HORECA Malta Magazine - Issue 4

November 2020 | Issue No.4

horecamalta.com.mt

Catering & Hospitality magazine

Learning to live with the new normal

Knockin’ on hotel doors How social media bridges the gap between hotels and guests

VIP Dining Dining out in a pandemic and digging in at Rabat’s Root 81

Free airline tickets Industry approves of dishing out free airline tickets to promote travel

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Publisher Ryan Galea

Editor Terence Mirabelli editor@horecamalta.com.mt horecamalta.com.mt

Editorial

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elcome to the fourth edition of Horeca magazine.

The third edition was published soon after the coronavirus pandemic gripped the world and effectively ground it to a halt. But we’re back. Malta’s blooming tourism industry took a massive hit this year, and pundits say it will take some three years to regain lost ground — I hope they’re wrong. Meantime, we will all need to adapt to new realities and norms.

On page 18 former Air Malta Acting CEO Joseph Galea crystalball gazes and looks at how different travel in a post-Covid world is going be. Alison Casha advises how the hospitality sector, particularly hotels, can use the various portals that social media provides to market themselves and reach potential guests in new ways. Read her in-depth article on page 22. Our hospitality sectors — both accommodations and F&B — have long been heavily dependent on expatriate labour, but the pandemic has forced many to leave their jobs and return home. To talk about the evolving situation, Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities Alex Muscat says, on page 48, “the pandemic has left its mark on the economy, but demand for foreign workers has remained constant at par with 2019 levels. It has been noticeable that whilst hospitality related job applications have decreased, jobs within the medical and health-related industries have increased”.

With this issue of Horeca we also launch two new features: VIP Dining, in which one of our staffers along with VIP guests sample and review the fare offered by our growing number of top-notch restaurants. Turn to page 31 for our first review. Also new is the Data Bank section, where you will find six pages of statistics about the country’s travel and tourism industry. Data that will help you plan for the future. And on that note, stay safe and look forward to a bright future.

Get Social with us... Q E C M @HorecaMalta

Contributors Darren Borg Alison Casha Kristina Cassar Dowling Joseph Galea

Sales & Marketing

Tonio Schembri sales@horecamalta.com.mt

Administration Jennifer Azzopardi Clara Cachia Daniela Sammut

Production and Design Reno Cucciardi (switchpg.com)

Distribution & Logistics

Mailbox Door to Door Distribution 18 Triq L-Abbate Savoia, Naxxar NXR1141 MALTA info@mailbox.com.mt

Printing Progress Press Ltd.

© Mailbox Ltd 2020. All rights reserved.

Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission from the publisher or editor. Opinions expressed in Horeca are not necessarily those of the publisher or editor. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the publisher and editor cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations.

While we endeavour to ensure that firms and organisations mentioned are reputable, the publisher or editor can give no guarantee that they will fulfil their obligations under all circumstances.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 18.

22.

28.

33.

48.

52.

Moving towards a new normal

Free airline tickets

Knockin’ on hotels’ doors

Of permits and identity

Grape harvest surprises

Demanding expatriate workers

Features:

News:

31. VIP Dining - Root 81

13. News

38. Acquiring trust: easing the payment experience

60. Data Bank

44. A knack for logistics 56. Red letter events at the Institute of Tourism Studies 58. Tasting History

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The dawning of a brighter day

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he year 2020 will be remembered for the global pandemic that spread across all five continents with unprecedented speed and fierceness. Ironically, the virus that caused so much damage and disruption will forever bear the label ‘nineteen’, since it made its silent, almost imperceptible entrance in 2019.

But it was in Spring of this year that the real force and seriousness of this invisible enemy became clear.

The world was caught largely unprepared for such a deadly and rapidly-moving epidemic, and everyone - from the most advanced nations, to developing economies, to third world countries – had to learn how to cope with the new realities fast.

Apart from the medical sector, the other major casualty of the pandemic was undoubtedly tourism. Across the globe, travel was immediately put on hold, as countries

closed borders as a first measure to limit the movement of people and reduce the risk of importing the disease from outside. The reopening of safe corridors brought some limited relief, but the damage caused by weeks of inactivity left serious and long-lasting effects.

Malta could not be immune to the repercussions of Covid-19, neither medical, nor economic. Fortunately, our health authorities and Government as a whole, took the right decisions throughout the crisis in order to safeguard public health, sustain businesses and protect jobs. The financial support provided by Government to enterprises and employees was described by many as a ‘lifesaver’. The same was said of the voucher scheme which injected impetus into the economy when it needed it most. The private sector played its part, with many reinventing their entire operation, introducing innovations and trying new ways of doing things. If necessity is the mother of invention, there was never a better time to be inventive than in the past few months.

The Malta Tourism Authority, together with the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection, was active on various fronts: from enforcement of protocols, to investing in the training of travel sector employees, to undertaking infrastructural projects and taking advantage of the lull in business to revamp our product, to ensuring that Malta remains in the consumer’s mind across our key markets, in anticipation of a return of international travel to more normal levels.

As we look forward to the arrival of the longawaited vaccine, which is now nearer than ever, we are encouraged with the knowledge that we have already achieved so much together, and that together we shall soon see the dawning of a brighter day.

Dr Gavin Gulia Executive Chairman Malta Tourism Authority

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medical supplies, radioactive material required for several treatments at Mater Dei Hospital, and other lifesaving medication.

Merħba

As the much-awaited return to normality seems to remain a distant prospect for now, Air Malta has already formulated a 7-year strategy which covers the Covid19 period and beyond. Initiatives from this plan are already being executed and a new portal, booking engine and a mobile app will be launched by the 2nd quarter next year. In the meantime, the fleet replacement programme continues with the arrival of the 4th brand new Airbus A320neo. We are thus maintaining our drive to reduce emissions and become one of the most environmentally sustainable airlines in Europe.

At the same time, the mitigation of a cost policy is being executed as planned.

At Air Malta, safety is our number one priority, and we are constantly monitoring and analysing ir Malta just launched a ‘Business the situation to continue securing the highest Guaranteed’ winter flight schedule at a time of uncertainty for travel and tourism. and safest standards possible.

This flight schedule is one of the several initiatives We are backing calls headed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that Air Malta took to ensure more peace of mind to the thousands of people that depend on for the development and deployment of a coordinated rapid, accurate, affordable, easy-totourism for their daily livelihood.

At Air Malta we are keeping up with our objectives operate, scalable and systematic COVID-19 testing for all passengers before flight and Corporate Social Responsibility obligations. departure.

In this regard we have stepped up our efforts to

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keep the Islands connected to mainland Europe and ensure a seamless flow for all customers that need to travel and also to secure stability in the cargo supply chain.

This year, more than ever, Air Malta has shown its strategic importance to the Islands. When Malta International Airport was closed for commercial traffic, Air Malta maintained connections to major European hubs and repatriated over 12,000 passengers whilst operating over 500 flight sectors. On these flights we carried over 600 tonnes of cargo including medicine, vaccines, personal protective equipment, microelectronics, mail and perishables. Furthermore, we organised special freighter services for the Maltese Government to carry 1,100 tons of additional

Air Malta is here to stay, and we are doing our utmost to be in the best position possible so that passengers feel more comfortable to fly again. We are on the forefront not only to outlast the current state of affairs, but also to restore with new vigour our full operations.

Air Malta is confident that it will weather this storm and be in a position to continue rebuilding the international network for the benefit of the economic development of the Maltese Islands, the tourism industry, stakeholders and its dedicated employees.

Keep safe.

Dr Charles Mangion Air Malta Chairman

qualityassuredmalta.com Your trusted source for Malta and Gozo's quality restaurants, visitor attractions and destination management companies

12 / attacks everyone with a vengeance and cares nothing about class or quality.

So one must start with costs, and I have heard it said many times that one cannot cut costs as these are fixed. My suggestion is that you start with a blank sheet and build a business model as if you are starting from scratch – there should not be any sacred cows where costs are concerned – go at them with a sledgehammer.

Survive now to thrive later

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cannot remember a time when the hospitality industry was under such severe strain for so long and without being able to see some light at the end of the tunnel. But this is the reality that we have today and we have to learn to live with this reality until such time as we have a medical solution – a solution that we are all hoping will be found in the short term (perhaps in the first or second quarters of 2021).

And we must survive if we are to thrive in the future. So how can one survive the onslaught of the pandemic to thrive in the future? Clearly the ability to increase our turnover is practically an impossibility for most of us, although there will be pockets in our industry that will be doing better than others. In fact, I expect that the few that are in such a situation will probably be restaurants with a large outside seating capacity and traditionally serving Maltese or locally based customers. Those that were in predominantly tourist areas with a substantial chunk of their turnover coming from tourists will need to alter their business model fast as otherwise they are going to suffer from a loss of turnover. But even if you are doing fairly well or very well, then you still need to have a look at your operations and look at costs, as you do not know what is round the corner. This virus is vicious and cares zero about standing of persons or properties. It

Once you have come to a conclusion on costs, then you need to have a plan of how to achieve revenues that will allow you to at least have a positive EBITA or a cash break-even. If you cannot achieve a cash break-even you will have to be prepared to finance the so-called cash burn – that is the amount of money that you will need when you take into consideration your expected revenues as against your projected costs. At this point you will know exactly how much you need to put into your business to keep afloat.

You need to project these numbers over a period of 12 months starting January 2021 and ending December 2021. The numbers will tell you whether you can afford to stay in business, and I hope that they will be positive. Should these numbers not be positive then you must revisit the numbers to see if there is anything else that you can cut. Don’t be afraid to take the tough decisions – everybody will understand and there is nothing to be ashamed of, as the whole world is in the same situation. So, is it all gloom and doom? No, we shall get out of this as we have managed many times before, when the world was going through difficult moments.

Indeed, people are now talking of when there will be a vaccine rather than if there will be a vaccine. And once we have a vaccine, it will be a game changer as we then will see the light at the end of the tunnel. Surviving has to be the primary objective to ensure that one is there when the sun comes out again. And the sun will come out at some point. Let’s be positive, let’s plan to survive and to start on the way to thriving come 2022.

Tony Zahra President – MHRA

News / 13

INIALA HARBOUR HOUSE OPENS IN VALLETTA

Opened in early November, the €20 million Iniala Harbour House – located on St Barbara Bastion and overlooking the Grand Harbour – is Valletta’s newest boutique hotel.

The hotel has 23 “uniquely designed rooms and suites”, spread over four houses.

“From elegant rooms with charming views to elaborate suites with private plunge pools, the hotel features a variety of unique rooms and suites, each thoughtfully designed to provide an exceptional level of both luxury and comfort”.

The pièce de résistance is, undoubtedly, the presidential suite “boasting a back balcony with a secluded plunge pool, as well as a large terrace with a dipping pool overlooking the Grand Harbour — the presidential suite offers the height of luxury city

life. Created entirely out of hand-cut local stone, this suite offers a contemporary interpretation of the historic city of Valletta – featuring an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area as well as a walk-in wardrobe”.

Owned by Manchester-born banker Mark Weingard, the Iniala Harbour House has a rooftop restaurant run by executive chef Andrew Borg.

At street level there’s a lounge bar and the vaults house a gym, a heated indoor pool and spa – the latter two will open in early 2021.

VISITORS SPEND €40MN IN SEPTEMBER In September 50,359 people travelled to the islands, up on the number of arrivals in July, but still 82.4 per cent down on the previous September, NSO data shows.

