatural compost bed that lies upon a hay packing required for a healthy and nutritious growth cycle. These two layers are placed onto a breathable net that is washed, re-washed and reused for minimum waste in the growing process. The 3 layers are kept within a humidity and temperature controlled environment until the spores start doing their thing and tiny white or brown caps appear to sprout from the nutrient rich compost. Some grow rooms even reach humidity levels of 94% and temperature levels of approximately 20 degrees. You might have noticed that hygiene and cleanliness is a big part of the mushroom business, and if you caught up on that little fact and doubted it for a second, you wouldn’t be the first one to do so. Second generation mushroomeer Riana spoke about her love for the industry and the misconceptions that come along with the job. “We do what we do because we love it. Working with live natural produce is one of the biggest perks. We understand that many people associate mushrooms with an unsanitary environment, seeing as they thrive in the growth of manure, but the reality can’t be further from that. Every inch of our premises is cleaned and re-cleaned on a daily basis; we’re quite adamant about that. When people visit our mushroom farm they’re quite surprised at what they find and what they see around them - this always makes us happy.” Mushrooms are living things and therefore prone to infection; so keeping parasites at bay is a big part of the job - especially when you’re running a zero pesticide facility. In fact all outbreaks of infection are killed off with a salt cure that eradicates all pesky intruders in the fungi’s surroundings. No nasties, just natural salt. That’s right, the fungi at Mgarr Mushrooms are pesticide-free and completely natural. So apart from the fact that they are

Left to right: Ronalie, Carmen, Riana

making sure to reuse their netting, their packaging solutions and prepare each order with a hand-picked, hand-trimmed quality check they’re also making sure that their ‘waste’ is in no way harmful to the environment. In fact their compost does not contain any nitrates whatsoever, meaning that it does not damage Malta’s water bed when it’s sold as a natural soil conditioner to local farmers to help nourish future crops such as cauliflower, promoting that natural white glow! Talk about a circular and environmentally conscious economy. The 3 growth cycles at Mgarr Mushrooms all deliver a wonderful display of nature at its best, albeit temperature controlled and humidity regulated with filtration setups and watering systems installed for ultimate quality assurance, these naturally grown mushrooms bring a variety of produce that make every kitchen complete. From the first and strongest growth that is packed with water, firm to the touch and crunchy enough to eat raw in a salad or pickled as a garnish, to the second growth resulting in thinner stalks and exposed gills, ideal for richer flavoured soups and stocks and finally the third growth cycle that presents the thinnest stalk of all and the perfect ingredient for a restaurant looking for an elegant display of umami-richness with a turgid cap and palatable stalk to captivate the eye as well as the palette. Whether it’s a brown mushroom or a white mushroom, a Portobello or a button, the produce at Mgarr Mushrooms surpasses all expectations - allowing the consumer to fully appreciate the value of local mushrooms in taste, quality and family-value.

Article written by: Kristina Cassar Dowling is a journalist, blogger and writer who focuses on food culture, the arts and sustainable lifestyles - her biggest passions in life. Kristina is a freelance writer who also focuses on human stories, business and other niches.

For more information contact Mgarr Mushrooms on 9921 2222 or 7928 9297

Interview

Ryan Galea As HORECA publisher and founder, Ryan Galea has combined his passion for hospitality with his natural flair for all things entrepreneurial. Here he chats to Jo Caruana about his love for the sector and his plans for the future of this publication. Ryan, let’s start with your background and expertise. Where did you get started? I come from a family-based retail background, which has successfully run the Surplus & Adventure stores for around 20 years. The latest project in the pipeline is The Adventure Hub, the first corporate adventure park in Malta, of which I have been appointed CEO. The park will incorporate a number of activities including paintball and lasertag, zipline, obstacle course, together with camping areas, catering facilities and much more. It’s been seven years in the making and I am looking forward to launching the project in the coming months.

needs right now. The result is very specialised, which is exactly what the sector requires. It is crucial that, through our distribution network, we know exactly who is receiving the magazine, where they work, and what their job role is. Our reader database, who each receive a hand delivered copy, are the key decision makers in the industry – hotel and restaurant owners and directors, chef patrons, executive chefs, purchasing managers, food and beverage managers, and so on. I was inspired by each of them to create the HORECA Malta brand. It’s about doing something different that really is of value to the people reading it.

On a personal level, I have been involved for more than a decade. with Innovative Solutions, which sells customised menus and displays to the Hospitality sector. Moreover I used to own a distribution company which was very successful for over 20 years. That has now given way to other projects such as the upcoming Adventure Hub. As you can see, I love variety and developing new things!

How has the project developed since it started? Today I can proudly say we’ve reached the seventh edition of HORECA and we now have a readership of around 30,000 between our print and digital platforms. Yes, our social media is going strong but print is still critical to our success. A print copy is always a print copy, and the feedback from many of our clients is that they still want to receive the printed version. The magazine is published quarterly and boasts a high visibility and penetration within the various Horeca sectors. There’s plenty of opportunity for future development, too, which is very exciting.

What inspired you to start HORECA? It was a logical step forward for me, having been already involved in the Hospitality world. I believe I understand our target market, which enables us to create the content that the industry

What do you enjoy about the project and why is it important? I am passionate about food, and I love the Horeca industry as many people do. The sector is very important because Malta depends on it in so many ways. But

it’s also a sector packed with fantastic stories that can serve to inspire others, which is critical in itself. I also hope to play a small part in encouraging young talent to become the industry leaders of tomorrow. How has the hospitality industry in Malta changed since you got into it? It’s changing constantly. It’s become very competitive, so, today, you must have an excellent, longterm strategy to succeed. There’s no room for failure, especially as information now spreads like wildfire on social media and can be very damaging, very quickly. But that’s no reason to lose confidence. I think we have some of the highest industry standards and talent in Europe - if not the world - despite the fact that human resources remain a significant challenge. The most important thing to know is that your people will make or break your success, so it is worth investing in them. What do you predict for the future of the hospitality industry? It is still recovering from COVID and will be for some time. But the next challenge is already round the corner: price hikes and product shortages. That said, as long as nothing extraordinary happens in the short-term to

cause further turmoil, there will be a bright future for the hospitality industry and people will have the confidence to start investing again. Nevertheless, competitiveness should be front-of-mind, both on a consumer and national level. Together with the Government, who has backed the various Horeca industries over the past couple of years with a number of subsidies and incentives, all stakeholders must work together to keep Malta on the right track and ensure it remains a favourable destination. How do you hope HORECA magazine will evolve in the future? We will keep up momentum and deliver the excellent quality that our readers have come to expect. The plan is to expand, progress and continue to target the right niche audience and industry. We are at the moment busy working on projects which will diversify the current operations of the Group. These include Horeca Events, Training, Gourmet Travel and more. We are excited to see how these ventures will pan out … I would say ‘watch this space’!

Who’s Who

Chefs Who’s Who Chef Edward Diacono, Rubino 1. Tell us about your educational background and your work experience to date.

4. Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

I studied at ITS while working at Giuseppi’s under the mentorship of my uncle Michael Diacono. I was then given the opportunity to have a year’s work experience in London at the Park Inn Heathrow Hotel. On my return to Malta, I began my 12-year-long role at Rubino where I am now the Head Chef.

I want to continue to grow with Rubino, getting stronger and better as a team and continue to be successful.

2. Why are you so passionate about being a chef?

I would definitely need to mention my grandmother, Rita Diacono. Even though she is not a trained chef, and at the age of 94, she’s an amazing cook and a great person who inspires and amazes me with the love and creativity she puts into her cooking everyday.

The love for food definitely runs in my family, where almost all conversations at my grandmother’s house are based around food and the sharing of recipes and ideas. The love for food that I have and being able to share my passion at work keeps me motivated and hungry for more. 3. Mention five words to describe yourself and your work ethic. Humble, creative, hard-working, responsible and dedicated.

5. Can you mention chefs who have inspired you? What do you admire most about them?

6. What is your favourite dish to cook and why? I wouldn’t say I have a favourite dish to cook. On the other hand, what I love about my job is the freedom for me to come up with new ideas and be creative with our daily-changing menu.

