For Immediate Release | Official News Wire for the Travel Industry

Where press releases are breaking news

Experience the “Most Magical Time of the Year” in Malta with Festivals, Fireworks and Culinary Delights

by

Festivals, Fireworks and Culinary Delights

As the Holiday season approaches, one of the best things about spending time in Malta and its sister island of Gozo is being able to observe and experience some of the excitement of the Maltese national traditions as well as the culinary delights. Malta, the archipelago in the Mediterranean, with its year-round mild weather, offers visitors a perfect place to end the year and ring in a new one. 

Maltese Christmas Markets

  • Villa Rundle – December 1st – 23rd visitors can explore the beautifully decorated stalls offering seasonal artisan treats. 
  • Christmas Village at Valletta Waterfront– Dec 1st-27th enjoy Valletta as it turns into a picture-perfect Christmas Village. Visitors can indulge in free activities along the promenade, including; bands, choirs, cribs, food and a myriad of activities for younger Maltese visitors. 
  • Natalis Notabilis– December 11th- 15th visitors can enjoy Rabat which is transformed into a  winter wonderland with over 80 stalls and historic buildings will also be hosting Christmas related activities to enjoy during the 5-day event.

Visiting Cribs 

When visiting Malta during the Christmas season visitors will see nativity scenes or cribs on every street corner. Cribs are an important and popular part of the Maltese tradition during Christmas. Presepju or cribs in Malta differ from traditional nativity scenes. Maltese cribs include Mary, Joseph, and Jesus with a landscape that portrays Malta often rocky stones, Maltese flour, windmills, and ancient ruins.  

Bethlehem f’Ghajnsielem – December 2nd – Jan 5th visitors can explore the customs and folklore at this Maltese crib. 

Festive Light

Visitors of the capital city of Valletta, the 2018 European Capital of Culture and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, can admire the unique, colorful and spectacular Christmas lights. Republic Street and adjacent side streets are given a festive makeover with colorful light designs. The festive lights are switched on during a ceremony by the Minister of Culture.

The Malta International Christmas Choir Festival

Visitors can hear the angelic sounds of the holiday season at the Malta International Christmas Choir Festival which takes place between December 5th-9th. Guests will enjoy a number of choirs participating in the festival, ranging from male, female, youth, and gospel to folk choirs.

Manoel Theatre Pantomime 

Every year, a spectacular pantomime is staged at the marvelous Manoel Theatre in Valletta. This year, visitors can enjoy The Little Mermaid, from December 22nd to January 5th, a holiday tradition for Maltese adults and children. 

St.John’s Co-Cathedral

The iconic St. John’s C0-Cathedral in Valletta is worth visiting at any time of year. However, during the Christmas season is an especially exciting time to visit. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, the church hosts a series of candlelit carol concerts and processions which are guaranteed to get visitors in the festive spirit.

Maltese Traditional Holiday Food 

With Malta celebrating 2020 being the year of gastronomy. Food plays a big part in the holiday season in Malta. Today the traditional Maltese Christmas menu includes turkey/pork, potatoes, vegetables, cakes, puddings, and mince pies. 

A real specialty is the Maltese Christmas Log, a lovely combination of crushed biscuits, condensed milk and a number of different festive ingredients.

New Year’s Eve Malta Style – Fireworks!

Valletta Waterfront

Visitors can end the year in style and welcome in the New Year at the Valletta Waterfront. Valletta itself, Malta’s Capital and the 2018 European Capital of Culture, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Valletta’s romantic waterfront lined by restaurants with exquisite cuisine is the place to welcome the New Year with a glass of champagne in hand.  Travelers can ring in 2020 with a myriad of New Year’s Eve festivities featuring live bands, children’s entertainment and fireworks and confetti display at the stroke of midnight. Visitors can experience all of this with the breathtaking view of the Grand Harbour as the backdrop. Once the New Year begins a DJ will lead the festivities with various classics and popular hits.

For further information on the Holiday season and destination Malta, please see visitmalta.com 

About Malta

The sunny islands of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, are home to a most remarkable concentration of intact built heritage, including the highest density of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in any nation-state anywhere. Valletta built by the proud Knights of St. John is one of the UNESCO sites and was the European Capital of Culture for 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. With superbly sunny weather, attractive beaches, a thriving nightlife and 7,000 years of intriguing history, there is a great deal to see and do.

Experience the “Most Magical Time of the Year” in Malta
Live Christmas crib
Experience the “Most Magical Time of the Year” in Malta
New Year’s Eve fireworks in Grand Harbour

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Malta Tourism Authority North America

Michelle Buttigieg

Tel: (212) 213-0944

E-mail: [email protected]

MTA US Editorial Contact

The Bradford Group

Amanda Benedetto/ Gabriela Reyes

Tel: (212) 447-0027

Fax: (212) 725 8253

E-mail: [email protected]

Live the dream – the MTV tie-up redefining Malta

by

Destinations interested in appealing to the youth travel market are advised to attend a session at WTM London which highlights how the Isle of MTV Malta has boosted the Mediterranean island’s tourism industry.