In September 46,966 people holidayed in Malta whilst another 2,074 came to the islands on business (see Data bank on page 52).

Visitors from Germany topped the September arrivals chart with 10,949, or 21.7 per cent of the total. The UK, Malta’s

premier market, sourced 9,375 arrivals. The UK still tops the list in overall arrivals this year with 126,465.

When compared to September 2019, total nights spent went down by 77.4 per cent to 470,732. The greatest share of guest nights (41.2 per cent) was spent in hotels.

Total tourist expenditure was estimated at €39.8 million, a decrease of 84.5 per cent over the corresponding month of 2019.

Most visitors – 48.8 per cent – in September were aged between 25 and 44, followed by those in the 45 to 64 age bracket (24.5 per cent).

Meanwhile, in the first nine months of the year, 583,776 people travelled to the islands, a decrease of 72.6 per cent over the same period in 2019.

Total nights spent by visitors reached nearly 4.4 million, a drop of 71.3 per cent when compared to the same period of last year.

Total tourism expenditure so far this reached €392.8 million, 77.6 per cent less than in the same nine months of 2019.

Total per capita expenditure stood at €673, a decrease of 18.1 per cent on the same period last year.

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HYATT REGENCY OPENS IN MALTA

“We are thrilled to announce the opening of the first Hyattbranded property in Malta”, says hotel manager Mark Vella.

“Hyatt Regency Malta provides both leisure and business travellers with energising experiences, all while maintaining the high standards of the responsible and empathetic service for which the Hyatt Regency brand is known”, Vella adds.

In St Julian’s, the Hyatt Regency has 151 rooms, including 11 suites and one ambassador suite all “featuring sea or Saint Rita Square views”.

The five star Hyatt Regency – which opened in mid-October – offers wireless high-speed internet, flexible event spaces and recreational facilities including a gym with stateof-the-art cardio and strength training equipment.

Those looking to relax can make use of three treatments rooms available in the spa or enjoy a swim in the roof level pool.

The Hyatt Regency’s culinary offerings include three restaurants: At Seed, guests overlook the historic

Augustinian priory enjoying Mediterranean flavours through local and seasonal ingredients. The rooftop bar by the pool, GIN-ger offers not only snacks and drinks but also a backdrop of St George’s Bay. For a proper morning coffee, guests can frequent Thyme, which is just off the hotel’s lobby.

Business travellers at the Hyatt Regency Malta furthermore benefit from 479 square metres of flexible meeting, event and exhibition space which can accommodate from 10 to 200 guests.

The hotel adds to the growing Hyatt Regency brand portfolio in Europe as Hyatt strengthens its brand presence on the continent, making it the 26th Hyatt Regency hotel in Europe.

VALLETTA RANKS 5TH ON CONDÉ NAST’S BEST CITIES LIST

Valletta ranked fifth in the Best Cities in the World category of Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards 2020.

Now in its 33rd edition, this annual survey is based entirely on votes received from the

magazine’s readers, many of whom are keen travellers.

In a brief description that accompanies the results, Valletta is lauded for the beauty of its baroque architecture and that it was designated European Capital of Culture in 2018.

Some of the accommodation, gastronomy and sightseeing opportunities on offer in Malta’s capital are also highlighted.

“It is always an honour for us when Malta receives recognition from readers of such a prestigious magazine.

But this year’s particular circumstances make it even more special, since it demonstrates that, despite all the challenges, Valletta and Malta remain top of mind for the travelling public.

This augurs well for our destination”, remarks Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli.

Johann Buttigieg, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, added that the MTA’s ongoing efforts aimed at maintaining exposure for Malta in the island’s top tourism source markets is bearing fruit.

“We are pleased to note that Malta ranked high on this global list, particularly as this reflects the opinions of actual travellers, our potential guests of the future. We look forward to hosting them in our country before long”, says Buttigieg.

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WESTIN COMPLETES €40MN RENOVATION

considered to help guests relax and re-energise, from the spacious design, to the unique food and beverage offering.

We look forward to welcoming guests to experience this gem at first hand.”

The photovoltaic installation, on the other hand, will reduce the hotel’s carbon footprint by approximately 600 tons annually, “the equivalent of planting 35,000 trees”.

Coinciding with Malta’s reopening in early July, the five star Westin Dragonara Resort completed a €40m renovation, and at the beginning of October it completed the installation of 1,000 photovoltaic panels on the hotel’s roof.

The renovation, by Londonbased interior designer Lynne Hunt, included guest bedrooms that now “offer a light and airy design that promotes relaxation”.

Taking inspiration from the property’s location and the hotel’s “passion for wellbeing, all design details champion the natural surroundings, featuring soft hues of Maltese limestone and the turquoise tones of the Mediterranean”.

The renovation’s centrepiece is the hotel’s lobby with its lounge and piano bar. Floorto-ceiling glass doors lead out onto a newly extended veranda.

Says Michael Camilleri Kamsky, the property’s general manager: “Every element of our refurbishment has been

The photovoltaic system is expected to generate approximately 15 per cent of the typical annual electricity consumption of the hotel.

“Over the years, the Westin Dragonara Resort has taken many steps towards reducing its carbon footprint, some of which include our ECO Certification, Green Key Certification, Blue Flag Certification as well as our sustainable Westin Meetings programme.

Through this latest investment in this photovoltaic technology we are utilising our rooftop to run a more sustainable and eco-friendlier hotel”, Camilleri Kamsky adds.

And in early November the Westin Dragonara was voted the Mediterranean’s Leading Resort 2020 at the 27th annual World Travel Awards.

The World Travel Awards, described by the Wall Street Journal as the Oscars of the global travel and tourism industry, were established in 1993 to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence

across all key sectors of the industry.

Today, the World Travel Awards brand is recognised globally as the ultimate hallmark of industry excellence.

CONTACT TRACING SCHEME TAKES OFF More than 900 people have applied to take part in the contact tracing scheme that was launched at the end of October by the Malta Tourism Authority and Malta Enterprise.

The scheme aims at assisting health authorities in providing a faster contact tracing service for those that have been identified or have tested positive for Covid-19.

At the same time, the initiative provides an opportunity for under-employed tourism sector employees to use their time productively whilst supplementing their current earnings.

MTA CEO Johann Buttigieg says “we received more than 630 applications in total, including some that were submitted by companies on behalf of their staff. We are pleased with the interest shown by the industry and believe that this initiative will reach the intended objectives.”

Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli applauded

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this initiative and the number of applicants. “This positive number represents the strong sense of solidarity by workers in the tourism sector who want to be hands-on so that we overcome this pandemic as one strong united nation”, Farrugia Portelli asserts.

Applications will now be vetted to ensure that the selected employees have the necessary skills and attributes to carry out the tasks. The health authorities may also interview those selected.

AIR MALTA OFFERS 568,000 SEATS OVER WINTER

This winter AirMalta plans to fly to 21 destinations, operating eight A320s performing 156 flights a week.

In total 568,000 seats will be available on KM flights until next April – with fares starting from €29.

For the next six months, Air Malta will operate to: Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Catania, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Lisbon, London Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Palermo, Paris

– Charles de Gaulle and Orly, Prague, Rome, Vienna and Zurich. Moscow is on also on the schedule, but is still subject to safe travel corridors being declared by both countries’ governments.

8,000 TAKE GOVERNMENTSPONSORED COURSES

The airline has committed itself to operate at least 50 per cent of this schedule – “during these uncertain and testing times” – whilst continuing to waive rebooking fees if customers want to change their flights for any reason.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic the government has spent € 5.6 million – in a joint venture between the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection and the Malta Employment Authority – in providing around 8,000 people in the tourism sector with free online training to improve their skills.

“Many airlines are cancelling their flights on short notice”, explains Paul Sies, KM’s Chief Commercial Officer, “creating even more disturbance to travellers.

“To mitigate this challenge, apart from our redacted flight schedule this season, we are announcing a minimum guaranteed schedule that we promise to operate no matter what, unless circumstances are beyond Air Malta’s control, such as weather or airport closures”, Sies added.

“We are making sure that business related destinations will have key days of operations and minimum frequencies assured. Leisure destinations flights will have their frequencies adjusted to allow short weekend and midweek trips. For peace of mind and restore consumer confidence, rebooking fees for flight tickets on our services issued will continue to be waived until further notice”, Sies concluded.

More than 1,000 different courses were offered by 33 partner entities. About 6,000 participants have so far completed them while about 2,000 more are still on an accredited course, Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli announced, while addressing a news conference on the 2021 budget.

“I am pleased to say that these courses have opened the door for students and workers in the sector and have thus been able to increase their knowledge and skills. It is the vision of the government to prepare Malta for tomorrow and to invest in tourism because we know that when the pandemic passes, tourism will once again be the economic engine of the country”, says Farrugia Portelli.

The 2021 budget, meanwhile,

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allocates €95 million to the tourism sector, the highest sum earmarked to this industry and is an increase of €10 million on 2020.

On forthcoming projects, Farrugia Portelli says that “next year we will start a process in which we will start working on the regeneration of tourist areas. The Foundation for Tourist Areas will take on a bigger dimension in the type of work it does. It will not only focus on maintenance projects, but also on projects that lead to total change in various strategic areas.

Areas ranging from the north of Malta to other tourist destinations such as Marsa Alam, Birgu, Zurrieq Valley and others. This continues to be linked to the unprecedented work we have done in the pandemic

ACCOMMODATION SECTOR SHRINKS 98 POINTS IN Q2 Total guests and nights spent in hotels in Q2 of 2020 decreased by 97 per cent and 97.7 per cent respectively, when compared to the corresponding quarter in 2019, according to the NSO. In the second quarter of 2020, total guests staying in hotels totalled 17,151, while total nights amounted to 64,161.The largest share of guest nights was in four star and three star properties, with 27.7 per cent

and 25.7 per cent of the total, respectively.

The average length of stay in “collective accommodation establishments”, as the NSO calls hotels, in the second quarter of the year went down to 3.7 nights from 4.8 nights in the same quarter of 2019. The net use of bedplaces stood at 6.5 per cent, down by 67.1 percentage points when compared to the corresponding quarter of the previous year.

On a national level, in June there were 81 “active collective accommodation establishments” with a net capacity of 9,897 rooms and 24,009 beds.

that in Gozo and Comino decreased by 30.7 points to 17.8 per cent.

The total number guests in the first six months of 2020 amounted to 321,723, a decrease of 66.0 per cent over the same period in 2019.

Total nights spent on the islands went down by 68.7 per cent, reaching nearly 1.4 million. The net use of bed-places declined by 30.3 percentage points to 30.7 per cent.

MERCURE OPENS ST JULIAN’S HOTEL

On a regional level, 13,674 people travelled to Malta, down by 97.5 per cent over the second quarter of 2019.

Additionally, a decrease of 97.9 per cent was recorded in the number of nights spent.

Total guests and nights in Gozo and Comino decreased by 87.7 per cent and 90.2 per cent, to 3,477 and 8,796 respectively.

When compared with the same quarter of the previous year, in Malta, the average length of stay went down by 0.9 of a night to 4.0 nights.

In Gozo and Comino the average length of stay also decreased by 0.7 of a night to 2.5 nights.

The net occupancy rate in Malta decreased by 69 points, reaching 5.9 per cent, and

France’s Accor Group returned to Malta in September with the opening of the Mercure Hotel St Julian’s.

The property sports a rooftop pool, a gym and 113 rooms, all of which come with a queensize bed, have WIFI, smart TVs and tea and coffee making facilities.