Chef Ramona Preca, Palazzo Preca 1. Tell us about your educational background and your work experience to date. I studied at ITS for general culinary training and even went on a work experience trip to London in Hilton’s London Basingstoke - but I gained most of my kitchen insight from my father’s restaurants. Even before ITS, I used to help my father in the kitchen at King’s Own in Valletta after which I also worked in the Tal-Familja kitchen which is where I learned how to make sauces and some other of my father’s specialties. 10 years ago I opened Palazzo Preca - my own restaurant. 2. Why are you so passionate about being a chef? Being a chef is something that you look forward to everyday. When I do something, I always do it from the heart and make sure that my passion shines through in my food. Most importantly, I always want to bring a smile to my clients’ faces. My love for food also takes me to new challenges quite often - during COVID Lockdown, chocolate became my new passion. 3. Mention five words to describe yourself and your work ethic. Passionate, creative, energetic, respectful and driven. 4. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? If I allow my passions to take over, which they often do, I think I’ll be working in chocolate in the next five years. Chocolate shops are not a thing yet in Malta - and one in Republic Street Valletta sounds pretty interesting to me. All I’d want is just a small chocolate shop with live chocolate-making shows. Exciting and energetic, but very different from a restaurant vibe. 5. Can you mention chefs who have inspired you? What do you admire most about them? It might sound like a cliché, but my father was always the most admirable chef. His sauce making always

impressed me - I have learned a lot from him as a chef. And my mum always complemented his culinary process. She spent a lot of her time reading and understanding new techniques and making simple things tastier and that little bit extra special. 6. What is your favourite dish to cook and why? I like to make sweets. Not only because they taste good and always finish off a meal on a nice, sweet note but also because they look good and they provide me with a challenge. Savoury cooking is ‘normal’ for me, I do it so naturally and easily, it’s like second nature. This is probably because I grew up with good food around me all throughout my childhood and young adult life. So my desserts always get that little extra touch of my attention and focus. The food I like to eat the most is brodu, ross il-forn, qarabali mimli and all the other dishes my mum used to make. It was always nice to eat genuine home cooking after a day in the kitchen.

Who’s Who

Chef Jean Dingli, Barbajean 1. Tell us about your educational background and your work experience to date. Growing up I always loved to cook and from when I was just 6 years old, I wanted to become a chef. When I finished secondary school I attended ITS where I finished my four year diploma in culinary arts. During my time at ITS I worked in a few local restaurants as a student and after graduating I left for a 6-month work experience in a 2 Michelin restaurant in Italy. This is where I got most of my knowledge and work ethic. I also worked in London for a little over a year and then in Malta for another 8 years, combined I had 10 years experience in the kitchen before I decided to open Barbajean. Each workplace gave me new ideas, knowledge and drive to open my own restaurant. 2. Why are you so passionate about being a chef? I think everybody is born with a passion for something, some people pursue it and I’ve done just that. I believe I was born with this passion - it is that passion that keeps me working so hard every day, constantly striving to be better as a chef. This career gives me satisfaction, I love to create new things and I love making people happy through good food. Food brings people together, it creates memories, it allows me to be creative and also… I don’t have to wear a suit! 3. Mention five words to describe yourself and your work ethic. Persistent, calm, focused, easy-going and honest.

4. Where do you see yourself in the next five years? In the next five years I wish for Barbajean to continue striving as a restaurant and for myself to have the opportunity to continue creating more dishes and maybe eventually open a second restaurant. 5. Can you mention chefs who have inspired you? What do you admire most about them? I have worked with many talented chefs in my life, some of them have become like family and some just past colleagues. The chefs who let me create my own ideas and believed in me, but also corrected me along the way, are the ones I will never forget. 6. What is your favourite dish to cook and why? It is difficult to choose just one dish, but if I had to pick just one it would have to be the Maltese Sausage Scotch Egg which became our signature dish at Barbajean. This dish is simple and rustic yet a very heart-warming comfort dish. It truly reflects my style of cooking and the overall concept at Barbajean.

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Interview

UNPACKING THE PIXEL:

MALTA’S NEW TOURISM STRATEGY 28

At this critical time for hospitality, Malta Tourism Authority Chief Officer for Strategic Development and Deputy CEO Leslie Vella explains how the new tourism strategy for 2021-2030 will help the sector recover, rethink and revitalise.

t is a challenging and exciting time for tourism right now. With the world continuing its recovery from the COVID pandemic after a winter season ravaged by the Omicron variant, there is optimism for a strong bounce-back ahead of summer. At the same time, new crises – both immediate, as in the case of Ukraine, and longer term, such as climate change – threaten to disrupt a seamless transition back to the way things were. It is against this complex background that Malta has unveiled its new tourism strategy, which aims to guide the sector’s development until 2030.

130. Tourist numbers rose from 1.3 million a year to 2.8 million in the same timeframe, with similar increases in overnight stays, expenditure and other increases. “However, the fact remains that tourism does not exist in isolation, and the destination has its limitations,” Vella says. “All this was putting pressure on our infrastructure and quality of life. We recognised that this straight, constant line of growth could not continue indefinitely, and that sustainability had to be more than just a word thrown in as seasoning.” So, what should this next phase look like?

“Our strategy is based on three pillars: Recover, Rethink, and Revitalise,” Leslie Vella, Malta Tourism Authority Chief Officer for Strategic Development and Deputy CEO, explains. “COVID forced the first pillar to the fore, but, strategically, we are saying we cannot simply turn the clock back to December 2019 and pick up where we left off; we want a thorough rethink of where we want tourism to go, on the basis of which we can revitalise our tourism for the years to come.”

One cornerstone of the strategy, Vella explains, is about ‘cautiously’ growing Malta’s tourism product by unravelling the idea of a single Destination Malta. “Many people come to Malta with a preconceived notion of a Mediterranean island. But, when they arrive, they see what we really are,” he says. “They find that what was just a pixel on the map is actually larger than life, and offers so much. It’s like receiving a ZIP file: it’s packed into a small space, but once you open it, it unfurls before your eyes.”

Mr Vella says the strategy is an opportunity to kickstart the next period in the development of Malta’s tourism. The last such phase, he explains, was defined by explosive growth resulting from the revolution in airline connectivity: in 2009, direct flights were available to 45 other airports; by 2019, it had risen to

The vision is one of different Maltas for different travellers: beach holidays in the north, cosmopolitan city breaks in Sliema or St Julian’s, historical travel in Valletta and the Three Cities, traditional village experiences in Żurrieq or Safi. Gozo, the strategy proposes, should be developed further as a distinct destination, its insularity

Interview

treated as an attraction not an obstacle. “Tourism is all about imagination and emotion,” Mr Vella says. “For most tourists, the concept of visiting an island is already exciting; hopping to another island from there even more so.” Another key goal for the strategy is that of turning tourism into something that complements the environment, rather than conflicts with it. With climate change becoming an increasingly pressing issue, Mr Vella points to initiatives such as alternative energy sources and increased public transport usage, but also efforts to protect agricultural land and natural landscapes, as well as traditional townscapes and heritage, as a benefit and integral part of tourism, rather than an obstacle. “These are the elements the strategy seeks to slowly weave into this quest to merge tourism with what makes us Maltese – whether it’s buildings, food, landscape or culture – rather than being a necessary evil for which we have to pay a price.” With twelve strategic areas, the strategy offers a comprehensive approach, including strengthening quality at all levels of the value chain, emphasising value to move beyond sheer volume growth, prioritising visitor satisfaction and addressing human resource issues. But ultimately, Mr Vella says, it is about staying true to the fabric of what makes Malta different and unique, using it to attract the sort of tourism that can respect and appreciate it. “Over the years we’ve tried to be a lot of different places because we were ashamed of what was our own. I think the time has come for us to just be Malta: to emerge as ourselves and to proudly display ourselves to a wide spectrum of people, by showing the fascination of this pixel and what happens when you open up the ZIP file.”

MALTA TOURISM STRATEGY AT A GLANCE Strengthening and developing segments where the Maltese Islands have a competitive advantage while exploring the tourism potential of emerging and developing segments. Continuing to position Gozo as a separate and distinct quality destination. Unravelling Destination Malta to widen its appeal: identifying different zones within the country that possess unique competitive advantages and developing distinct branding and marketing strategies for each. Ensuring that future tourism development embraces sustainable and climate-friendly principles, while preserving and promoting natural and man-made heritage as an integral part of the Malta brand. Strengthening enforcement against unlicenced accommodation and under-delivering licenced establishments, and more stringent licencing guidelines for new developments. Extending Quality Labels and strengthening enforcement. Improving the sector’s attractiveness as an employer. Creating a National Convention and Events Centre with an extensive year-round calendar of events.

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THE ESSENCE OF COFFEE LUXURY The past couple of years have reinforced the need for coffee systems which minimise consumer fears over contamination. Safe solutions are a top priority in many sectors.

Introducing Cafitesse - the revolutionary Closed Liquid Coffee System. The hygienic nature of the machine reduces the risk of contamination due to its ability to dispense hot beverages with minimal human interaction. The revolutionary design guarantees that there is no direct human contact with the coffee or milk.