Russel Samuel, Vice President, Creative and Integrated Marketing at Viacom Velocity International, and Minister Konrad Mizzi, Malta’s Minister for Tourism, will talk through the data points and share examples of best practice that other destinations can consider.

Topics such as hosting a live event in a historic location, city branding, partnerships and working with local authorities will be discussed.

Malta expanded its partnership with Viacom with the Nickelodeon Treasure Hunt Malta this April. Events included searching for SpongeBob SquarePants at the National Aquarium and joining the pizza-loving Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles at Is-Suq Tal-Belt food market.

The session – How the Power of Live Entertainment Can Put a Country on the Youth Travel Map –  is moderated by Becca Dudley, known for her time as MTV’s lead presenter, Glastonbury DJ sets and shows on Apple Music’s international station Beats 1. She is also an ambassador for MTV’s AIDS charity, Staying Alive.

Laura Hamilton, a presenter for Channel 4’s ‘A Place in the Sun’ show will also contribute.

WTM London Senior Exhibition Director Simon Press said: “There’s a lot of talk around Gen Z, experiential tourism and youth travel in general. The MTV partnership has opened up Malta to that segment and the stats prove this.

“WTM is all about sharing actionable insights to help travel businesses and destinations grow, find new markets, form new partnerships. This session represents what we want to achieve.”

The hour-long session takes place on Wednesday, November 6, 2019, starting at 13:15.

As a taster for the session, Russell Samuel took part in the latest WTM Insights Podcast, talking about how pop culture, in general, is driving tourism.

To listen to the podcast and for links to download the episode via Spotify or iTunes, click here.

About World Travel Market

World Travel Market (WTM) portfolio comprises eight leading B2B events across four continents, generating more than $7 billion of industry deals. The events are:

WTM London, the leading global event for the travel industry, is the must-attend three-day exhibition for the worldwide travel and tourism industry. About 50,000 senior travel industry professionals, government ministers and international media visit ExCeL London every November, generating about £3.4 billion in travel industry contracts.

Next event: Monday, November 4 – Wednesday, November 6, 2019 – London #IdeasArriveHere

About Reed Exhibitions

Reed Exhibitions is the world’s leading events business, enhancing the power of face-to-face through data and digital tools at more than 500 events a year, in more than 43 countries, attracting more than seven million participants. Reed’s events are held in the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa and organized by 41 fully staffed offices. Reed Exhibitions serves 43 industry sectors with trade and consumer events. It is part of RELX Group plc, a world-leading provider of information solutions for professional customers across industries.

About Reed Travel Exhibitions

Reed Travel Exhibitions is the world’s leading travel and tourism event’s organizer with a growing portfolio of more than 22 international travel and tourism trade events in Europe, the Americas, Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Our events are market leaders in their sectors, whether they are global and regional leisure travel trade events, or specialist events for meetings, incentives, conference, events (MICE) industry, business travel, luxury travel, travel technology as well as golf, spa and ski travel. We have more than 35 years’ experience in organizing world-leading travel exhibitions.

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Julia Newbound – WTM Portfolio Press & PR Lead

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7056 / M: +44 (0)7775 036 858

Nicole Smart – WTM Portfolio PR & Events Consultant

E: [email protected]

T: +44 (0)20 8910 7032/ M: +44 (0)79 1955 5510

2019 Billboard Music Awards Winner and Headliner at ISLE of MTV Malta 2019

by

MTV’s annual open-air summer music festival – ISLE of MTV Malta – is back and 2019 Billboard Music Award winner and Grammy nominated singer, songwriter and record producer, Bebe Rexha, has been named a headliner. A few of the superstar’s top hits that fans can get excited to sing their hearts out to will include, “Last Hurrah,” “Meant to Be,” and “I’m a Mess.” Her latest album was so successful, it brought her to the number 13 spot on Billboard’s 200 chart. Bebe’s collaboration with Florida Georgia Line on the song “Meant to be” just won Top Country Song at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards. MTV’s partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority will be returning to the sun-lit island for what is now its 13th consecutive year.

The Isle of MTV Malta is one of Europe’s largest free live music festivals, which attracts thousands of visitors every year and even more watching on MTV at home. The Isle of MTV will be held on July 9, 2019, during Malta Music Week which runs through July 13th.

Martin Garrix is no novice to the festival scene. He has performed at music festivals such as Coachella and Tomorrowland and became the youngest DJ to headline Ultra Music Festival at the age of 17. Ranked number one on DJ Mag’s Top 100 DJs list for three consecutive years (2016, 2017, and 2018), Garrix will be sure to perform his top hits such as, “Animals,” and “Scared to be Lonely.” Since Bebe Rexha is headlining this year’s festival as well, fans can be hopeful for a joint performance of Rexha and Garrix’s top single “In the Name of Love.”