On the F&B front the Mercure has a bar and restaurant. Also available is a small meeting room that seats up to 20 theatre-style.

The hotel is managed by Kurt Micallef.

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Hospitality: moving towards a new normal Travel in a post-Covid world is going to be different, Joseph Galea explores the new normal.

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hat we’re all facing, individually and collectively, is something most of us have never dealt with before. We all try to find words to describe what hit us; phrases such as perfect storm, unprecedented disruption, and many others are all used by politicians and analysts to try to give some perspective to the issue. Whichever term used, the magnitude certainly is of something large, unexpected, significant and by no means positive. And simply because of the severity of what hit us, the consequences will surely leave a mark, one way or another.

still some way away and it is now with regular dismay that we receive news of setbacks in trials. Attempts in trying to stimulate travel until a vaccine becomes available have had mixed results. Our attempts to re-ignite the industry in summer were just a small step driven by a lot of effort. But events have also shown us that these attempts could easily go wrong as soon as one part of the chain is not up to scratch.

While we are in this lingering unproductive state, let us try to understand and conjure what the new normal will be. Initially, the new normal may possibly be conditioned by:

Even so, there are still far too many players in the hospitality industry waiting and dreaming of a return to 2019, a return to the normal that we were accustomed to and knew how to tackle.

Sadly, I doubt that this can happen. We can one day, maybe, return to what we experienced in 2019 in one way or another, but it will still be different. Will it be better? Only time will tell.

• a hesitation to travel as widely and as • frequently as we did in the past, • social distancing would have trained us to • prefer not to travel in large groups, • the elderly - an important stream of business • for certain markets and in certain times of the • year – will take long to regain the confidence • • to travel again, • the first trips will be to visit the family • members living in different countries, whom we • may not have seen as travel restrictions may • have prevented this • the economic crunch that will surely follow will • leave less disposable income in hand for travel • purposes which will be further aggravated as • people try to rebuild their savings

The global economy has accepted that we are in for the long haul in trying to find our way out of Covidation. The long-anticipated vaccine is

Concerns about safety and a need to have the confidence to travel will continue to be high.

Although prices will come into play again, it

Michelin Stars / 19

is expected however that travellers will not choose their hotel blindly based solely on a few Euros less but would need reassurance that they are making the right choice.

Flexibility options, the goodwill and reputation of the supplier, reliable travel insurance, are all factors that will become more important.

It may be an opportunity for hotels and travel companies to enhance the image of their brand and position it in the market as one that meets the attributes that travellers will look for, and not solely attempting to drive a sale at a lower room rate or price.

Guests are also expected to have more questions about their booking, and this is where an active social media presence or a live chat from the hotel’s website will help to respond to questions that an OTA cannot answer. Large hotel chains are already working at enhancing the image of their brand to one that puts the

guest’s safety first. The simple fact that global chains have a lot to lose if their reputation of safety is tarnished by just one incident in a hotel anywhere in the world seems to lead travellers to believe that these chains will leave no stone unturned to ensure total safety.

These hotel chains are becoming even more guest centric as they endeavour to be active and available throughout all the stages of the customer journey, in a bid to give the needed reassurances that travel in the new normal will require. At the other end of the scale small boutique, owner managed hotels may continue to thrive as guests seek less crowded places to stay.

As uncertainty will initially prevail, booking times will continue to be short; maybe not as short as current Covid times but certainly much shorter than pre-Covid. >

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Trip.com Group recently conducted research with Google which showed that on a global level, customers are booking on much shorter lead-times than previously: 80 per cent of bookings in the new normal world are within a fortnight of departure, as opposed to 36 days and more before departure in pre-Covid-19 times. Of course, there will be regional and demographic differences, but the trend to shorter booking periods seems set.

Hotels and other suppliers need to be sensitive to understand the new booking periods and acknowledge the new motivators to travel, to be able to attract the custom they want.

People may be hesitant to travel

stay. The thought and the threat of another pandemic after this one will continue to be strong, the drive to contactless transactions will remain.

The economic consequences of a global pandemic will possibly lead to a direct reduction in the frequency of travel, at least in the first years. There are some who say that travellers will travel less far but will travel closer to home.

The reality is that travellers will have less money to spend on discretionary expenditure like travel and the decision whether to travel on holiday will now be taken after more thought and consideration.

Hotels need to be sensitive to needs

The recent technological drive to satisfy the need for contactless transactions ensured that unnecessary physical human interaction was avoided. Developments such as contactless check-in at hotels and airports will become the norm while possibly virtual tours of museums, and virtual experiences are not going to disappear for the time being.

While the world waits for a vaccine, these changes will not all go away immediately and some changes are possibly even here to

As a result of the expected economic squeeze, price will continue to feature strongly but as people will also take fewer holiday trips, factors such as value for money, experiential opportunities and sustainability, will greatly affect the final choice.

“We will be back” has lately become a favourite slogan for tourism suppliers worldwide; but we will be back conscious of the fact that things will not be the same. Things may not be worse, or better, but certainly different.

Joseph Galea is the founder of JG Tourism Solutions, a consultancy that offers its expertise to the hospitality, tourism and aviation sectors. He was formerly Director of International Marketing at the Malta Tourism Authority and, more recently, Acting Chief Executive of Air Malta.

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Knock knock knockin’ on hotels’ doors Alison Casha on how social media helps bridge gaps between hotels and guests.

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I

magine you are a guest who has just arrived at the hotel and not finding anyone to greet you – it’s bad. Now imagine how worse it would be for a guest to enter an establishment, press the call bell and be ignored. This is exactly how people feel when they contact a business on social media and do not get any form of acknowledgment or feedback.

And this is where mistakes are mostly done – not engaging the right person to handle online feedback, be it positive or negative. Even though guest relations specialists may do an excellent job on the floor, it does not necessarily mean that they can deliver the same level of service online.

It takes the know-how of a seasoned marketer to engage with customers, black on white.

Basically, the virtual world is no different than your actual hotel lobby or reception area. The idea that social media is an informal and casual way of building online relationships is flawed and short-sighted. It should be taken more seriously by any business or organisation, to each their own (platform).

Just like a receptionist, a hotel manager, a housekeeper, a marketer behind the façade of your social media pages is equally responsible for the success of your hotel, no matter how many stars you claim to have. It’s no different than any customer service channel, not less worthy than a phone or an email.

How to use social media to your hotel’s advantage How to use social media to your hotel’s advantage

Social media has evolved so fast when compared to any digital form of communication that there is really no excuse for service gaps any longer. Hotels have a multitude of channels at their disposal and intrinsically cost-free, with TripAdvisor and booking.com possibly being the strongest and most influential platforms in the hospitality industry and widely accepted and used by the travelling public. Not only because it puts similar businesses in the same basket of online shopping but more importantly because it gives voice to the customer and serves as a benchmark for both sides of the story: selling and buying. It creates a balance which is usually only broken by fake and illicit feedback.

Without forgetting Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn, all very important social tools too, the reviews section on booking platforms and social pages is without any doubt the most feared by managers of guest relations.

Engage and Build: all social media channels are well built to allow engagement with partners and end customers. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook all have direct messaging systems which lend well to building relationships through private conversations which can be integrated into your CRM system. The marketers engaged to reply to messaging, comments and reviews are key to success stories – actually replying to a message and not letting it go unnoticed, remembering a repeat customer, anticipating the needs or requests based on historical data, taking the chats onto a personal level and following the guest’s mindset. The common but most essential factor here is timing: engaging with delays could actually mean losing a customer.

Listen and React: be bold, don’t be afraid to reply to reviews, no matter how negative they can be. Actually, reviews should be encouraged as they are an opportunity to engage with guests beyond their stay, an “aftersales service” in the hospitality industry. Take the opportunity to listen, turn negatives into positives, accept criticism and realise that your business could always do better thanks to your guests’ own contributions.

Take time to acknowledge the good comments and react to negative experiences by turning them into new opportunities. We are all human who make mistakes, it’s how we react to them that distinguishes us from our competitors. Social media platforms like TripAdvisor and booking. com are the perfect windows for this, and >

24 /

you would not only be impressing your own guests but also attracting millions of potential customers who come across your online presence via these platforms and assess you for your way of dealing with problems and coming up with resolutions.

communication mixed with smart phone technology. Think paperless brochures, receipts, virtual key rooms, WhatsApp, social messaging and apps to enhance the customer journey and offer peace of mind but respecting the environment at the same time.

Inspire and Attract: social media is your Add value and Reward: showcasing your window onto the world. Inspire followers with hotel through your own social media pages high-quality photography and videography resonates into shared experiences by the guests without falsifying themselves, the your image – best modern form stay true to your of word-of-mouth brand values and advertising. Give keep your identity more reasons to realistic.This will book through help you keep your online media your followers – offer value and grow to added forms of reach out to retention by means new unexplored of discounts, markets and cross promotions target niches. with close-by businesses and Follow the ethos own suppliers, of your business creating apps for to attract likeloyal customers minded people Social media is a window onto the world and pushing digital on social media offers and rewards which can be redeemed platforms like Facebook and Instagram for through an action on social media (for example, leisure customers and Twitter and LinkedIn (for sharing a story and tagging your page or place). business customers). Followers will easily turn Make your guests proud to represent your into customers if they understand that you business and give them reason to do it. share the same X factor.

Innovate and Save: one of the best ways (if not the best) to demonstrate innovation today is to go green.

What is your business doing to reduce waste, plastic, energy, overhead costs and contribute to the planet’s wellbeing? Online media can surely help replace paper thanks to digital

Ultimately social media can be the fil rouge of a guest’s journey from the research phase right through to the memories of the stay, a tangible way of joining all the dots of a guest experience and not just a means to an end. Being social online is the equivalent of smiling whilst welcoming your guests – make the best of it.

Alison Casha, founder of Socialogy, has more than 20 years experience in marketing and believes social media is one of the most important tools for any business giving importance to customer satisfaction and real time engagement. Socialogy (www. socialogy.eu) provides social media marketing to SMEs and marketing agencies.

more than just a magazine...

Bra nd i

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In a short time Horeca has filled the void in the hospitality industry, and today it is the principal publication in Malta covering the sector.

From the outset of the pandemic, Horeca continued to maintain contact with the local industry through an electronic version of its magazine; it also launched a series of webinars to share expert insights and opinions on issues affecting the sector.

Horeca also organises industry-focused events and exhibitions, and is actively working with a major European organiser of international events to launch a regional exhibition in Malta in the coming months. But more about this later.

Ma rke t

Research

Today, Horeca groups several experts and professionals in the industry, all with proven track records, to offer services to the hospitality industry in the following sectors: • Marketing consultancy to hotels, restaurants and other suppliers; to develop and execute an international and local marketing strategy • Branding consultancy, to launch new brands or review and update your current branding • Market research • Integrated social media strategy and support • HR recruitment and training • Book keeping and payroll services • Organisation of events

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Strategy edia M l

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Payroll

Contact us on info@horecamalta.com.mt to learn more about our services and to see how we can help you optimise your operations.

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Surprises from 2020 grape harvest?

This has been a difficult year for Malta’s wineries, and not just because of Covid, but there’s also something to smile about. Darren Borg explains.

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T

he Maltese climate is typically Mediterranean; a long, hot and dry summer, followed by a brief and sometimes rainy autumn which leads the way to a considerably typically mild winter which usually is also the rainiest period of the year.