The Cafitesse machines are manufactured by JDE, a company headquartered in the Netherlands. The company’s operations have full FairTrade certification, ensuring better pay and working conditions for farmers in developing countries. Moreover, all coffee

sourcing is UTZ certified to ensure sustainable farming and good agricultural practices, and the coffee brewed at the company’s roastery conforms with the strictest hygiene standards including HACCP and EU directives.

Cleaning the machine requires minimum contact and time and because of quick dispensing, waiting times at the machines remain short. Most importantly, a single touch of a button generates a fresh cup or pot of coffee.

Boasting a local client line-up which includes a number of 5-star hotels and resorts, boutique hotels, B&Bs, gaming companies and offices, Cafitesse offers a quick, hygienic and safe coffee solution for guests, visitors, delegates, customers and colleagues in today’s challenging climate.

HIGH CAPACITY AND BREWING SPEED The Cafitesse Excellence Touch is the perfect machine for busy environments - thanks to the high capacity and brewing speed, a cup of black coffee is brewed in 6 seconds and a cappuccino in 12 seconds. In terms of capacity, there are two choices: 300 cups per hour and 700 cups per hour.

The Cafitesse range offer a perfect blend of taste, ease of use, experience and business sense. A range of various models are available to cater for different businesses or events. Backed by its unique liquid technology and stayfresh packaging system, Cafitesse offers a wide range of consistently perfect drinks, from espresso to capucchino, latte macchiato and much more, together with a smooth, intuitive operation and no fuss maintenance, combining straight forward interfaces with simple and smart designs, allowing you to serve great coffee up to 600 times an hour. It is the only coffee concept that offers you the perfect blend of taste, variety, ease, presentation, reliability, flexibility and cost efficiency. Cafitesse is designed for ease of use and cleanliness to provide great tasting coffee, using the closed system from bean to cup, as the variables which influence taste, quality and safety of the coffee and the machine are handled by qualified staff. Refilling the machine is easy – and can be done without touching the ingredients, thanks to the closed bag in box system – as one bag delivers hundreds of cups, the interaction is low.

CREATE YOUR PERFECT CUP OF COFFEE The stylishly designed machine has an intuitive 10-inch touchscreen. The user-friendly display allows for easy and quick preparation of your favourite cup of coffee. Further options include cup or glass size, milder or stronger coffee and more or less milk. The Cafitesse Coffee Machines are exclusively represented in Malta by AppleCore Foods, who will undertake all necessary measures, like water testing prior to installation to servicing times within 24hours.

Cafitesse Quick Facts User-friendly and intuitive touchscreen 6 sec/cup, 30sec/pot (900ml) Wide selection of coffee variations High capacity and brewing speed Consistent coffee quality Perfect for breakfast serving times in hotels, busy environments like conferences, offices etc Usage tracking software Only 10 minutes of cleaning time per week

For more information contact AppleCore Foods on 23850700, 99476171 or 99005577 info@applecorefoods.com 33

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THE DEFINITIVE(LY) GOOD GUIDE

Restaurants Awards... THE BEST CHEF AWARD This popular award which has for years been sponsored by The Catering Centre was presented to Edward Diacono, chef at Rubino in Valletta. This restaurant has featured high in the annual survey for many years and is well known for its typically Mediterranean and popular Maltese dishes in a warm and intimate ambience.

MOST POPULAR RESTAURANT FOR BUSINESS ENTERTAINMENT This award welcomed a new sponsor Spiteri Catering and was presented to Caviar & Bull. This restaurant forms part of the established Marvin Gauci group and is sought after for its culinary excellence, sophisticated décor, location and impeccable staff.

BEST SUPPORT TO LOCAL PRODUCE

BEST RESTAURANT IN GOZO

This award, aptly sponsored by The Ministry for Agriculture, Fisheries, Food and Animal Rights has now become an established one in this awards ceremony. This award aims to encourage restaurants to support local produce which is acknowledged to be of the highest quality and thus guarantees an excellent accompaniment to any dish. This award was presented to Country Terrace.

For the first time, this award ceremony was able to recognise the excellent standard of the restaurants on the sister island of Gozo thanks to the support of the Ministry for Gozo. The most highly rated restaurant in Gozo for 2022 was Beppe’s Restaurant. This restaurant has consistently achieved high ratings in the annual survey.

TOP RATED BEST NEWCOMER This award highlights those restaurants that are new to the guide and have been voted in for the first time, usually because they have been open for only a few months or have recently upped their game. This year the award for Top Rated Best Newcomer was sponsored by Horeca Magazine and was presented to Don Royale by Ryan Galea.

t was with great relief that we were able to hold the annual awards ceremony of The Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants once again. Thankfully the timing worked out perfectly to celebrate the hard working restaurants that were top rated in the September 2021 survey after a year of unprecedented challenges.

Top prize for best restaurant was scooped by Noni – and the list below highlights the winners of all the other main categories.

MOST POPULAR FOR BEST AMBIENCE Design Hub Studio needs no introduction at the awards ceremony. They have sponsored the best ambience award for several years. This award aims to encourage restaurants to create not just exceptional food but also a welcoming ambience that ensures the whole experience is exceptional. This welldeserved award was presented to Ristorante La Vela.

MOST POPULAR FOR BEST SERVICE

TOP RATED FOR WINE AWARDS BEST FOOD AWARD We welcome on board,

Another newcomer as a sponsor is Ozo Group, an established name providing a variety of services to the hospitality industry. This award was presented to Noni and confirms the sterling attention to patrons this restaurant maintains.

The award that is at the crux of any dining experience – the best food award was presented by the sponsor American Express to Noni as acknowledgement for excellence in preparation, presentation, innovation and use of ingredients in their dishes.

also for the first time Vini e Capricci by Abraham’s as sponsor of the wine awards. A number of wine awards were presented with the Best Overall presented to Country Terrace; Best Presented wine list to Barbajean, Best Wine by the glass selection to Hammett’s Mestizo, Best Fine Wine List to Tarragon, Best Short wine list to Barbajean and Best Port Wine list to Country Terrace.

THE DEFINITIVE(LY) GOOD GUIDE TAKES THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK ALL ITS SPONSORS INCLUDING ITS MAIN SPONSORS MALTA TOURISM AUTHORITY, GLOBAL PAYMENTS AND NESTLÉ MALTA.

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The top 7 things to remember when choosing a card machine

or Hotel, Restaurant or Catering (HORECA) merchants, the fact that the number of cash payments is falling heavily over the last decade, as well as the rise of phone pay and contactless, the importance of a good Point of Sale (POS) machine has never been more apparent. We’ve put together a list of the top seven things merchants would be wise to consider when choosing a card machine.

Cost After successive years of reduced retail activity, cost will likely be the bottom line for many merchants. Retailers would be wise to speak to vendors about the best deals that they can offer - it’s worth keeping in mind that often, the more card machines you agree to purchase, the better the rate you will be offered. The same is true for the length of tenure you agree to, so finding a trustworthy supplier who you’re happy to partner with in the long run will make your life easier - as well as save you money!

Ease of use Different POS solutions will offer different functionalities that can help make your life easier. User interface is a key part of this - while a touchscreen may offer greater control, if you handle food or drinks over the counter and can’t rely on clean hands, the ability to manoeuvre menus via the keypad may be more appropriate. Also worth considering is the menu layout and navigation options on your machine. Quick sale and quick menu options could be very useful if you work in a busy environment and need access to payments and transaction histories instantly, for example.

Functionality and range It’s also wise to consider your specific POS needs in regards to range. For example: • Do you take payments at the counter? A standard, wired connection will be fine. • Need to move around the shop floor, or complete transactions at a customer’s table? Have a chat with your POS provider about machines with Wi-Fi, or SIM card capabilities. • If you do need a wireless card machine, make sure the battery life will suit your requirements- while many devices will allow for a full day’s use for charge, this isn’t always the case, so be sure to ask your provider.

Technical support At a time when cash usage is falling drastically, it’s crucial to know that you won’t lose out on key card payments should anything go wrong with your card machine, as downtime can mean lost income. The best providers offer round the clock support, including next-day swap outs so that you can be safe in the knowledge that you will be up and running in no time.

Speed of settlement While some providers will offer next day settlement as standard, this isn’t always the case. It’s worth making sure that you know how long it will take for transactions to process, so that your cash flow and accounting can be accurate.