Isle of MTV Malta will be filmed and edited into a 60-minute special that will broadcast across 20 MTV channels throughout Europe. The show will also be supported across all MTV social media platforms as well as via a bespoke website. As part of an extensive integrated marketing campaign, the Isle of MTV Malta concert will be supported by marketing initiatives, all of which will drive awareness of the event as well as leverage MTV’s world renowned brand and unique youth insight, to further cement and promote Malta’s position as a holiday destination for young people. Over the 12 years that Isle of MTV has been held in Malta, the number of millennial visitors to the island has increased.

According to Michelle Buttigieg, MTA North American Representative, “the Isle of MTV Malta is fast becoming a huge draw for millennials from the US & Canada. This year especially, with headliner 2019 Billboard Winner and New York native, Bebe Rexha, the festival will attract even more North Americans.  

For more information, visit: www.visitmalta.com, http://www.visitmalta.com/en/isle-of-mtv

Media Contacts:

Malta Tourism Authority

Michelle Buttigieg

Tel: (212) 213-0944

Fax: (212) 213-0938

E-mail: [email protected]

MTA US Editorial Contact

The Bradford Group

Karen Hoffman/ Bianca Pappas

Tel: (212) 447-0027

Fax: (212) 725 8253

E-mail: [email protected]

Brussels welcomes 24th Edition of the Belgian Pride

by

As in previous years, Brussels will celebrate the LGBTI+ community with the Belgian Pride, in May. The theme for this new edition is “intersectionality”. Belgian Pride Festival will take place from 3rd to 19th May and will feature exhibitions, film screenings and conferences on the topic. For 3 days, the streets of Brussels will come to life as the festival culminates with its Pride Weekend and Pride Parade.

This will be the 24th edition of the Belgian Pride to date. It will open the European pride season. Thus, the gay-friendly capital of Europe will showcase its diversity and its openness to the LGBTI+ community, as well as its zest for life. The Belgian Pride will take place over 3 days during this new edition.

The traditional Pride Kick-Off on Friday, 3rd May 2019 will mark the beginning of the festivities. The parade will unfold in the streets of Brussels to the sound of the Fanfare du Meyboom. The march will then pass by the Manneken-Pis which will don a costume specially designed for the occasion.

For the next two weeks, Belgian Pride Festival will include various activities surrounding the theme of “intersectionality” (www.pride.be/allforone). Because, besides the festivities, the Belgian Pride Parade and its festival are the right occasion to give the community a platform to express its demands and to create a space for political reflection. All with the aim of creating a more equal and united society.

Belgian Pride, the climax of the two-week festival, will feature a colourful program:

• Pride Weekend will take place over three days, from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 May
• On Friday, Rainbow Village will open the weekend’s festivities. Institutions in the Saint Jean district will come to life with the sounds of DJ sets and other performances planned for the occasion.
• On Saturday, 18th the Pride Parade will fill the streets of the heart of the captial while Pride Village will welcome around 60 organisations as well as many DJs and artists who will delight the Mont des Arts.
• On Sunday, several activities will take place in Rainbow Village.

Travel News | eTurboNews

Melbourne Gay Night Club shooting kills one, injures three

by

Melbourne and locals alike find Love Machine nightclub in Prahran to be a popular part of  Melbourne R&B and house music over 3 floors. This flashy gay and mixed nightclub with a funky, contemporary setup and 2 bars is popular with a mixed/gay crowd. Love Machine hosts ‘Gossip Sundays’, featuring talented DJ’s, dancers and shows

A security guard is dead and three others were seriously injured after a gunman fired indiscriminately into a group of people outside this busy Melbourne nightclub Sunday night.

Aaron Khalid Osmani, 37, from Narre Warren South was rushed to hospital after the drive-by shooting outside the Love Machine nightclub in Prahran on Sunday morning.

Three security guards and one patron were shot in the incident, which occurred just after 3am outside the nightclub on Little Chapel Street and Malvern Road.

Osmani was rushed to a hospital in a critical condition. He died later in hospital. A 28-year-old is still is fighting for life at The Alfred hospital. Two others, aged 50 and 29, sustained non-life threatening injuries.

A stolen black Porsche Cayenne used in the shooting was later found burnt out in Wollert in the city’s north.

One person injured in the shooting ran around the corner into Chapel Street.

Police are yet to talk to the victims in full detail due to their injuries. They are still confirming whether the person found on Chapel Street was one of the four injured or if there is a fifth person who was shot.

Blood could be seen on the footpath more than 100 metres from the nightclub. Clothes and bullet casings were also scattered on the ground.

Homicide Detective Inspector Andy Stamper said it was too early to say whether it was a targeted or random shooting. No arrests have been made.

Chapel Street is home to a number of popular nightclubs and the shooting on Sunday occurred while many people were still out.

Travel News | eTurboNews