Spring immediately brings nicer weather with higher temperatures and occasional rain that gradually comes to a halt by April, where the rain remains absent through the whole vine growing period until September.

in April were both within the average. May is a crucial month during the growing period as the newly emerged tender shoots are extremely susceptible to wind break and Downy mildew attacks, especially with days of rainy weather.

May 2020 was characterised with a higher than average wind speed causing severe damage in some areas across the islands coupled with a significant amount of rainfall at the end of the month and thus creating the perfect conditions for serious Downy mildew attacks which affect all the green parts of the grapevine including the flower clusters which later in the season will become grape bunches.

The higher than usual prevalence of this infection of the grapevines resulted in a significantly more intensive work by the vine growers to contain the disease and reduce its damages.

Seasonal features leave a mark on the particular vintage, and sometimes even on the one of the following year. These usually include an abnormally warm winter, relatively dry spring, summer rain and other climatic phenomena that create those conditions to which the grapevines responds by altering the yield, grape maturation period and the Summer proceeded with grape components such a cooler than average as the level of sweetness, June and a very hot July. aromas, acidity levels, Prolonged hot weather, colour and other phenolic especially when it persists The grape picking season began at the end of July compositions. The combination created with during the night, usually impacts the wine the yearly variations of a particular season acidity and may speed the grape ripening. creates these slight differences that characterise In areas where the vines are susceptible a vintage. One must also note that not all to drought, the heat further stressed the varieties respond equally to the seasonal effects grapevines and by the end of July the early of a particular year. ripening varieties started showing signs of veraison; the process where the green, Winter 2019 was drier than average and even unripe berries start to change colour and turn though the vines are dormant during this yellowish and more translucent with white period, the winter rain is of extreme importance grape varieties or reddish with black varieties. to replenish the soil water reserves for the At the same time, the grapes will suddenly following spring and summer grape growing season. The following March some precipitation become juicer and sweeter, albeit not being yet completely ripe. During this time, unprotected quenched a little the Maltese vineyards which vineyards may start to become frequented by had broken their winter dormancy, and in birds and wasps alike to feed off the ripening April some more rain topped a little the soil berries. The first ripening varieties in Malta and water reserves while postponing the drought Gozo are usually the Chardonnay and the > problem. The temperature and the precipitation

30 /

Moscato bianco, with the former formally opening the grape picking season of 2020 on 28 July. Needless to say, not all the vineyards planted with the same variety were harvested at the same time, since each winemaker chooses the best date to pick the grapes according to the respective area’s microclimate and best suited maturation period and wine style to be pursued. Grapes destined for a quality sparkling wine require a much less level of maturation than those, for example, destined for a still sweet wine even if the same vine variety is being used. Overall, the maturation period for all varieties across the islands in 2020 was more or less average, not too early or too late. As had been forecast earlier in the year, as the season started some varieties, in particular some white grape varieties, the yield was well below average. The same was noted for some red grape varieties, albeit to a much lesser extent.

Whilst this may be perceived as a disadvantage, a low yield generally tends to favour the quality of the grapes by exalting the aromas, sugar levels and overall ripeness of the fruit. In August the harvest progressed with no rain hindering or delaying the grape picking, but for varieties not yet harvested during the month of September, as with the Girgentina or Cabernet Sauvignon and some other late maturing reds, harvests where sometimes delayed because of the heavy rainfall that coincided with the harvest of some varieties. The rain usually delays the harvest for obvious reasons – it impedes work in the vineyard – but also because sometimes winemakers need to skip a few more days to allow the vine to lose again some of the quickly absorbed water and regain the previous sugar levels in the grapes. The grape picking season across the Maltese islands ended in early October, with the last parcels harvested

Darren Borg is Chief Agricultural Officer of the Agriculture Directorate at the Rural Affairs Department.

being those planted with Cabernet Sauvignon.

Vintage 2020 will remain a year to remember because of the situation created by Covid-19, which made a tricky business even to pick grapes in the vineyard. However, the vintage was also characterised by a lower yield for some white varieties but with healthy and highquality grapes that were fermented to produce fine wines that will be certified as I.Ġ.T. Maltese Islands, D.O.K. Malta or D.O.K Gozo later this year or the next, to be enjoyed by wine lovers in the coming months when the vinification process, including ageing is completed, and the wine is finally bottled.

SILVER FOR DELICATA 2018 WINES In early summer, Delicata won a second silver medal in Bordeaux for its Grand Vin de Hauteville Viognier, which comes right on the heels of their silver trophy for the Grand Vin de Hauteville oak-aged Chardonnay received in Burgundy. During the first round of the Challenge International du Vin in Bourg, which is the largest wine competition in France, Delicata’s 2018 Grand Vin de Hauteville Viognier DOK Malta Superior received a silver award for its “outstanding overall qualities”.

Delicata’s Viognier is a “tightly knit, wellstructured dry white wine with a delicate floral nose”. Earlier this year, Delicata also bagged a silver medal for its 2018 oak-aged Grand Vin de Hauteville Chardonnay DOK Malta Superior in the Chardonnay du Monde competition at Saint Lager in the Burgundy region – heartland of the Chardonnay grape variety. Delicata’s Malta-grown Grand Vin de Hauteville wines especially “keep on winning on the international stage, and the overall award count for this brand alone stands at 29.

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By the VIP Diner

D

ining out during a pandemic is not one of the most enticing events, and I was half-tempted to refuse the invitation to dine at Root 81, but am glad I did not.

On Rabat’s Saqqajia Hill, Root 81 – named thus by chef patron Robert Cassar because formerly it was bus route 81 that took him from his home in Mriehel to Rabat, and ‘root’ denotes root vegetables – is a small restaurant with 45 covers indoors (reduced to 22 in the Covid era) and 65 on the super wide pavement (now reduced to 40).

On arrival we were shown to our table on the pavement and were promptly asked if we wished for any aperitifs; we all chose a prosecco. Menus were then offered, and as we perused these plates of bread accompanied by olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a tapenade were brought. We all chose the set dégustation menu, and what a menu it turned out to be.

It didn’t take long for the entrée to be served – salmon gravlax placed over an hollandaise web and sprinkled with beetroot jelly. it was a delight to look at and heavenly to taste. The

OV

Root 81 ER

ALL SC

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accompanying wine was a Jeio prosecco from the Veneto region of Italy.

The intermediate course was a risotto in caccio e pepe (cheese and pepper), Lardo di Colonnata (cured strips of pork fatback with herbs and spices) and local snails. Out of a party of seven, three chose not to have the accompanying snails. Which ever the choice, the risotto was delicious. As someone who loves rice, I could quite happily have forgone the other two courses on the menu. A glass of nicely chilled 2019 Medina ChardonnayGirgentina from Delicata was served with the risotto.

Pan-fried rabbit saddle, a pulled rabbit croquette and rabbit liver in mille feuille was the evening’s main course. Roasted potatoes and vegetables were served separately. I had never had rabbit served in this way, and >

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VIP Dining

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It is not often that a restaurant that has just opened gets listed in a fine dining guide. Root 81 is one of the few mentioned in the 2020 Michelin Guide of local restaurants. It is denoted as a “plate” establishment, meaning “fresh ingredients, capably prepared: simply a good meal”. Things were going swimmingly until the spring and the appearance of COVID-19, but Cassar is an optimist and believes the good times will return. Meantime, dessert was served and comprised homemade imqaret drizzled in local honey along with a traditional Maltese ice cream. The last course, too, was accompanied by a delightful 2019 Centive Moscato d’ Asti.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end, and so did this exquisite dinner. One cannot fault the cuisine, it was superb as was the service. It is so pleasant to be served by a wellmannered, polite person nowadays.

However, the only criticism I have of Root 81 is that as an outdoor fine dining venue it does not stand out. A flower or a candle on the tables would certainly have not gone amiss and would have made a fine touch.

Robert Cassar, chef patron

it was scrumptious. Another Delicata wine, this time a glass of 2019 Medina Sangiovese, complemented the main course. Before dessert was served proprietor and chef – 33-year-old Robert Cassar – came to our table for a chat.

We later discovered that floral ornaments and candles are a no no in these Covid times, as these items are prone to touching by guests.

After graduating from ITS and working in the UK for a while, Cassar was employed by several of the island’s top hotels. His dream, he added, was to own his own restaurant. This became a reality last November when he opened Root 81.

Highly recommended.

Conclusion – this is a first class restaurant with an extraordinary cuisine.

ROOT 81 Saqqajja Hill, Rabat MDN 1400

For reservations call 79492083 or email root81restaurant@gmail.com

Diner’s score sheet

Each diner was asked to score the restaurant on four key points. 1 for bad and 10 for excellent. Totals and averages are taken from the maximum of 40 points.

Diner 1

Diner 2

Diner 3

Diner 4

Diner 5

Diner 6

Diner 7

Overall Average

Food and drinks

9

9

9

10

8

10

9

9

Service

9

9

10

10

9

10

10

10

Cleanliness & hygiene

7

9

9

10

7

10

10

9

Ambiance & atmosphere

8

10

9

7

5

8

7

8

Totals

33

37

37

37

29

38

36

35

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Free airline tickets: ‘yes’ says most of the tourism industry The pandemic has decimated the travel industry, and there’s no end in sight. Yet, it has been proposed to offer free airlines tickets to attract visitors to Malta.

Terence Mirabelli examines the pros and cons.

M

ost of the tourism industry agrees with what Tony Zahra, president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) repeated at the end of October: offer free flights to the islands, in a bid to attracts tourists.

Zahra was addressing a webinar organised by Horeca magazine that was discussing whether Malta’s hospitality industry is geared for the challenges of the upcoming winter season.

Asked what was needed to guide the accommodation sector through the next few >

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months and beyond, Zahra admitted it was difficult to forecast recovery as it all depends “when a medical solution is found”.

The lynchpin, he continued, is the introduction of a vaccine to vanquish Covid-19. Nevertheless, he thinks the tourism industry will recover within two to three years of a vaccine becoming available.

flights will not work as safety and peace of mind to travel are key at the moment to get back on the safe travel zone lists of other countries”, adds Diacono.

Alex Pace, general manager of the Dolmen Hotel in Qawra, agrees that the concept of free tickets “makes sense”.

Alan Borg, CEO of Malta International Airport, concurs. He does not foresee a return to pre2020 traffic levels before 2023.

Hotels, he argues, will earn more from a tourist than a ‘staycationer’. A foreign visitor staying in a hotel for three or four nights will spend much more than a local.

Meantime, the question remains: “how are we going to get people on a plane to travel to Malta” Zahra asked rhetorically.

Although he would welcome a free tickets scheme, Pace emphasises that he also wants to see Maltese benefit from such schemes as well.

The government’s wage supplement measures and the €100 voucher scheme helped keep hotels and restaurants afloat, but these cannot be extended indefinitely. The long-term solution, Zahra suggests, is to generate turnover with tourist arrivals.

Another general manager – Alex Incorvaja of the Marriott Malta Hotel & Spa – also agrees that more incentives should be offered to potential tourists, possibly during the first quarter of 2021.

“One of the possible solutions”, he adds, “could be to allocate the money voted for the vouchers scheme to subsidise flights to Malta”.

(This remark was made days before the budget, and the announcement of a second round of vouchers to be issued in January 2021.)

This comment generated hundreds of, largely negative, comments in the press and social media.

But how far-fetched is it?

Horeca’s editorial team asked several industry stakeholders their opinion on this suggestion which, incidentally, was not Zahra’s.

The MHRA president did not claim the concept of free tickets as his but said it was “a man in the street” who suggested it to him. “I only repeated what I was told”, says Zahra.