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Security The Payment Card Industry (PCI) standard is a mark of quality in payments security. It means that a payments solution has been assessed by an independent body to ensure safety requirements are met. Keep an eye out for this description whenever choosing a POS provider, as without it, your systems may be vulnerable to hacking, which could cause you significant financial damage.

Integration Semi or fully integrated card machines communicate with their corresponding ePOS terminal (the display seen by the cashier). With integrated card machines, the card machine will receive the pricing information necessary to complete a sale without needing to enter details manually. This eliminates the possibility of human errors and saves you time. It also enables the recording of individual sales, so that you can view your transactions in one place and make use of analytics and real-time reporting to gain a better understanding of your business. By choosing a semi or fully integrated POS device, merchants can take advantage of fast-developing technology, which features intelligent analytics processes and superior inventory management.

How Trust Payments is helping HORECA merchants in Malta

Apart from the integration, we offer a Pay@Table concept through ethernet, WiFi and GPRS state of the art terminals which have full colour, easy-to-read displays. Merchants can also freely switch off or on functionality for extras such as tipping/gratuities and the ability to choose whether they want to print receipts for customers or not. Having the POS integrated with their ordering system, hotels and restaurants are primed to offer speed of transaction and convenience to customers as well as the ability to ensure that all sales are immediately and correctly logged. Daily statements are sent out to assist and facilitate reconciliations and our service is backed by a 24/7 Customer Service with dedicated account managers who are always available for direct consultation or handling queries. Trust Payments also offers online services for those restaurants that either want to take a deposit for bookings and/ or facilitate online ordering in advance for both eat-in or takeaway options. Our terminals have also been used for self-service kiosks and can easily be adapted for any other self-service checkout merchants require. Trust Payments were appointed as preferred payments partner by the Chamber of Small and Medium Enterprises on the island of Malta and we have also recently concluded a cooperation agreement with APS Bank, one of the local emerging banks which has an extensive base of business clients.

Most Maltese retailers and restaurants are already making use of the numerous integrations offered by Trust Payments on the local market with Micros Simphony and Lightspeed being the most widely used within the HORECA sector.

Contact us today! Trust Payments specialise in frictionless payments, offering all of the above options as standard. Want to find out which POS device will best suit your needs? Have a chat with one of our experts, who will support you to get the most out of your payments solutions. Visit https://trustpayments.com/tru-pos/ if you want to know more, or send us an email at POSMalta@trustpayments.com to get in touch today.

g e t y o u r t i c k e t s f r o m v i s i t m a lta . c o m

LIVE IN CONCERT

THE GRANARIES, FLORIANA - MALTA

02.JULY.2022

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Malta and the Digital Nomad A Recipe for Success Not too long ago we lived in a world where work and travel operated in two separate spheres of life, often at the expense of one another. When the pandemic hit, everything changed. Travel and mobility were among the first things to be restricted, and experiencing new countries and cultures became a distant dream for many people. At the same time, we got the chance to experience flexible hybrid working arrangements, and today we know first-hand how effective and efficient remote working can be.

e are living in a time of great change and adaptation in travel trends, and work-life balance has found itself at the top spot of the agenda for many of us. The digital nomad lifestyle, once a catchphrase, has become the future of the hospitality business. ‘Work from home’ has shifted into ‘work from anywhere’, and more and more people are taking up this lifestyle with each passing day. Remote workers got into a great routine of making sure they are putting in the work hours, while exploring different destinations in between. Malta is among the first countries in Europe adapting to this shift in trends. Following a great influx of remote workers from fellow EU countries, the Nomad Residence Permit extends this possibility to Non-EU nationals to live in Malta for a temporary extended period while working remotely. Eligible applicants can be employed with a company registered outside Malta, self-employed with registration abroad or freelancers giving services to clients registered abroad. Applicants are required to earn a monthly gross salary of €2,700, and the permit is open for all sectors and for immediate family members of applicants. Permits are granted for one year, with the possibility of renewal if applicants still meet eligibility criteria. “We are receiving an average of more than an application a day since the launch last June,” said Charles Mizzi, Chief Executive Officer of Residency Malta. “Applicants hail from all over the world but US and UK nationals are currently topping the list. The hospitality industry in Malta is serviced by many foreigners. These expats may have family and friends who might be considering working remotely from a European country and joining their peers in Malta, and

who would be eligible for the Nomad Residence Permit. Residency Malta promises an efficient and straightforward application process and fast turnaround of replies to queries.” With a strong broadband infrastructure, over 400 public free wifi hotspots and helpful Government services, digital nomads can rest their minds with regard to their professional success. Add that to the easy connectivity within the island, daily air and sea links to major destinations, top-class healthcare services and language accessibility, with English being one of the two official languages, remote workers will feel right at home as soon as they land. “While these remote workers contribute to our local economy during their temporary stay, we promise to make the process easy and seamless, and to live up to our reputation as a hospitable country with boundless opportunities for creative minds. The future looks bright and as the pandemic situation continues to settle, we are optimistic that we will be welcoming more and more digital nomads to our shores. We can’t wait to meet you and we hope you enjoy your stay,” says Charles Mizzi.

All details about the Nomad Residence Permit can be found at nomad.residencymalta.gov.mt

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MTA WELCOMES LAUNCH OF THE THIRD EDITION OF THE MALTA MICHELIN GUIDE The new selection features 31 restaurants, including 5 MICHELIN Stars and 4 Bib Gourmands

ichelin launched the third Malta Michelin Guide earlier this year, announcing the list of restaurants that made it in this year’s edition. The new Michelin Guide recognises the outstanding restaurants, breadth of cuisine styles and culinary skills found in Malta, Gozo and Comino. Established in the late 19th century, Michelin has maintained its benchmark of international food for more than 120 years, recognising some of the greatest restaurants in the world. Located in the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta is establishing itself as a gastronomic destination which serves up a wide range of dishes influenced by the many civilisations that made these islands their home. In a bid to embrace the long standing and diverse culinary history of these islands, the Malta Tourism Authority has been championing local, sustainable gastronomy that tips its hat to traditional methods within the context of a modern and buzzing restaurant scene. The five restaurants which have retained their oneMICHELIN Star status are: Under Grain, Valletta; Noni, Valletta; ION – The Harbour, Valletta; De Mondion, Mdina; and Bahia, Balzan, which retained its Michelin Star even after moving location from Lija. A new Bib Gourmand joins the selection, bringing the total number of ‘Bibs’ to four. Grain Street in Valletta is from the same stable as MICHELIN-Starred restaurant Under Grain and serves great value sharing platters. The three other restaurants that retained their Bib Gourmands are: Terrone, Birgu; Rubino, Valletta; and Commando in Mellieħa. These restaurants all represent the very definition of a Bib Gourmand: good quality, good value cooking. Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the MICHELIN Guides, said: “Thanks to the increasing optimism surrounding Covid-19, many people are starting to think about travel and holidays once again. The beautiful islands of Malta and Gozo should be on everyone’s list. Five MICHELIN Stars, 4 Bib Gourmands and 22 recommended restaurants mean there is plenty of choice when it comes to eating out”.

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Besides Grain Street, inspectors found three other restaurants worthy of a place in the MICHELIN Guide. Marea in Kalkara is a cool, contemporary restaurant with a tiered terrace overlooking the Grand Harbour, and its kitchen mixes Mediterranean food with Japanese influences. AKI in Valletta is a stylish basement restaurant with an Asian-influenced menu. As for Rebekah’s in Mellieħa, it is located in a former farmstead and specialises in hearty Mediterranean flavours. Poullennec went on saying: “All 31 restaurants recommended to our readers are varied and individual and reflect the very best that the islands offer. Some are traditional, others are contemporary – and thus they truly represent the two sides of Malta that make it such an appealing destination”. “Quality needs to be the order of the day. In the past years, thanks to the perseverance and dedication of our local hospitality sector we have experienced an increase in restaurants that obtain a Michelin star status. The gastronomic sector plays a crucial role in the Government’s vision of making Malta a hub of tourism excellence in the Mediterranean. The road to achieving this goal is an ambitious one but together we can make it happen,” outlined Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo. The Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority, Dr Gavin Gulia, added: ‘This is once again another step forward in our continuous endeavours, whereby, as an Authority, we continue to give due importance to the holistic quality of our tourism product, which we are achieving through various restoration and regeneration projects, targeted marketing, and partnerships such as the one with Michelin, to mention but a few. We are proud that for the third consecutive year Malta has its very own Michelin Guide and on behalf of the Authority I would like to thank all those involved in this sector for being instrumental in making Malta’s Gastronomy stand out, as one of the things which tourists look forward to exploring, when they visit our Islands.”

