The Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection and the Malta Tourism Authority expressed their satisfaction at the announcement of the Malta airport reopening and the resumption of commercial flights to and from Malta as of July 1, 2020.
The first group of destinations that are being reopened for travel comprises: Germany, Austria, Sicily, Cyprus, Switzerland, Sardegna, Iceland, Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Israel, Latvia, Estonia, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic. More destinations of the Malta airport reopening will be announced in due course, once clearance from the health authorities is received.
Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli said that this decision reaffirms previous statements declaring that Malta is going to have a summer. The Minister added that the lifting of these measures was carefully studied in the past weeks with the health authorities and will give our people confidence while further sustaining our economy and tourism.
MTA Chairman Dr. Gavin Gulia said: “Over the past two and a half months, the travel and hospitality industry across the globe has faced an unprecedented challenge. Members of the travel trade, from airlines to tour operators and travel agents, as well as hoteliers and restauranteurs, and the many others who earn a living directly or indirectly from tourism, had to endure the impact of an international travel ban. Now that the situation is improving in many countries, and we can finally reopen our borders, we look forward with cautious optimism to the weeks and months ahead. Whilst taking all necessary safety precautions, we can proceed to this important next phase with confidence.”
MTA Chief Executive Johann Buttigieg, stated: “The announcement that Malta International Airport – our primary gateway to the world – is reopening is of fundamental importance to all of us in the tourism sector, and we welcome it with enthusiasm. The difficulties we have managed to overcome together in the past weeks are a testament to the resilience of the industry. New challenges lie ahead, but with them come new opportunities. MTA believes that Malta has all it takes to rebuild a profitable industry that provides a livelihood for thousands and is so important to the Maltese economy.”
Carlo Micallef, MTA Deputy CEO and Chief Marketing Officer said: “Throughout the peak of the pandemic, when international travel was at a standstill, we made sure that the Maltese Islands remained top-of-mind for prospective travelers in our core markets by means of a campaign called “Dream Malta Now… Visit Later”. With the opening of our airport, we can now start to inform our overseas partners and customers, that the time to simply dream is over, and the actual visiting can begin once again. It will not happen all at once, and not from everywhere from day one. But it is an important first step, one that the industry and the public has been eagerly waiting for.”
Malta’s excellent performance with regard to the control of the coronavirus within its territory has been acknowledged by the European Commission, the Commonwealth, the World Health Organisation, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, and others. Various articles and reports in influential publications have included Malta amongst the safest countries to visit in a post-COVID scenario.
About Malta
Malta, an archipelago in the Mediterranean Sea, is known for 300 days of sunshine, 7,000 years of history, and is home to a most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density (3) of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in any nation-state anywhere. Valletta, one of the UNESCO sites, was built by the proud Knights of St. John and was the European Capital of Culture 2018. Malta’s patrimony in stone ranges from the oldest free-standing stone architecture in the world, to one of the British Empire’s most formidable defensive systems, and includes a rich mix of domestic, religious and military architecture from the ancient, medieval and early modern periods. Malta and its sister islands of Gozo and Comino, offer visitors something for everyone, attractive beaches, diving, yachting, diverse cuisine, a thriving nightlife, a year-round calendar of festivals and events, and spectacular film set locations for many world-famous movies and TV series. www.visitmalta.com
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