Nevertheless, it did obtain traction with some hoteliers.

“Whilst I do think there is scope to the idea for a short-term injection to keep the industry afloat”, remarks Hilton Malta commercial director Julian Diacono, “this is not sustainable in the medium to long term. “Furthermore, unless we get the local [Covid-19] situation under control, free

The existing voucher scheme, he says, has helped but the income from his hotel’s restaurants “is not a big contributor overall, accommodation is”.

Incorvaja agrees that there should be incentives to attract people to the islands but says airlines should be targeted to increase their frequencies and capacities as well.

Hoteliers feel grieved they receive the brunt of negative remarks in the press and on social media but point out that they’ve invested hundreds of thousands in their properties, have to pay their staff their wages, have “monumental” electricity and water bills plus countless other commitments.

“What do you expect us to do”, asks one hotelier who spoke on condition of anonymity.

“Summer was a disaster. I had a handful of guests paying discounted rates, and winter looks bleak with just one booking in December.

“Meanwhile, I have huge bank loans that I took to build my hotel, I have employees to take care of, I have a list of never-ending bills. The government’s wage supplement helped, but it will not last forever.

“I ask, do I just close up shop and walk away?

/ 35

Ignore my financial obligations and fire my staff just because someone on Facebook thinks I’m being greedy?

of or at the expense of the vouchers scheme that was redeemable at tourist establishments”, explains its CEO Joe Muscat.

“If someone comes up with an idea that can help me, other hotel owners and, ultimately, the industry and by extension, the country – I’m all ears.”

“Obviously the tourist industry cannot be sustainable without tourist arrivals.

And it’s not just hoteliers who are in favour of incentives for tourists. James Perry, the CEO of FELTOM – the Federation of English Language Teaching Organisations – believes “that giving an incentive to travel, helps people visit Malta”.

FELTOM, whose members saw their businesses suffer dramatically over the last seven months, is working on a proposal with one of the major accountancy firms to present to the government.

The firm, explains Perry, “has worked on a system where we see not only the monetary assistance to the tourism industry but also incentives of travel to tourists.

“So, in concept, we agree on giving incentives for travel”, concludes Perry.

The Gozo Tourism Association (GTA), meantime, although agreeing “in principle with any incentives, subsidies and discounts to attract foreign tourists this winter, we are totally against that such a measure is done instead

“It is a fact that the lack of tourist arrivals is due also to the lack of confidence in travelling because of Covid-19…Therefore our focus as a country is to reduce the rate of Covid-19 infections and lessen as much as possible the deaths due to Covid. Only once our infections numbers are reduced to between 10 to 15 daily, will Malta be green-listed with no travel restrictions on arrivals from Malta.

“On the other hand,”, says Muscat, “the vouchers scheme was very beneficial to tourist establishments, especially those in the accommodation and restaurants sector. These vouchers generated quite some business within the domestic tourism which was beneficial to Gozitan establishments. Up to now, an estimated 206,000 vouchers were redeemed in Gozitan establishments which helped the >

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island’s businesses to mitigate the negative impact of Covid-19. In this regard, the Gozo Tourism Association is insisting and lobbying the government for the re-issue of the vouchers scheme.

The GTA, says Muscat, “whilst in favour of finding ways to incentivise holiday travel to Malta this, however, cannot be done at the expense of a scheme which benefitted so many tourism establishments”.

Alan Arrigo, general manager of major player in the local tourism sector Robert Arrigo & Sons – who not only handle incoming tourist groups but also manage several hotels – disagrees with Tony Zahra’s proposal.

“In this current climate one cannot buy demand when there is none”, says Arrigo. “Just like a hotel will not gain much total revenue by lowering further its rates. Price isn’t the reason why people are not currently booking their holidays as travel has become increasingly localised and complicated. Therefore, you can’t expect to solve the problem with a solution solely based on a supply-side price reduction or subsidy”, he explains.

“I believe that solutions lie by taking a long-term view. To the outsider,

all Mediterranean destinations offer a unique proposition to the traveller. We need not only to build on offering a unique solution but also enhance it with more creativity. Therefore, the time is ripe for the various stakeholders… in the industry to come together to plan and implement a holistic strategy to give the tourist a truly memorable, quality experience on the islands.

“In the short term, we also need to find a way that product Malta is a product which tourists feel comfortable and safe to visit within the present Covid reality and this can be achieved only if there is support of the stakeholders to be able to invest in achieving such”, continues Arrigo.

“We are seeing many tour operators overseas, including long-standing established firms, cease trading during this pandemic and unfortunately the likelihood is that further players in the travel and tourism industry will have to decide to cease trading”, concludes Alan Arrigo.

“Realistically, 2021 is likely to hold the same

/ 37

pattern for travel and tourism, and it would be better to reconcile with the fact now and plan accordingly”.

Former Malta Tourism Authority CEO and now chief executive of Malta Med Air, Paul Bugeja, thinks that Zahra’s proposals for free tickets “make a lot of sense at face value; we all know that tourism is a very strong engine in driving forward economic activities at all level”.

However, as an accountant by profession he asks a few pertinent questions: “Would these guests be travelling on charter or schedule [flights], as cost per seat would differ substantially?

shot down by current MTA CEO Johann Buttigieg: “Currently we do not feel that the proposal would attract foreigners to come to travel. Most of the flights cost less than €100, with realistic opportunities to travel at a fraction of the normal cost.

“Therefore, in our opinion, the financial cost for air tickets is not a barrier that would entice or otherwise people coming to the country.

“The most important factor for people to travel

“Would other stakeholders be ready to accept free of charge services?

“What about hotels and private accommodation owners…what rates would they charge?

One cannot buy demand when there is none

“Would this scheme apply to all airlines and incoming sea passenger ships?

“How would one differentiate between tourists and business travellers?

“I would suggest,” says Bugeja, “that the best way to boost tourism, besides offering competitive prices, is to keep close track of the numbers of infected people, plus rapid tests at the airport, before departures rather than on arrival. If we control the numbers we would see again a substantial improvement in arrivals and improved demand as we had in July and August, before the numbers started to creep up again.

“People will not travel if they don’t feel safe, I would say even if you pay them, least of all if it’s free. But if we can assure visitors that we are well controlled, and a country well-disciplined, we would see an increase in the numbers as Malta is a sought after destination”, concludes Bugeja. Zahra’s suggestion, meanwhile, was

is to instil confidence that travel can be done safely and that the host country will actually care for the needs of the tourist, should the need arise”, Buttigieg explains.

Asked his opinion on free airline tickets for tourists, Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business Silvio Schembri told The Malta Independent “it is an interesting proposal, and as a country, we are always looking at ways to boost our tourism and with such a proposal one needs to see the pros and cons”.

The bottom line is that nearly everyone in the hospitality industry realizes that incentives in one form or another are required to boost business, in this case, tourist arrivals. What type of incentives is another matter.

What everyone does agree on is that Covid-19 must be controlled, the numbers locally brought down and, most importantly, that Malta is considered a safe destination.

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Acquiring Trust: easing the payment experience Trust Payments is a global payments group with experience across the global and local hospitality industry.

John Pace, Chief Business Development Officer in Malta, talks about the workings of the company.

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T

he company’s mission is to ‘help business owners to optimise their sales and customer experience through making a great payments experience’. They offer payment services both online and physically at the point of sale through the Trust Payments branded POS terminals.

Their technology platform can process payments with over 50 global acquiring banks, and their customers can also make use of their in-house acquiring institution – acquiring.com.

The company, which trades in Malta under the name of acquiring.com, is licensed by the MFSA and has an office with more than 80 employees in Birkirkara.

However, they are, in fact, part of a wider group with offices in London, Wales and Atlanta.

S Hotels and restaurants are having a very challenging time right now. Offering a smooth and easy payment experience is obviously more key than ever. What advice or tips can you give?

P Of course there are huge challenges to navigate, and some businesses will be able to adapt and thrive; others may be forced to close or scale down.

We believe there is a window of opportunity for Maltese merchants who can innovate, meet changed customer expectations, slash costs and find new ways to operate.

The main thing we are seeing out of the pandemic – both locally and internationally – is the sudden new types of consumers who are embracing going online to browse and shop. The people who always would have done their shopping in person and never considered online are now looking on the internet for shops or restaurants who will deliver what they need. This was always going to happen eventually, but it has happened extremely quickly.

As a result, digital payment methods are being adopted by consumers at a much faster rate than anyone in our industry ever anticipated. Now they have adopted these habits – there is no going back.

This includes online payments, payments made by smartphone or eWallet. We are seeing that in Europe, eWallets are already the number one preferred payment method by consumers when online shopping. Malta will not be far behind. >

John Pace Chief Business Development Officer

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When your consumers come to you, be ready to make it easy for them and offer an unforgettable customer experience, including accommodating their payment preferences either online or in person. We do not want any business to lose a customer simply because it was not easy enough for them to hand over their money!

S Many businesses in Malta did not traditionally need websites for consumers to book and pay for a service or order. How can Maltese hotels and restaurants start quickly and easily accepting payments online?

P If a client comes to us with an existing website, we can easily and quickly integrate our payment gateway onto it, so you can be up and running to accept payments with no hassle in as little as 48 hours. If you don’t have a website, there are many ways that you can make it easy for your customer to pay online. For example, we have a service called Pay-By-Link where you can generate a link to send to your customer, who can then click on it and make their card payment. You can share the link via any convenient communication channel which you prefer such as email, SMS, WhatsApp message or Facebook Messenger.

It suddenly seems so archaic that just last year many businesses were still asking their customers to go to the hassle of paying via bank transfer, cheque or in person.

S Your Point of Sale terminals have really taken off with many hotels, restaurants and shops now using them. Why do you think this is?

P Merchants have been calling for an injection of competition into the local market for some time. We are offering something new on the market, and innovation and competition always benefits the customer. Our POS terminals and our online payment platform both have in-built features which are not currently offered by local competitors. The terminals themselves offer various modes of connectivity, catering for all situations, even for merchants who are on the road – for example, a restaurant delivery driver

can take the terminal to take payment upon delivery at a customer’s house, or it could be used from a food truck.

Certain features can easily be programmed by the merchant through the terminal itself. A couple of examples would be that we have a facility to switch customer receipts on or off and similarly switch on the tips functionality for customers to be able to express gratitude to hospitality staff.

The terminals are also top of the range with colour touch screen displays and very fast processing power. Aside from the terminals themselves, through our dedicated Account Managers, we offer a high standard level of service, not only during the application process but more importantly throughout the entire cycle of the business relationship.

S What makes you stand out from your competitors?

P We are global and yet we are local. Local merchants prefer dealing with a team who truly understands the market. We personally make the effort to meet up with all our merchants – Covid permitting.

The personal contact with merchants does not end once they sign the contract. As mentioned earlier, this goes beyond the application stage, where each client gets a dedicated Malta-based account manager. This is something we pride ourselves on, and we know local businesses appreciate.

Our second standout is our omni-channel offering. Merchants love it since they can have a physical POS terminal in their shop as well as accept online payments. It takes the hassle out of it because they only need to speak to one provider, with one account manager and data all in one place.

We make the integration into our payment gateway as easy as possible, backed by well and easy to read documentation and outstanding technical support.

S There are constant new developments in payments, with new payment methods and

/ 41

technologies being added all the time. What innovations do you have planned for future?

which is currently not all that widely accepted in Malta but important for international travellers.