The full 2022 selection for Malta is available on the MICHELIN Guide website https://guide.michelin.com/ en/mt/restaurants and on the App, available for free on iOS and Android

Bahia, Balzan

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Rediscover: A Strategic Masterplan for Tourism In the post-pandemic world, the Malta Chamber’s new vision for tourism seeks to foreground quality experiences, focus on sustainability and develop close collaboration to regenerate the sector.

ourism has changed and it’s time for Malta to adapt. Against the backdrop of a pandemic that has completely altered the tourism landscape locally and globally, the Tourism Operators Business Section at The Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry – with the support of consulting firm Seed – has unveiled its transformational vision for the future of the sector: Rediscover. With the goals of reducing seasonality, attracting tourists who contribute to the economy, and helping tourist operators embrace digital transformation and service delivery upgrades, the document includes 125 recommendations across eight strategic themes, encompassing branding and marketing, digital innovation, accommodation, sectoral infrastructure, culture and identity, governance and institutions, human capital and connectivity. Alan Arrigo, chairperson of the Tourism Operators Business Section, explains that the document emerged from consultation with a range of 28 stakeholders across the entire value chain. “We wanted to understand the local context, the local and global challenges, and what other countries are doing. From that, we have developed a strategy and action plan,” he says. “Sustainability is key: our future cannot be growth for growth’s sake,” he continues, outlining one of the strategy’s core principles. “As tourism operators, we depend on the natural and urban environment being sustained and preserved, but we also have to preserve and nurture our socio-cultural fabric. Tourists come to Malta for the Malta experience: they want to meet the local people, hear the local language, and taste the local foods.” Seed senior consultant Glenn Fenech explains that the strategy rests its vision of sustainability in growth on three key pillars: improving the customer journey, encouraging authentic and unique experience, and building capabilities. “This strategy sets out a number of enablers to work towards these core objectives,” Mr Fenech says. “It is then further informed by a set of overarching foundational elements that are critical to achieving the strategic vision. These include the values and the principles that would steer a reinvented industry, as well as the fundamental shifts that must drive it, be they increased connectivity, strategic diversification, or targeted investment.”

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Among the challenges uncovered, Fenech says, were the weak collaborative approach between authorities and industry operators, the slow pace of digitalisation, and the need to strengthen infrastructural capacity to deliver on the promise of an exceptional customer journey, as well as the threat of over-supply, with signs already present pre-COVID. Key recommendations to address these issues include the setting-up of an inter-ministerial function at Prime Ministerial level to ensure effective liaison between all ministries with a direct or indirect role in tourism. The document also proposes a sectoral review to measure digital readiness, and funds allocations to ramp up innovation efforts.

Joe Galea

Glenn Fenech

Genevieve Abela

Joseph Formosa Gauci

Observatory to use big data and advanced business intelligence tools to monitor Malta’s tourism performance, and new incentives to develop tourism niches from wellness to agribusiness, the arts and gastronomy.

Alan Arrigo

Beyond that, it calls for a new open-source Tourism

Mr Arrigo explains that, on a broad level, the strategy is focused on improving the quality of the customer journey, not simply when a tourist lands in Malta, but as soon as they first start contemplating their trip. “Embracing quality within the experience means doing whatever it takes to satisfy the customer: if the customer is satisfied, that will help ensure they return again, spread the word, and increase the positive perception of Malta.” The time when Malta could compete with other destinations simply on the basis of sun-and-sea, Mr Arrigo says, is long over, and raising the game means finding new unique selling points to differentiate ourselves. “Malta’s size can be one advantage: we can offer a cultural holiday, a city-break, a sun-and-sea holiday and many others, because of our proximity.”

For more information on the Rediscover Strategy, please contact the Malta Chamber.

Douglas Barbaro Sant

Julia Aquilina

“We also looked into the critical shortage of staff, which remains the most pressing challenge for the sector,” Mr Fenech says. “There are a number of other flagship recommendations aimed at promoting and supporting tourism business operators, such as lowering VAT on all tourist services, including restaurants, more support to potential beneficiaries of EU funds, and more support for route development.”

In a broader sense, therefore, the strategy aims to address the question of what identity Malta wants to create for itself, and how to go about achieving it. This identity, Mr Arrigo says, should be intimately tied in with the fabric of the country, allowing tourism to become a force that helps to preserve traditional environments and ways of life, rather than coming into conflict with them. Mr Arrigo says the only way to achieve this – and which the document is proposing – is through close collaboration between all aspects of the value chain, the industry and government, and across different ministries and authorities. It recognises that no single stakeholder, public or private, can hope to address the challenges in isolation, and pushes for a high-level holistic masterplan to replace isolated or ad-hoc efforts. “Certainly, the government cannot be seen as a competitor, but should be primarily focused on regulation, which has often been lacking,” Mr Arrigo says. “If tourism is seen in a silo, by either the government or the industry itself, then that’s a serious problem.”

www.maltachamber.org.mt

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A Master Chef’s Perspective Cooking on Gas with Sean Gravina From starting out in sandwich shops to studying in London and making it to the MasterChef quarter finals, Sean Gravina has had a trendsetting career on the local culinary scene. Here, he looks back on some of the highlights and challenges, and opens up about what could lie ahead.

former professional waterpolo player, Sean Gravina says he took to the kitchen relatively late, working in sandwich shops at the age of 18. After a few years, Sean decided to get into culinary school at the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) – ‘to get his basics sorted’, as he says. While studying part-time, he also worked at the Hilton, where renowned head chef Joe Vella broadened Sean’s experience in butchery, fishmongery and à la carte, among others. A couple of years later, he moved on to some other restaurants for a few months before settling down at Gzira French restaurant, Chez Philippe. “I found a lot of freedom there,” shares Sean, “And the chef allowed me to experiment and express myself in the kitchen, which gave me confidence. People seemed to like my food, and my passion kept on growing.”

Widening horizons After a few years of successfully juggling work, study and waterpolo, Sean felt it was time to make a bold move. “I was very into my research at the time, and was constantly looking up international chefs and restaurants online, so I noticed that there was a gap between the standards locally and abroad in cities like London, Milan and Paris. This isn’t the case anymore, as standards have risen since then.” Although studying and working in London was what he wanted to do, this wasn’t an easy decision for Sean. “It was a very difficult move, as I also had a deep passion for waterpolo. But I knew that, for me to achieve the goals I

had set myself and reach the level I wanted to, I needed to go abroad to get what I couldn’t get here in Malta.” And get it he did. In a year and a half away, Sean accomplished a lot. “The time I spent in London probably boosted my career by around five or six years,” he says. He studied at the prestigious culinary school, Le Cordon Bleu London, where he obtained his diploma in French cuisine. Once again, he plunged himself into a strict regime of study, work and training – this time at the gym, as he quickly abandoned a short stint with a waterpolo club that had lower standards than he was used to in Malta, and wasn’t really adding value to his life. Highlights from his time in London include working at several reputable restaurants such as steakhouse CUT at 45 Park Lane and Clos Maggiore in Covent Garden. “It did me a lot of good to work in a highly disciplined environment, but it was also very hard.” Sean even worked with world-famous chef and restaurateur Gordon Ramsay, but the culmination of his time in London came in his participation in MasterChef: The Professionals, where Sean successfully made it to the quarter finals of the 2014 edition. Looking back on this eventful period of his life, he is very grateful for the valuable experience he gained and the newfound name this earned him on his return to Malta. “It was intense but I’m so glad I did it. If I hadn’t, I don’t think I would be where I am today.”

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Homeward-bound Back home, Sean rewarded himself with a much-needed summer of rest and parties. Then, ready to re-enter the local scene with a fresh perspective, he set out to look for new investment opportunities, while rising to further prominence through local TV show Gourmet Today. Then, after a few initial hiccoughs that Sean chooses to see as learning curves, it looked as though something good was finally on the horizon. “I did have some letdowns where plans just fell through after long discussions with investors,” he says. “But my passion and perseverance kept me going and looking for the right path and people.”

Things took off after his then-girlfriend and now-wife, Ira Losco, introduced him to leading local businessman Winston Zahra, who connected him with the partners who would eventually help Sean set up Crust Bistro & Bar. Born and bred in St Julian’s, Sean was very excited to land a prime property in the location, but quickly realised that his original plan of opening a sandwich shop for breakfast,

brunch and lunch was not feasible, given the large size of the property and the work that went into demolishing and converting it. Starting out as a deli bakery, Sean soon had to reinvent the concept, menu and space once again to turn it into a bakery, bar and bistro that would work. “I had a lot of pressure to create something that both made sense and kept me interested,” he admits. Luckily, the new concept was well received, and Crust’s reputation grew. Just as things were finally picking up and Sean was feeling more settled with staff, the pandemic hit.

