Tourism recovery plan welcomed across the industry

The Tourism Recovery Plan is offering a newfound hope for the industry, as stakeholders across the board express their hope for the coming summer period. 

The Federated Association of Travel and Tourism Agents (FATTA) firmly endorsed the plan on Wednesday, describing it as a critical investment for Malta to compete with other destinations over the coming summer.

FATTA also noted that eighteen airlines will be operating to and from Malta this summer, with four new airlines operating for the first time.

"[This is] a testimony to the significant and tireless efforts of the teams at the Malta Tourism Authority and Malta International Airport," it stated.

The association emphasised the importance of remaining vigilant when complying with COVID-19 regulations issued by public health authorities in order to control and limit the spread of the virus.

"This is critical for the reactivation plan to succeed," it said.

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) said on Tuesday that they are satisfied with this plan, and warned that keeping Malta front and centre in consumers' minds will be critical when restarting international travel.

MHRA President Tony Zahra admitted that it has been a "catastrophic year" for the industry, but recent results from restrictive COVID-19 measures offer hope for tourism recovery.

"The sooner we manage to control the COVID-19 spread, the sooner we can relaunch our businesses, which cannot afford to remain closed for the sake of their investors, employees and patrons," Zahra said.

The Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) also welcomed the announcement of the recovery plan, saying that it shows that Malta is ready, able and willing to start the road to recovery.

It acknowledged that the recovery plan is being approached with cautiousness and diligence, especially where FITs are being priorities as opposed to mass tourism strategies.

"ALPA Malta is aware of the fact that all airline pilots in Malta will be key players in such a strategy which is set to help both the aviation industry and the Maltese economy. Indeed, it shares the responsibility and the required positive disposition for such a vital recovery plan being spearheaded by the Government, as rightly so, the success of this plan depends on each and every one of us," it said.