P We always continue to be flexible and adapt to the changing world, identifying and delivering the key services to make us the one provider to choose.

Aside from the local point of sale innovations, we also recently acquired a UK based customer loyalty company called Mobilize. This addition to our family will allow customers to offer a payment-based loyalty scheme, to enhance their overall customer experience and keep bringing customers back to their store or online shop.

Locally, we are adding a couple of new features very soon to our Point of Sale devices which will be very helpful to the Horeca industry. We will be adding dynamic currency conversion; this is where a customer who does not have a Euro card (for example, a pound sterling or dollar card) can select what currency they wish to pay in at the point of sale.

Apart from giving the customer a better experience, merchants will also benefit through a rebate on the commissions they pay on that particular transaction. We will also add Amex,

Our vision for this is for every merchant to have the power of data in the palm of their hand on the same level that giants like Amazon have. We want to level the playing field. We can imagine this will be very helpful in the future in Malta.

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44 /

A knack for logistics Kristina Cassar Dowling visits the Unistores facility in Marsa and talks to Tonio Ciantar about the company’s recipe for success.

U

products and services, across all the divisions, backed up by a genuine customer service which thrives to always exceed our customers’ expectations.

nistores (Services) Ltd is a logistics service company that forms part of the FG & Co Group and which also focuses on retailing, food services and construction materials in Malta.

“As a result of the specific efforts of the group’s purchasing unit we have moved forward and to develop our centralised depot significantly.

Such improvements have allowed the group to offer food logistics options to third parties.

Tonio Ciantar, the group’s Strategy Director, explains: “Our priority is to provide our customers with a vast range of options,

“Unistores aims to have a global network of operations dedicated to manage the supply chain of foods with an emphasis on

/ 45

temperature sensitive goods for the Maltese Islands,” adds Ciantar.

“We employ industry experts who monitor every step of our clients’ food supply chain. We are also working closely with our clients in order to create a glasshouse supply chain which enables our clients to monitor our performance and the quality of their merchandise in real time.”

Initially operating from a 400 square metres storage facility, Unistores is now operating from two centrally located, temperature controlled depots with a storage area exceeding 3,500 square metres. Both depots fully meet the EU Food Establishment Regulations and are HACCP certified. Internal audits ensure that high standards are retained at all times. Unistores follows an ecosystem approach that allows for top end products to find their way to Maltese shores.

Once quality products are imported on behalf of third parties including business owners, the restaurant and hotel industry, Unistores stores all the products and delivers their goods to the allocated venues. Third party catering services that make use of Unistores are eliminating intermediaries and thus reducing costs. All goods are stored in secure, well-equipped, state of the art depots. Improvements are continuously being promoted, applying personalised tools to boost client commodity with synchronised decisions.

“At Unistores (Services) Ltd excellent quality is a must at all times, across the board and in all locations both locally and abroad. Global technological systems have been implemented in order to ensure continuous traceability and reporting. Our client’s peace of mind is a priority for us,” states Ciantar.

In 2015, Transporter Ltd, a subsidiary of Unistores (Services) Ltd was founded. This setup allowed the company to enhance its local services through the introduction of both assembly and delivery services.

“We don’t only store goods on behalf of third parties, but we also deliver their products

to their customers,” Ciantar explains. “This means we are not only holding goods for our customers, but we are also delivering their goods to the stores, factories or restaurants of their choice. This service is not limited by quantity or time.”

Such services are being delivered using thermo-regulated vehicles with a storage temperature that can range from -40 to + 15 degrees Celsius - depending on the type of food product being transported. Vehicle temperatures are monitored in situ, in order to ensure that all food items are delivered safely to the customers.

Tonio Ciantar - Strategy Director at Unistores (Services) Ltd.

Blue Box, set up in 2018, is now a leading food repackaging company with a variety of customised capabilities.

Food repackaging is one of the most important elements for keeping consumers loyal to their brands and takes into consideration the needs of the customer without sacrificing the safety or the quality of the product. “We ensure that the integrity of the product is maintained whilst delivering top-quality repackaging work each time.

“Our high-end competence meets the various needs of our clients and our customised food repackaging services allows us the flexibility to provide the different companies with the tailormade repackaging to meet the needs of their customers. We are always available along the way to provide guidance about our >

46 /

quality food repackaging, the various options we have available, and how Blue Box can be a valuable business partner. From experience we know what works, what sells and what keeps customers coming back for more – starting from a standard pouch in a carton to more complex master shipper designs. Blue Box is able to offer either piecemeal or else even complete solutions including repackaging, storage facilities and delivery to the end consumer.”

Ciantar tells us that the company has now embarked on an extensive campaign to identify the acquire electric vehicles for the local market, in order to be in pole position to deliver the requested products in all localities at all times with no restrictions. Further products will be introduced locally by Unistores.

“We have already identified quality products on the international market that can enhance our portfolio. In fact, we have already teamed up with A-Safe and we are proud to announce that we will be launching the first project in the coming weeks”.

A-Safe are advanced industrial safety barriers, bollards and facility protection of an international standard which can be installed

in all work depots and parking facilities. “At Unistores we devote our time to think and strategise in order to ensure that our workers are working in a safe environment at all times,” emphasises Ciantar.

Unistores (Services) Ltd have a mission - to provide logistic solutions which involve people, locations, distribution and technology - working synergistically to provide an integrated and fully fledged supply chain. Its business philosophy is simple: “Our success depends entirely on people, the people who work with us and the people who shop from us,” concluded Tonio Ciantar.

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.

The Horeca team wishes you a Merry Christmas and a happy New Year

48 /

Interview

A MATTER OF PERMITS AND IDENTITY In this two part interview Terence Mirabelli talks to Alex Muscat, Parliamentary Secretary for Citizenship and Communities, and to the Chief Executive of Identity Malta, Anton Sevasta about the role various government agencies play in support of the economy.

/ 49

S In your presentation during the recentlyheld Horeca webinar on employment in the hospitality industry, you say the government is assisting the sector in an unprecedented way with wage supplements guaranteed until the end of March 2021. How does this fit with your portfolio as a Junior Minister representing Citizenship and Communities?

P As Junior Minister for Citizenship and Communities, foreign direct investment initiatives in relation to residency and citizenship fall under my responsibility. We have just announced that the new residency regulations that may lead to citizenship are now in place, with the establishment of a new agency – Community Malta – which will be responsible for all matters related to Maltese citizenship.

Another investment initiative administered by a different agency - the Malta Residency Visa Agency, is the Maltese Residency Visa Programme.

The Malta Residence and Visa Programme (MRVP) was launched in 2015. It provides successful applicants with the right of permanent residence in Malta or indefinite leave of stay, subject to an ongoing fulfilment of the relevant requirements. By means of this programme, international investors may gain residency rights, which will apply only for non-EU and non-European Economic Area nationals, or those who are not Swiss nationals. The total contribution from this programme to the Government’s Consolidated Fund reached €23.25 million. In 2019 alone €9.6 million was brought in and this year, by the end of October, the figure reached another €5 million.

The Individual Investor Programme launched in 2014 is now wound down and will no longer be receiving new applications, with the new residency regulations taking its place as

mentioned. The financial benefits collected from the Citizenship by Investment Programme have given a huge boost to the Maltese economy so much that in these six years, the accumulated sum has reached €1.5 billion. That is why we sought to further strengthen such a plan. Investment that is greatly contributing towards the strong budget measures that were announced a few weeks ago, to aid in such difficult times of global pandemic. It is the strongest budget in history ever announced - showing how resilient and sustainable our economy is.

By extending the COVID Wage Supplement to March there is a guarantee that companies can get through the winter and rebuild in the spring. Funds are sent to employers who are obliged to guarantee that the supplement, worth €800 per month for full-timers, is forwarded to employees. This measure is crucial for sectors worst hit, such as hotels, events, aviation and language schools.

There was no doubt that the €100 vouchers given to everyone over 16 this summer proved to be a big success, and that’s why the government is doing it again in the new year. €60 of vouchers will be for use in restaurants and hospitality establishments and €40 for retail shops. This will stimulate trade because it is money that has to be spent, rather than saved.

A few months ago, we announced that the programme had reached its climax and now, new residency regulations that can lead to citizenship have come into place – where we will seek to continue attracting more investment. This initiative is designed to attract the best international talent and investment to the local economic market. The Maltese Residency Visa Programme, is another initiative that attracts investment from abroad and has >

50 /

had a number of improved processes and procedures. We have made the programme more competitive.

This falls well within the four months’ threshold stipulated by the EU directive, whereas requests for renewals are processed in a shorter time.

Malta introduced the MRVP to attract global talent, raise capital from overseas, and provide mobility services to persons with global resource capabilities, subject to appropriate due diligence and risk-management frameworks.

Surely, the digitalisation of the single permit application process and the online appointment system have significantly accelerated the whole process.

Over the years, we have become increasingly dependent on human capital for the creation of new and innovative business activities. The Malta Residence and Visa Programme serves as a tool to attract skilled human capital, creating a win-win scenario.

S Has demand changed for job types since the start of the pandemic?

Applicants need to fulfil strict conditions that restrict eligibility. Those who are not fit-and-proper do not make it through. Those whose motives and backgrounds are legitimate and whose resources permit are met with our willingness to collaborate.

This way of thinking is reaping benefits.

Contributions paid to the Maltese government

by Malta Residence and Visa Programme beneficiaries totalled €39 million over four years. By continuously revising our programme in order to optimise it and by constantly searching for ways to attract talent, we believe that we can sustain this win-win context.

S One of the recurring beefs, when talking to hoteliers, is that the authorities take too long to approve work permits for non-EU nationals. Is this still the case? Or are we no longer seeing applications for permits now that the industry is going through this pandemic?

P Under normal circumstances, it only takes a matter of weeks for Identity Malta to issue a decision, provided that the application is duly complete and the need for additional security checks and verifications do not arise.

P Undoubtedly, the pandemic has left its mark on the economy, but demand for foreign workers has remained constant at par with 2019 levels. It has been noticeable that whilst hospitality related job applications have decreased, jobs within the medical and health-related industries have increased.

A noticeable change of employer was also noticed, which indicates a robust labour market mobility.

S With the introduction of a vaccine, hopefully in Q1 of 2021, do you expect to see a boom in the application of work permits, or do you think this will be a trickle?

P We look with optimism towards the postpandemic recovery.

The latest autumn 2020 economic forecast projects that Malta’s economic growth will be twice the Euro zone average by 2022.

Eventually, we anticipate a high demand for foreign workers as we once again maintain our pre-pandemic momentum.

S The hospitality industry employs a good number of nationalities and at various levels.

Can you identify the nationalities and type of work permits issued to these?

A The shortage in labour market is a multifaceted challenge – in terms of quality

/ 51

and quantity – experienced across all sectors of the economy, from low-skilled workers to specialised/technical managerial roles and professionals. Serbians, Filipinos and Indians are the largest communities in Malta.

S Overall, how many expatriates are employed in the accommodation and F&B sectors on the islands? Would this not now be a good time to encourage Maltese nationals to take up jobs vacated by expatriates, thus reducing our dependence on foreign labour?

P Single Permit applications received by Identity Malta are subject to a due diligence process by various stakeholders, including Jobsplus, who are also responsible for carrying out labour market testing. The same testing is applied widely within EU states to ensure that national situations and priorities are met effectively.

As government, we have also invested in providing better educational facilities for ITS students who aspire to work in the tourism field in Malta. Investing more in education and resources will further help students to continue studying and work in the accomodation and F&B sectors, a committment that the government has pledged and is delivering.