Adapting post-pandemic and beyond “COVID was such a big blow. My brain went into overdrive and it was a real rollercoaster ride, not least because of the financial burden. Like many other restaurants, we had to take another loan to make sure we could pay our suppliers and avoid losing anyone through redundancy, and thankfully, we didn’t.”

Yet, in the difficult time that characterised the lockdown period, Sean learnt to take the good with the bad, and used the time to set up deliveries and takeaways, create new concepts for events, and utilise space that was being wasted. All the changes made then have since stuck, improving Crust for the better to the point that Sean is almost grateful for the pandemic, in spite of the hardship it brought about. Reflecting on what lies ahead, Sean notes that things are not looking very good for the food and hospitality sector, what with the continuous increase in product prices and the volatile situation in Ukraine – a major wheat supplier. Nevertheless, Sean carries on and busies himself with optimistic plans for the future, ranging from a new breakfast menu to possible ideas for Restaurant ‘number two’. No matter the uncertainty that is waging on around us, there is probably as much comfort in looking ahead with hope as there is in good food itself. In Sean’s own words, “Hope is the very last thing to go.”

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Institute of Tourism Studies: The Path towards Internationalisation

Throughout the years, the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) has always worked hard and strived towards its vision to train people for tomorrow’s international tourism industry.

n 2017, ITS started collaborating with the Institut Paul Bocuse in France and the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland by offering its first-ever Bachelor’s Degree courses. These degrees expose students to study abroad within these collaborative institutions for a period of time throughout their studies. Chef Maxime Moise from Institut Paul Bocuse (IPB) stated that ‘ITS students are among the best achievers during their academic experience at IPB. The Institute’s management is extremely happy to collaborate with ITS as it is one of the international high calibre institutions in the field of tourism, hospitality and related areas of studies.’ Further praise on the Institute and its students was also received from the Haaga-Helia Vice President who outlines the privilege to have worked with ITS for several years. ‘ITS has always been dedicated to first-class hospitality education. We have become to know ITS students as hardworking and professional. They have the skills, knowledge and attitude to serve the hospitality and tourism industry in Malta and all over the world.’ Later in 2018, ITS signed an academic affiliation with The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), where the first Master’s Degree study programme, the MBA in International Hospitality Management, started being offered. EAHM Managing Director, Jeroen Greven, who was present for the first Master’s Degree graduation ceremony in December 2021 stated that ‘It has been a pleasure to work with an institution like ITS, that is so dedicated to quality and so forward-thinking. We look forward to working together for many years to come.’ In 2020, ITS announced two new academic programmes, which were the first of their kind worldwide. The first programme introduced was the Diploma in Climate Friendly Travel, which is offered in collaboration with SUNx. While the second programme is Bachelor of Science in Diving Safety Management in collaboration with DAN

Europe and offered through the International School of Diving Safety and Medicine (ISDSM). In 2021, the Institute of Tourism Studies unveiled its Strategic Plan for the next five years. The new ITS Strategic Plan aims at shaping excellence and innovation in tourism through teaching and learning, quality research, advice, and realisation of innovative business concepts. Recently, in March 2022, ITS signed an agreement with the Aqaba University of Technology (AUT) which is located in Jordan. This agreement will result in ITS offering higher education programmes in the Southern Gulf region, making the Institute the first Maltese educational institution to export education. Due to AUT’s position, the university is mainly interested, but not solely, in offering the ITS’s Bachelor of Science in Diving Safety Management programme. In a joint statement, Mr Carlo Micallef and Mr Pierre Fenech, ITS Chairman and CEO respectively, said that this agreement will lead Jordanians as well as nationals from the University’s area, which include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Israel and Palestine, to also come to train and follow their studies in Malta. Professor Abu-Darwish, Aqaba University of Technology President, thanked the Maltese Government, who through ITS and this agreement, will be providing high-level education and also training courses in Aqaba which will be beneficial for the development of the area. This latest agreement is another step in the Institute of Tourism Studies’ quest towards internalisation, as outlined in its Strategic Plan for 2021-2025. Apart from the AUT, ITS is also being approached by a number of other international institutions and universities from different regions across the world to collaborate with the Institute and this is a sign that ITS is not only being recognised here in Malta for the excellent work being done but it is also being noticed on an international scene.

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MALTA CHEFS SOCIETY The Malta Chefs Society is the result of the unification of two chefs associations which understood the benefit of unity for the sake of the local chefs’ community. The MCS has for the past 16 years grown from strength to strength in its membership and activities. Although some of the activities are not visible, the MCS is involved as key stakeholder in projects which help the industry to reach higher standards and also achieve international recognition.

he MCS is also involved in the structuring of the culinary education with a permanent seat on the Scientific Committee at the Institute of Tourism Studies. It has also developed the accredited Master Chefs Diploma programme which is offered locally to further improve the skills of established chefs. The involvement of the MCS in the MTA Quality Assured scheme allows for input into further development of the local culinary standard which has achieved great strides over the last decade or so. The MCS is also involved in the Majjistral Action Group Foundation which promotes Maltese culinary traditions, both locally and internationally. Through the affiliation with the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) now known as World Chefs, the MCS represents Malta at international conferences and helps shape innovative ideas such as Food Waste Reduction and higher kitchen hygiene standards. This was the brainchild of Dr Paulino Schembri who was charged with the task of writing the international hygiene rules for culinary competitions. The MCS was also represented on the WACS Education Committee for many years where educational programmes for international delivery were developed.

The MCS holds the Malta Kulinarja, a culinary competition organised every 2 years. At the Malta Kulinarja, the local chefs showcase their talent and new innovations over 4 days in some 65 different themed competitions held for individuals or teams. The 2022 edition was postposed to 2023 due the current Covid-19 situation, which has heavily impacted the hospitality industry. Looking ahead to regroup and revitalise the local chefs’ community, the motors have been put in motion for the 2023 edition. The next edition will bring back the comradery and the competitive nature of the chefs which is synonymous with the kitchen life. Much awaited by the chefs, the Malta Kulinarja will be the spring board to bring back this family together. The MCS has been instrumental in the internationalization of the local chefs and their exposure to networks with other chefs’ associations and opportunities to showcase their talent at international events. The Maltese have been praised by the organisers for being professional and superior in their culinary skills in producing dishes representative of the Mediterranean region. The MCS is keen to further develop the local chefs’ talent by using its international network with international chefs association and showcase the Maltese culinary heritage at events which promote not only the skills of the chefs but also the traditions and the local produce which in itself can be related to the Mediterranean terroir which is distinct and special. The MCS has at its heart the further improvement of the local chefs in achieving higher standards which is evident in our restaurants. The standards offered today to our customers are world class - placing the local chefs as professionals in their own right.

Article written by: Dr Paulino Schembri D. Prof, MSc. (UCLan) is a food safety management systems consultant specialising in HACCP, working for the local industry. He is a lecturer at the University of Malta, University of Central Lancashire and Coordinator of the Master Chefs Diploma at the Institute of Tourism Studies.

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BETTA’S CULINARY FLAVORS: CREATING NEW LIMITS FOR CATERING

The bold promise of the newly launched Betta’s Culinary Flavors is the provision of a food and beverage management service where the sky is the limit – from top notch food sourced from around the world to flawless service together with best entertainment.

e met Eman Abela, Director of Catering at Betta’s, who enthusiastically explains to us the mindset behind the creation of the company and their modus operandi.

We are essentially a management company,” Eman explains. “Betta’s Culinary Flavors’ typical clients would be people who own a restaurant, resorts looking for a catering concession, and need the knowledge and resources for the proper running of the catering operations.” Eman brings a wealth of experience to the table, backed by a catering career spanning over two decades. After a very successful launch in February, the company is now actively concluding contracts to take over food and beverage operations at selected outlets and establishments.

personal availability and hands-on approach for any project we undertake,” Eman tells us. “As a management company, our seasoned team of professionals focus on the day-to-day operations, ensuring the ultimate experience in guest service and operations,” Eman points out. “We coordinate interior design, as well as cuisine, menu and beverage program development at various service levels. We provide our experience in restaurant operations, manager selection, and staff training to promote efficiency and financial profitability for new developments - whether it be fine-dining, upscale casual or family casual. Proven processes and procedures ensure daily proficiency, and forward-thinking planning ensures continued success.”

