Paul Bugeja touted for MTA top job

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) president Paul Bugeja is the favourite to replace outgoing Malta Tourism Authority CEO Josef Formosa Gauci.

MaltaToday is informed that tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis has approached Bugeja - who already sits on the MTA board - to fill in the void left by the outgoing CEO.

In comments to MaltaToday, Bugeja could not confirm whether he would be appointed, however he said “discussions are ongoing, but nothing has been finalised yet.”

He said that government and the MTA were keeping their options open but said that due to commercially sensitive information, he wasn’t in a position to comment any further.

“Government is keen on filling in all the vacancies at MTA at the earliest,” Bugeja said, adding that the sooner the vacancies are filled the better for the industry.

Apart from heading the industry’s top lobby, Bugeja currently serves as the Corinthia group’s Chief Financial Officer.

Earlier, travel and tourism operators today thanked the outgoing CEO at the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), Josef Formosa Gauci, “for his sterling contribution to the industry” and called on government to recommend to the MTA Board a possible successor in the shortest time possible.