S You say residence programmes will become more popular with foreign investors, “as they provide an opportunity and another alternative for investors to open up their business operations in Malta… also providing new job opportunities in various sectors”. Are these being tweaked and in what fields do you see the creation of new jobs?

P In this sector, efficiency is crucial, and we are therefore committed to see the work carried

out is done in the most professional of ways.

This is also in view of the fact that in the near future, a reform in MRVA will follow and a new residency programme will be launched. We have already started implementing changes in relation to investment initiatives concerning residency and citizenship, as was announced in the past days, with new residency regulations that may lead to citizenship coming into place.

We have to be realistic, that COVID-19 has left its mark on every sector and every individual in our communities. However, these types of programmes will inevitably become more popular with foreign investors, because they will give investors an opportunity and a place of alternative residence, in order to invest and open their operation of business in Malta. This, while continuing to offer job opportunities in different sectors to Maltese and Gozitans. These investors will be looking for a safer place, and most importantly, an economically stable country.

They will also consider the country’s response to exceptional situations, such as the one we are currently facing.

The agency is also currently reviewing the programme with a view to improving its features and benefits to make it more competitive, while in the coming months it will also continue to focus on consolidating the markets in which it operates, by opening up to new markets with a view to growing its operations in a more sustainable way.

We look forward with optimism as both agencies Community Malta and the Malta Residency Visa Agency continue to strengthen their work and remain pro-active.

52 /

ANTON SEVASTA, CEO IDENTITY MALTA, ON DEMAND FOR EXPATRIATE WORKERS

S During your presentation at the Horeca employment in the hospitality industry webinar you mentioned the labour shortage in the hospitality sector, and this was made up for by expatriates.

Firstly, was this a genuine labour shortage or possibly Maltese nationals not wanting to do certain jobs in the industry? If the latter, do you think this pandemic may force many Maltese nationals to rethink employment options?

P Before the coronavirus disease outbreak, Malta’s economy was booming, the unemployment rate was at a record-low and the tourism industry, amongst others, was thriving. But despite this buoyant scenario, the Maltese economy was experiencing a shortage in labour supply which could hinder sustainable growth. Over the past years, Malta experienced phenomenal jobs growth across all sectors, reaching virtually full employment, which led to a surge in demand for foreign workers.

/ 53

In the aftermath of COVID-19, the European Commission as well as world-renowned credit agencies forecast that Malta’s economy will bounce back quickly. With Malta expected to rebound strongly, eventually there will be a demand for foreign workers. Amid this scenario Identity Malta Agency is gearing up for tomorrow’s economy.

S In your presentation you mentioned some 27,000 third country nationals employed in Malta doing jobs that Maltese and or EU nationals cannot or do not want to do. This is an amazingly large figure, what nationalities are these and what kind of jobs do they have?

P The shortage experienced in the labour market, in terms of both quality and quantity, was not confined to one particular industry, but it was persistently present across all sectors of the economy, ranging from lowskilled workers to highlyspecialised managerial and technical roles. As for the country of origin, this varies, but Serbia, the Philippines and India account for the largest communities in Malta.

S You speak of improving and facilitating the process of obtaining a work permit here. How exactly is this being eased?

P Identity Malta supports businesses through the facilitation of its services. In the past months, we have initiated a series of incremental changes intended to simplify and accelerate the single permit application process without compromising on security.

As a result, we have re-engineered the residency application process by going digital.

Applicants can now apply online for their new single permit (even if they are still abroad), renewal or change in job. In the case of successful applicants who are still abroad, they will be instructed to make their way to Malta by means of a visa (if this is required) and are authorised to commence with employment once that they have finalized their application and had their biometric data captured locally by appointment.

Surely, the digitalisation of the single permit application process and the newly introduced online appointment system has accelerated the whole process, doing away with having repeat visitors, double handling of work and long queues.

Feedback has been very positive, and Identity Malta will soon be expanding its online platform.

S You mentioned the key employment initiative as being particularly attractive to the hospitality sector how so?

P Indeed, the Key Employee Initiative has proven to be highly popular because it provides a fast-tracked service to highly specialized third-country nationals seeking to work in Malta. Through this initiative, single permit applications of highly specialised individuals who earn an annual gross salary of €30,000 are processed in a matter of days. The scheme is intended for managerial or highly technical professionals who are in possession of the required qualifications or adequate experience related to the job being offered.

VIP Reviews Restaurant Dining and Hotel Stay Reviews with VIP Guests

horecamalta.com.mt

Positioned at the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta has over the years established itself not only as a gastronomic destination serving a wide range of culinary experiences influenced by a mix of diverse cultures and civilisations, but also as one of the most popular holiday destinations, offering a wide range of accommodation options, ranging from basic 2 star to luxury 5 star hotels, self- catering apartments, holiday villas and farmhouses.

To highlight further the success stories of the local restaurant and hotel scene, Horeca Malta magazine is proud to announce a new feature entitled HORECA VIP Dining and HORECA VIP Hotel Stays.

The magazine’s editorial team, together with VIP guests, will be visiting restaurants and booking hotel stays and rating their experience on several criteria.

All write-ups will be featured on the Horeca magazine, website, and various social media pages, including Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, whilst the VIP guests will also be uploading the reviews on their respective channels, ensuring an extended range of visibility and readership.

To get your establishment reviewed and Horeca Approved, call us on 9942 7874, via WhatsApp or write to info@horecamalta.com.mt

56 /

Red letter events at the Institute of Tourism Studies

In recent years the Institute of Tourism Studies has celebrated several memorable milestones that have helped shape this unique tertiary education institution.

T

hroughout the past years, the Institute of Tourism Studies has had multiple milestones, including the launch of its first level six and level seven programmes and the relocation to its interim campus in Luqa. Here, we look at various milestones achieved throughout recent years. Further milestones may be seen on the ITS new academic publication, FUTOURISTIC, which may be found on the ITS website (www.its.edu.mt).

May 2017

December 2019

LAUNCH OF FIRST BACHELOR’S DEGREE PROGRAMMES

LAUNCH OF THE SECOND MASTER DEGREE PROGRAMME

In May 2017, the Institute of Tourism Studies signed an agreement with the Institut Paul Bocuse in France and the Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences in Finland.

Consequently, the Institute launches its first level six Bachelor degree programmes.

The Institute of Tourism Studies launched the Master of Arts in Heritage Interpretation.

October 2018

THE INSTITUTE RELOCATES TO A NEW CAMPUS The Institute of Tourism Studies relocates to a new and larger campus in Luqa. The new campus is nearly double in size compared to the previous campus in St Julian’s, and can host more students.

May 2019

THE INSTITUTE SIGNS AGREEMENT WITH THE EMIRATES ACADEMY OF HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT The Institute of Tourism Studies signed an agreement with the Dubai-based Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), which resulted in ITS launching its first Master’s degree programme, as well as enhancing the academic programmes already available.

The Institute changes its logo to reflect this academic affiliation.

July 2019

This programme offers tailor-made learning to those who already work within the culture and heritage tourism industry, but also to those who aspire to specialise in the interpretation of specific sites and artefacts.

April 2020

LAUNCH OF TWO NEW PIONEER PROGRAMMES The Institute of Tourism Studies launches two programmes which are the first of their kind worldwide.

These are the Diploma in Climate Friendly Travel in collaboration with SUNx Malta and the Bachelor of Science in Diving Safety Management in collaboration with DAN Europe.

October 2020

RECORD OF HIGHEST INTAKE The Institute of Tourism Studies records the highest intake to date, with a 136 per cent increase from the academic year 2018-2019.

The highest increase in new applications may be seen most notably in the Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree programmes.

LAUNCH OF THE FIRST MASTER’S DEGREE PROGRAMME The Institute of Tourism Studies launches its first Master’s degree programmes, that of the MBA in International Hospitality Management in academic affiliation with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.

Stay up to date with the Institute of Tourism Studies news and updates by following the ITS socials and website (www.its.edu.mt).

58 /

Tasting history on a dish Malta’s rich history and gastronomy come together for a unique dining experience. A special correspondent reports.

A

t the end of October, the Malta Tourism Authority along with Heritage Malta’s Taste History project and the three Michelin-starred restaurants in Malta – Under Grain, Noni and De Mondion - launched a yearlong initiative called Taste History Meets the Stars.

Through this collaboration, several dishes with a historical link to each of the restaurants or their location will be offered on the respective menu, along with an explanation of the story behind each dish. The recipes will change seasonally.

The first three historically sourced dishes are Papiri gentile selection with crispy chicken wings, parmesan, yeast and raw king oyster mushrooms offered at Under Grain in Valletta, a dish based on archival evidence referring to the consumption of pasta at the nearby Dominican Priory.

Meantime, a duo of local hunted rabbit at De Mondion in Mdina – linked to the hunting of hares in the surrounding woodlands during the time of the knights – is the chosen dish here.

And at Noni the historic dish is Malefanti pasta, octopus tagine –associated with the 300-old

baking tradition of lower Valletta, where this restaurant is situated.

Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli says: “This initiative intertwines a rich culinary experience and the unique history that Malta offers. I applaud our star chefs and the MTA for turning the dining experience into a unique journey for tourists and locals alike”.

Heritage Malta CEO Noel Zammit adds: “This collaboration confirms the increasing synergy between MTA and Heritage Malta through Taste History. Our Maltese kitchen has an exceptional tradition of a fusion of flavours from all over the world. Through research and innovation, we are now bringing our unique history to the forefront of Maltese dining via the help of the best chefs on the island.”

The chefs at each of the three Michelin restaurants also expressed their satisfaction at being part of this initiative.

More information about the Taste History project can be found on

www.tastehistory.org

Jonathan Brincat from Noni: “As a chef, using local ingredients that are seasonal with as little waste as possible has always been my mantra. This project has allowed me to revisit these same methods that were used by our ancestors. It was very exciting being able to give a dish, that was served centuries ago in the same neighbourhood where our restaurant stands nowadays, a modern twist whilst still respecting its soul.”

Jonathan Brincat

Kevin Bonello

Under Grain’s Victor Borg: “This dish bridges our past with the present and reconnects us with our roots and our history...This is a glorious pasta dish which will tickle your taste buds, and will surprise you as you dig in.”

De Mondion chef Kevin Bonello: “The inspiration of this recipe came to me after I was given information

by Malta Heritage on how a dish of wild rabbit was slow cooked in a pot using beans, local vegetables, spices and lard. I recreated the recipe using these ingredients and adding the complexity of including a typical Maltese Pastizz, offering our guests the opportunity to enjoy traditional foods in a contemporary way, connecting our heritage to the present.”