“We can offer novel ideas which help make any occasion truly stand out, thanks to my team which includes Chef De Cuisine Max Brincat. Max has vast experience with several international chains around the world, offering new and innovative ideas which gives our company the edge over our competition. We are already matching our projected management plans thanks to our “can do” philosophy,”

Eman explains that one of the reasons behind Betta’s success is that the company does not try to stretch its resources to a point where dedicated project attention and focus becomes diluted. “We are proud to say that Betta’s Culinary Flavors combines the speed and efficiency of an entrepreneurialstyle management company with the experience and predictability of a large management companies in the industry. We have the skills and flexibility to meet the needs

comments Eman.

of today’s changing environment,” he concludes.

Other areas handled by Betta Culinary Flavors include staff hiring and training, sourcing of crockery and tableware, amongst others “We endeavour to provide assistance at a number of levels to our clients. Moreover I promise my

eabela@bettascf.com 9907 7510 @bettasculinaryflavors

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Cheers for the grant, Government, but how do I account for it? Government – national, local, or beyond one’s shores, such as the EU through various schemes – often grant certain incentives to businesses, particularly when there is a strategy to promote or to provide some form of assistance to one of more specific sectors.

ome common examples might include capital grants through which the outlay for a long term investment is subsidised, or the subsidisation of certain expenses, for instance where a government or government agency covers a proportion of apprenticeship wages. You find yourself in the right place if you would to understand the accounting implications of certain types of those incentives. The below discussions are relevant both to the IFRS accounting framework, as well as to Maltese GAAP (GAPSME). I just start off the discussion with a fundamental accounting concept: the accruals concept. Applying this concept means that income is recognised when the event or transaction giving rise to that income takes place, even if cash is collected at a different date. Taking an example, let us say that: • a hotel collected cash in February, upon accepting a booking for a 1 week stay, • the stay takes place in June, • one of the costs the hotel incurs is laundry, which the hotel outsources to a third party, and on which it negotiates a 3-month credit period with the supplier In the above example, the hotel collected cash from its customer in February, and will pay the laundry supplier in September. Under the accruals concept, both the income and the expense are recognised when the respective services are given or received, i.e. in June. Between February and June, the cash received from the customer is recognised as a liability in the balance sheet (representing the obligation towards the customer to provide accommodation in June). Similarly, the laundry expense will be recognised in June, and a liability will be recognised at that date (the liability represents the obligation to pay the supplier for a service that was already received). As a by-product of the accruals concept, one also gets what is referred to as ‘matching’, whereby the income and expenses for activities happening in June are all matched together in the same accounting period’s income statement, even if the related cash is received or paid at different points in time. ‘Matching’ is also the concept that underlies the accounting requirements for government incentives. When a government provides some form of a subsidy, the accounting standards’ objective is to match the subsidy in one’s income statement to the same period in which the subsidised cost is recognised as a cost. Taking as an example a situation where a government subsidises an operating cost (rather than a long term

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investment), such as apprenticeship wages, or the cost of providing training to personnel, or the cost of a short term rent, that subsidy is recognised in the income statement when the related expense is also recognised (i.e. when the apprentice works and earns a wage, the training is delivered, etc). Having determined the timing of when the subsidy is recognised, accounting standards allow an entity a choice on how to present that grant in the income statement. Entities may either present the grant as an offset against the expense, or alternatively present it as ‘other income’. Assuming that the unsubsidised cost is of €1,000, and the government subsidises 30% of that cost, entities may either present the net cost of €700, or may alternatively present the expense at the gross cost of €1,000, and match it with ‘other income’ of €300. Either way, given that the amounts

• initially presenting the asset at the net cost of €7,000 – in this case, the annual depreciation charge over the 10 year life will amount to €700; or alternatively • presenting the asset at the gross cost of €10,000, and presenting the subsidy of €3,000 within liabilities – in this case, the annual depreciation charge will amount to €1,000 and, following the matching concept, the subsidy of €3,000 will be recognised as income over the same 10 year life, i.e. €300 annually.

are recognised in the same accounting period, the net accounting result is the same.

that are not covered in this article, such as what happens when conditions need to be satisfied in order to qualify for assistance, and it is not certain whether those conditions will actually be satisfied. Although the discussion in this article is not exhaustive, with other considerations being necessary for a complete accounting assessment – including the accounting for other forms of government assistance such as loans at a subsidised rate of interest, or tax credits – we have focused on some common types of assistance and the accounting options available.

The matching concept applies equally when a government subsidises the cost of a long term investment. A key difference in this case is that long term assets are not generally expenses in the income statement when purchased; rather, the expense is spread over the period of time over which the asset will be used. Taking a simplistic example, let’s say that a restaurant purchases kitchen equipment for €10,000 and expects to be able to use the equipment over a period of 10 years (at which point in time the equipment will be scrapped and replaced). In this case, the investment of €10,000 is initially recognised as an asset, and subsequently an expense of €1,000 is recognised in the income statement in each of those 10 years. In accounting terms, that annual expense of €1,000 is called ‘depreciation’.

Whichever approach the restaurant adopts, the net annual cost in any given year will amount to the same €700. It is important to bear in mind that the accounting rules also address other aspects of government assistance

One final consideration is that the discussion in this article is limited to accounting implications; one may also need to consider whether there may exist any tax or other implications that would also need to be addressed. That said, let’s get accounting!

Extending the example to say that 30% of the cost is subsidised by a government agency, the accounting rules also allow entities a choice between:

Article written by: David Leone Ganado: Having joined a Big 4 firm in 2000, David carried out external audits – both locally and abroad – until 2008, when he took on a full-time position specialising in, and providing advice on, technical accounting matters under IFRS and Maltese GAAP. In 2020, David left the Big 4 firm, where he most recently held the position of Director of Accounting Advisory Services, to set up his own practice, ‘Accounting Advice by David Leone Ganado’. He sits on the MIA’s Financial Reporting Committee, and has contributed significantly to the MIA’s development of Maltese GAAP (‘GAPSME’), as well as to its guidance note on the accounting implications arising from the Consolidated Group (Income Tax) Rules. He is a fellow of the MIA and ACCA, holds a CPA warrant, and has more than 14 years of experience in delivering seminars on financial accounting.

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SETTING MALTA AS A QUALITY TOURISM DESTINATION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FORBES TRAVEL GUIDE Malta will be the first country in the world to participate in the Forbes Travel Guide STAR Journey Award, a comprehensive quality programme which aims to set Malta as an In-Partnership Forbes Travel Guide Destination with a focus on Service Excellence and Safety.

Minister Clayton Bartolo

he aim of the Forbes Travel Guide STAR Journey Award is to set achievable and measurable objectives which are regularly reviewed, evaluated, discussed with stakeholders and revisited and revised in response to changing base conditions and results achieved, with the aim to set the Malta Hotels and Restaurants as a case of best practice for safety and service excellence. These details were announced by the Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo, in the presence of the Deputy Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority Carlo Micallef and the Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and Secretary General of the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation Andrew Agius Muscat. Minister Bartolo pointed out that while it is important for our country to support the volume of tourists who visit Malta, it is important that we make the next leap by improving the quality of the tourism sector. The Minister added that our country needs to embark on a co-ordinated effort to ensure that the hospitality sector is effectively adhering to proper COVID-19 safety guidelines in order to position Malta as a destination which is adequately safe and prepared to welcome and service the most discerning tourists, in a way which balances between the welfare and wellbeing of the country’s residents and the maximization of visitor economic value and satisfaction.

“We must turn past successes into a guarantee for the future. The Forbes Travel Guide STAR Journey Award is a clear example of where we want to take this industry. This must be a sector that is based on excellence and innovation in every aspect that we all do together,“ said Minister Bartolo. He added that today’s and future generations expect the government to show its support for similar programs while investing in more quality infrastructure in tourist places. For his part, the Deputy Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority Carlo Micallef said that the MTA is convinced that this program will serve as a motivation for the tourist establishments to continue refining their services, an aspect in which itself is another step towards what the authority and the Ministry of Tourism are looking at in the Tourism Sector Strategy for the next decade. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association and Secretary General of the Mediterranean Tourism Foundation Andrew Agius Muscat added that the STAR Journey offers a variety of programs that deliver rating process and expert guidance on elevating the guest experience and customer service. He added that these standards reflect the highest levels of safety, training and facility assessments for which FORBES Travel Guide is renowned for, as they do these ratings with elite hospitality brands and properties around the world.

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Industry News HOW THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY IS HELPING UKRAINIAN REFUGEES The Russian invasion of Ukraine has left millions of people homeless, giving them no choice but to flee the country. Many are now seeking shelter in countries across Europe as they look to rebuild their lives and the hospitality industry is trying to play its part. A number of initiatives have sprung up, which are hoping to make a difference. One of them is www.HospitalityHelps.org, a platform offering Ukrainian residents the ability to book short-term stays at hotels around Europe and beyond that provide free accommodation.

up so quickly so we can come together as an industry to provide support.” Founders of HospitalityHelps include PKF hospitality group and HotelSwaps. Michael Widmann, global CEO of PKF Hospitality Group, recently appeared on a panel as part of a non-profit webinar initiative called Open Door, which was held to raise awareness for the various projects providing accommodation solutions to aid Ukrainian refugee crisis currently affecting many European states. Source: https://www.hospitalityinsights.com/ strategy/how-hospitality-industry-helpingukrainian-refugees

The initiative is supported by more than 600 hotels representing groups such as Accor, Hilton, IHG and Marriott as well as independent hotels. One of HospitalityHelps hotels partners Martin Oesterreich, general manager of the Zoku Hotel in Austria, said: “With the war so close to home, we wanted to do something to help the people of Ukraine. Since we joined HospitalityHelps we have been able to host 35 families. Even today, I can’t begin to put myself in the shoes of the people who lost everything from one moment to the next and I am glad that initiatives like HospitalityHelps were set

SUMMER 2022 POISED FOR STRONG TOURISM BUSINESS The global tourism market is expected to reach $637 billion this summer, an increase of 50 per cent, according to forecasts by ITB Berlin and Statista. The study says long-term changes in travel behaviour due to Covid will not affect decision-making and destination

choices, whilst the war in Ukraine is unlikely to severely impact the travel industry. The ITB Berlin and Statista study, Statista’s Mobility Market Outlook (MMO), forecasts that the global travel

industry will grow by a projected 48 per cent, reaching $637 billion in 2022. In 2023 it will overtake prepandemic levels by around five per cent, reaching almost $756 billion. In 2022, the highest growth rate is forecasted for the cruise industry (180 per cent year-on-year) and the hotel trade (57 per cent). The hotel trade represents the largest tourism market segment and will likely exceed private accommodation and holiday apartments as well as package tours. At the same time, the MMO predicts that the market for private accommodation and holiday apartments will exceed $81 billion in total turnover, only two per cent short of the market volume in 2019.

minister Konstantinos Petridis, Russian tourists account for around 25 per cent of international visitors. Their absence could cost the country up to two per cent of GDP. According to Turkey’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism, last year his country was host to more than 4.5 million Russian tourists and two million from the Ukraine – together almost 30 per cent of the foreign visitors holidaying there. Unlike Cyprus, the Turkish government has yet to impose sanctions on Russia, so it is unclear how heavily Turkey’s tourism industry will be affected. Holidays are back: airlines can expect record business this summer

As these forecasts do not take the impact of the war in Ukraine into account, the question is whether it will affect the global travel and tourism industry in the long term – and if so, in what ways? According to an analysis by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), apart from the coronavirus pandemic, the events with the biggest long-term impact on global civil aviation were the combination of the dotcom bubble bursting in 2000 and the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. In 2001 and 2002, global air passenger numbers declined year-on-year by one per cent, briefly interrupting the growth trend in air travel, before returning to and exceeding pre-crisis levels in 2004. According to data received from the UNWTO, in 2019 Russia and Ukraine, the two countries currently at war, accounted for three per cent of global tourism spending on international travel. Assuming the

Despite the crises, Germans appear to have rediscovered their lust for travel and holidays. According to Statista’s Global Consumer Survey (GCS), more than 62 per cent of Germans are planning at least one trip over the next 12 months. In an interview with the trade magazine watson, Dr. Bernd Eisenstein, director of the German Institute for Tourism Research, interpreted this as the market catching up again: “During the period of wide-ranging restrictions there was a pent-up demand for travel which is now really asserting itself.“ This effect is noticeable in a different segment of the market too. According to the German Aviation Association, the number of passenger seats now available to the tourism market has risen by three per cent compared with summer 2019. In an interview with Deutsche Presseagentur, Jens Bischof, head of the market leader Eurowings, said: “After two years of the pandemic, millions of people finally want to catch up on their holidays or meet important business contacts face-toface again.“ That was why, starting in

war does not spread to other regions, it is unlikely that it will severely impact the global travel industry. However, it is possible the crisis could have a bigger impact on individual markets. In Cyprus, according to the finance

March, his airline would be flying to more destinations than ever before. According to Eurowings, the focus of holidaymakers is on the Mediterranean. Among the most popular destinations are Spain, Portugal, Greece and

War in Ukraine unlikely to severely impact the travel industry

Italy. European destinations are generally high on the list of German holidaymakers. According to the GCS, 54 per cent of people travelling this year plan to holiday in Europe and 18 per cent in Asia, which ranked in second place. Covid has changed a lot – but not everything It is no secret that the pandemic has fundamentally changed holidaymakers’ travel behaviour on both the domestic and international markets. According to the GCS, the pandemic has influenced the travel behaviour of 90 per cent of travellers in Germany, the UK and the USA. This impact would seem to be long-lasting: only 31 per cent of interviewees do not believe that the changes in travel behaviour will be permanent. However, some things will stay as they are. As the flight schedules of Eurowings in Germany and the findings of the GCS seem to show, the reasons for choosing a destination have hardly changed. In 2022 as in 2019, the five most important criteria listed by Germans for a holiday destination are the weather, nature, personal safety at one’s destination, local attractions and the price. As far as prices go, 36 percent of interviewees in Germany want to spend more on holidays than before the pandemic, 31 per cent the same amount, and 31 per cent aim to spend less. Specifically, 50 per cent of travellers plan to spend more than 2,000 euros on themselves and, where applicable, their family, while 17 per cent actually plan to spend over 3,000 euros. Ultimately, the tourism industry can expect business to return during the summer, and in some markets and at some destinations it will already reach pre-pandemic levels. Source: https://www.breakingtravelnews. com/news/article/summer-2022-promisesgood-business-for-the-tourism-industry/

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FIRST TRANSITION PATHWAY CO-CREATED WITH INDUSTRY AND CIVIL SOCIETY FOR A RESILIENT, GREEN AND DIGITAL TOURISM ECOSYSTEM The European Commission has presented the transition pathway for tourism during the EU Industry Days, earlier this year. The transition pathway is a plan jointly created with actors of the tourism ecosystem detailing key actions, targets and conditions to achieve the green and digital transitions and long-term resilience of the sector. The Commission invited involved parties to take part in its implementation. The transition pathway calls on the tourism community to implement measures in twenty-seven areas, including: • To invest in circularity to reduce energy, waste, water and pollution, and at the same time to better meet the increasing demand for sustainable tourism • To enhance data sharing practices to allow for new innovative tourism services and improve the sustainable management of destinations • To invest in skills to ensure the availability of qualified workforce and attractive careers in the ecosystem. In the opening of this spotlight event on tourism, the Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, said: “I am very pleased that we can present to you the result of months of cooperation among all stakeholders. By working hand-in-hand we have come up with a common vision for EU tourism and agreed upon the ways

to achieve it. This pathway will set the agenda for European tourism for the decade to come. I would like to invite all stakeholders to join the coimplementation process”. Active involvement of all players in the sector will be key for the success of the green and digital transition. That is why the Commission has launched an on-line survey*, inviting the EU tourism community to share information about their individual and collective commitments and to express interest in working together on the implementation of the transition. The Commission will be working with the interested stakeholders to steer, support and follow up the progress of the transition.

and increase the resilience of the European economy. It initiated the principle of the co-creation of transition pathways with stakeholders, as an essential collaborative tool for the green and digital transformation of industrial ecosystems. Currently the Commission is working on the cocreation of pathways for the mobility, construction, energy-intensive industries and proximity and social economy ecosystems. The Transition Pathway for Tourism also contributes to the request of the European Council in its conclusions of 27 May 2021 that invite “the Commission and Member States, in participation with relevant stakeholders, to design a European Agenda for Tourism”.

Background The development of the Transition Pathway for Tourism started in June 2021 with a stakeholders’ consultation on scenarios for the ecosystem transition. Several workshops and stakeholder meetings were held to further brainstorm and elaborate on the proposals.

The Transition Pathway for Tourism addresses the requests outlined above and paves the way for a forwardlooking transition and long-term resilience for the tourism ecosystem, towards 2030 and beyond. * Survey can be found here: https:// ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/runner/ Together4EUTourism

This Transition Pathway is the first one delivered as part of a broader action announced in the Industrial Strategy Update, published on 5 May 2021, where the Commission called for industrial ecosystems to accelerate the green and digital transformation

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