Victor Borg

60 /

Statistics

Data Bank Visitor arrivals 2020 MARKET

Australia Austria Belgium France Germany Hungary Ireland Italy Netherlands Nordic region* Poland Spain Switzerland UK US Others

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTALS %Share

5,222 6,687

15,963 13,144

8,251 10,949

57,702 57,389

9.88 9.83

12,467

20,041

5,888

82,445

14.12

2,709 2,638

4,711 1,948

8,356 5,052

3,018 1,877

35,712 25,548

6.12 4.38

30,684 33,954 23,456

4,202

24,794

9,375

126,465

21.66

13,506

27,108

11,001

198,515

34.01

100

9,393 13,107 11,005 10,622

5,766 4,982

23,873 15,445

4,731

7,962 7,466

58,855

8,956 6,567

Closed Borders

57,170 30,875

Totals

149,238 145,821

75,157

0

0

0 48,743 114,458 50,359

583,776

2019 +/% +/-

125,723 125,198 172,971 242,013 262,074 278,089 304,320 336,547 286,491 23,515 20,623 -97,814 -242,013 -262,074 -278,089 -255,577 -222,089 -236,132 18.70 16.47 -56.55 -100.00 -100.00 -100.00 -83.98 -65.99 -82.42

1,846,935 -1,313,518 -71.12

/ 61

Aggregate visitor arrivals 2020 ARRIVALS

JAN

FEB

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTALS

%Share

50,359 0

583,776 893

99.83 0.17

0 48,743 114,458 50,359

584,669

100

127,723 125,198 172,971 244,372 265,701 280,522 305,588 338,758 287,461 22,408 20,623 -97,814 -244,372 -265,701 -280,522 -256,845 -224,300 -237,102 17.54 16.47 -56.55 -100.00 -100.00 -100.00 -84.05 -66.21 -82.48

2,148,294 -1,563,625 -72.78

Tourists Cruise pax overnighting

149,238 145,821 893 0

75,157 0

Totals

150,131 145,821

75,157

2019 +/% +/-

Closed Borders 0

0

48,743 114,458 0 0

Mode of travel 2020 MODE

JAN

FEB

MAR

Air Sea

145,766 143,353 74,224 3,472 2,468 933

Totals

149,238 145,821 75,157 AUG

APR

SEP

MAY

JUN

JAN-JUN

Closed Borders 0 OCT

0 NOV

0 DEC

% +/-

363,343 6,873

-69.33 -70.43

370,216

-69.35

JUL-DEC

% +/-

TOTALS

AIR

206,399 ARRIVALS

MODE

JUL

TOTALS

Air Sea

45,179 112,051 49,169 3,564 2,407 1,190

0 0

0 0

0 0

206,399 7,161

-86.40 -74.40

Totals

48,743 114,458 50,359

0

0

0

213,560

-86.18 583,776

SEA

7,161

569,742 14,034

ARRIVALS

Visitor arrivals by gender 2020 MONTH

January February March April May June July August September October November December Totals

FEMALES

%

MALES

%

69,614 73,347 33,167

46.65 50.30 44.13

79,624 72,474 41,990

53.35 49.70 55.87

149,238 145,821 75,157

22,239 54,374 22,693

45.63 47.50 45.06

26,504 60,094 27,667

54.37 52.50 54.94

48,743 114,468 50,360

47.18

308,353

52.82

583,787

275,434

MALES

VISITORS ARRIVALS

52.82 %

FEMALES

47.18 %

62 /

Length of stay 2020 ARRIVALS

JAN

1-3 4-6 7+

46,977 48,191 26,259 47,614 50,211 23,258 54,648 47,419 25,640 6.30

Average LoS

FEB

5.80

MAR

APR

5.90

MAY

JUN

Closed Borders 0.00

0.00

0.00

JUL

SEP

9,370 10,203 12,807 28,152 25,566 76,103 12.20

9.40

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTALS %Share % +/-

7,014 11,915 31,431

148,014 173,957 260,807

25.32 29.75 44.61

28.82 24.57 7.60

9.30

7.50

99.68

-4.60

Visitor spend per person per day €

Length of stay by nationality MARKET

AUG

MARKET

2019 JAN - SEP

2020 JAN - SEP

% +/-

Italy Switzerland Nordic region* Germany Others UK Austria France US Netherlands Australia Poland Belgium Ireland Spain Hungary

6.44 9.85 6.86 7.11 7.18 8.05 6.93 6.10 7.68 6.07 7.34 6.82 6.79 6.75 6.45 5.52

9.91 9.61 7.85 7.79 7.72 7.33 7.32 7.21 6.92 6.63 6.57 6.52 6.46 6.46 5.89 5.45

53.81 -2.44 14.43 9.48 7.52 -8.86 5.61 18.11 -9.91 9.17 -10.47 -4.31 -4.74 -4.23 -8.69 -1.20

Average spend

7.00

7.23

3.31

In descending order

2019 JAN - SEP

2020 JAN - SEP

% +/-

US Switzerland Others Nordic region* Australia Ireland UK Germany France Netherlands Poland Austria Belgium Spain Italy Hungary

174.98 151.82 169.80 150.51 235.72 129.93 119.83 115.67 117.32 103.55 93.25 86.66 108.53 99.89 101.02 70.98

173.80 158.21 130.55 116.55 111.42 104.37 103.46 99.42 91.02 90.93 84.75 82.22 78.57 77.86 75.94 67.17

-0.68 4.21 -23.11 -22.56 -52.73 -19.67 -13.67 -14.05 -22.41 -12.18 -9.12 -5.12 -27.60 -22.05 -24.83 -5.37

Average spend

126.84

102.89

-18.88

In descending order

Purpose of visit 2020 ARRIVALS

JAN

FEB

MAR

Business Holiday Other

13,841 15,074 5,360 131,865 124,198 64,834 3,532 6,549 4,963

Totals

149,238 145,821 75,157 0

BUSINESS

-67.55%

HOLIDAY

APR

MAY

JUN

Closed Borders

-72.85%

0

0

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTALS %Share % +/-

2,965 2,318 2,074 44,557 107,908 46,966 1,222 4,232 1,319

41,632 520,328 21,817

48,744 114,458 50,359

583,777 100.00

OTHERS

-75.95%

7.13 -67.55 89.13 -72.85 3.74 -75.95

/ 63

Visitor arrivals by age 2020 ARRIVALS

JAN

FEB

MAR

0-24 25-44 45-64 65+

23,213 60,470 50,905 14,649

29,339 10,863 53,626 29,302 48,757 26,118 14,098 8,875

APR

JUN

JUL

0

AUG

15,010 20,426 11,458 1,849

Closed Borders

149,238 145,821 75,157

Totals

MAY

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

41,630 11,173 48,776 24,582 20,740 12,339 3,311 2,265

131,229 237,182 170,318 45,047

0 48,743 114,458 50,359

0

TOTALS %Share

% +/-

22.48 -71.71 40.63 -72.42 29.18 -72.22 7.72 -77.31

583,776 100.00

Visit frequency 2020 ARRIVALS

JAN

FEB

MAR

First visit Repeat visit of which Once a year More than once a year

105,359 109,016 54,647 43,879 36,804 20,511

Totals

149,238 145,821 75,157

29,925 25,572 13,954 11,232

APR

MAY

JUN

Closed Borders

14,192 6,319

0

0

JUL

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

31,424 17,319

82,992 34,795 31,466 15,564

418,233 165,543

71.64 -74.07 28.36 -68.30

11,249 6,070

21,603 10,093 9,863 5,471

112,634 52,910

19.29 9.06

0 48,743 114,458 50,359

TOTALS %Share

% +/-

-71.09 -60.12

583,776 100.00

Seasonal arrivals pattern SEASON

2019

Arrivals %* Jan, Feb, Nov, Dec

586,737 21.33

295,059 50.54

-291,678 137.00

959,056 34.86

75,157 12.87

-883,899 -63.07

1,205,447 43.81

213,560 36.58

-991,887 -16.51

Winter

Shoulder

Arrivals % Mar, Apr, May, Oct

Summer

Arrivals % Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep Totals

2,751,240 100.00

2020

583,776 100.00

+/-

-2,167,464

SHOULDER

-63.07% SUMMER

-16.51%

WINTER

137.00%

64 /

Travel type and expenditure 2020 TYPE

JAN

FEB

FIT Package

110,642 100,398 50,191 38,596 45,423 24,966

Totals

149,238 145,821 75,157

EXPENDITURE

JAN

FIT of which

37,831 32,345

15,885

Other

20,638 15,660 17,193 16,685 19,014 20,744 37,327 33,731

7,338 8,546 10,531 17,175

Totals (€000)

94,172 86,820 43,591

Accommodation Air/sea fares Package

FIT

-74.38%

FEB

MAR

MAR

APR

MAY

JUN

40,943 7,800

Closed Borders 0 APR

JUN

Closed Borders

0

ACCOMMODATION

-73.69%

0

AUG

SEP

UK Others Italy Germany France Poland Nordic region* Spain Belgium Switzerland Ireland Netherlands US Austria Hungary Australia Totals In descending order

NOV

DEC

92,247 40,644 22,211 9,715

JUL

AUG

SEP

TOTALS %Share % +/-

435,065 148,711

74.53 -70.97 25.47 -76.65

583,776 100.00 -72.66 OCT

NOV

DEC

TOTALS %Share % +/-

12,597

37,298 14,066

150,022

-74.38

7,396 5,201 4,755 16,455

24,126 8,699 13,172 5,367 16,731 6,152 40,603 19,595

83,857 66,164 77,926 164,886

-73.69 -76.05 -79.66 -71.03

0 33,807

94,632 39,813

392,834

-74.46

AIR / SEA FARES

PACKAGES

-76.05%

-79.66%

Tourism expenditure by nationality €000 MARKET

OCT

0 48,743 114,458 50,359

0 MAY

JUL

2019 Jan-Sep

2020 Jan-Sep

% +/-

402,960 362,915 196,117 132,085 159,212 54,918 62,433 85,615 41,744 39,167 37,277 36,113 43,501 23,042 16,945 61,004

84,549 72,217 45,116 44,039 40,906 19,894 12,978 12,596 10,256 9,491 9,339 8,353 8,181 7,372 4,648 2,902

-79.02 -80.10 -77.00 -66.66 -74.31 -63.78 -79.21 -85.29 -75.43 -75.77 -74.95 -76.87 -81.19 -68.01 -72.57 -95.24

1,755,050

392,835

-77.62

OTHERS

-71.03%

/ 65

Accommodation usage by visitors 2020 TYPE

2019 Jan-Sep

2020 Jan-Sep

Hotels of which 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star Guest houses, hostels and tourist villages

298,994 701,339 382,583 44,150

Totals

5 STAR

-63.03%

% Share

% +/-

110,536 279,428 133,345 15,120

18.86 47.67 22.75 2.58

-63.03 -60.16 -65.15 -65.75

109,557

47,744

8.15

-56.42

1,536,623

586,173

4 STAR

-61.85

3 STAR

-60.16%

-65.15%

2 STAR

-65.75%

OTHERS

-56.42%

Guest nights by accommodation type 2020 TYPE

2019 Jan-Sep

2020 Jan-Sep

Hotels of which 5 star 4 star 3 star 2 star Guest houses, hostels and tourist villages

1,208,976 3,769,595 1,937,407 229,269

Totals

5 STAR

-67.67%

% Share

% +/-

390,919 1,218,178 590,326 89,832

15.73 49.02 23.75 3.61

-67.67 -67.68 -69.53 -60.82

554,417

195,889

7.88

-64.67

7,699,664

2,485,144

4 STAR

-67.68%

-67.72

3 STAR

-69.53%

2 STAR

-60.82%

OTHERS

-64.67%

All raw data in Data bank, and elsewhere in Horeca, are sourced from the Central Bank of Malta (CBM), the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA), Malta International Airport (MIA), the Malta Stock Exchange (MSE), the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), the Ministry for Finance and the National Statistics Office (NSO).

NSO data may differ for some months due to rounding, see Arrivals by gender.

All statistics are based on tourist arrivals; that is, they exclude cruise passengers that overnight in Malta, see Aggregate visitor arrivals.

Some data are Horeca calculations based on NSO source data. * Nordic region = Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.

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