According to Malta Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, effort is needed to elevate Malta’s reputation as an affordable key holiday destination to attract more travellers. Along with Corinthia Group Chairman Alfred Pisani in the Business Insider conference, Malta is a unique Mediterranean destination.

He said Malta should have better rates should its quality improve.

“If we believe in our capability and maintain values in what we do, we will eventually and slowly improve,” he said.

Pisani said that Malta’s move to high-end tourism was possible if a change in enforcement and high-end establishments come to fruition.

Lewis said

“Many owners of entertainment establishments are now shifting to investments in accommodation and as such, cleaning up the area would be in their interest.”

He was also pretty confident that Malta had no troubles with its economy or development, but he sees that there is room to grow for tourism improvement. Lewis believes the country hasn’t reached its full potential during the summer months with just a 2% growth capacity.

Lewis also encouraged increasing the number of tourists outside Malta. Currently it only has 12% accounted for. He pointed out the government is trying to secure a direct flight deal with China. However, Malta President For Tourism Hospitality and Leisure Philip Fenech said culture must be improved else the quality of tourism in Malta, and tourists, can suffer.

Kate Middleton’s second pregnancy announcement leaves preparations for her Malta tour hanging in the balance.

Her second pregnancy impeding her Malta tour raised alarms when she announced her absence at a scheduled local UK event because of extreme morning sickness, having medical experts say that the Duchess of Cambridge may not be able to go on her first solo travel following possible health weaknesses during childbearing.

She cancelled her appearance at the opening ceremony of Invictus Games, headed by brother-in-law Prince Harry.

An official statement from Kensington Palace confirmed her absence and also mentioned that her tour to Malta is still under review.

Meanwhile, the official baby announcement had the Royal Family of the United Kingdom delighted. Prince Charles had announced his joy for having a second grandchild and preferred that the child be a girl this time.

However, his preference had a self-proclaimed feminist and British journalist named Angela Neustatter condemn him for his preference, namely his choice of words in the announcement because his remarks are never taken lightly by the world.

Duchess Kate Middleton had been sufferering Hyperemesis Gravidarum with severe vomiting and headaches during the morning. She is currently attended by hospital staff inside the Kensington Palace.

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The Mediterranean is but a traveler’s delight because of its lush weather, its beautiful seaside and architecture, and culture. The Mediterranean is also surrounded with beautiful ships, both small and big. The architecture and environment tells a story, and all of these are attracting tourists from the United States, Europe and Asia.

Malta’s traveling potential is probably at its peak in today’s modern world. According to travel experts, the restoration of a direct flight route into Malta from the United States will attract a great number of American tourists into the country. Economic analysts said that Malta should invest in tourism marketing in the United States.

Currently, Malta’s top tourism markets are in Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom. The country attracts more than a million tourists per year. However, most tourists stay longer rather than travel for the beaches and spend more on the local provisions. The target of tourism is to cut the time of the tourists for Malta, as the population grows bigger every year.

The average stay of a tourist is more than 8 days, helping the total tourist expenditure to Malta to reach £1,000 on average.

Malta Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis said that Malta’s tourism is booming, but the costs of tourism activities and the population of tourists may affect the growth of the industry. Economic efficiency is their prime objective to maximise Malta’s travel central potential in the world.

Economic analysts said that the move will help Malta’s tourism grow. However, tourists may get the impression that Malta is closing of its doors to ‘commoners’, as the plans may prioritise only high-yielding tourists.

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Malta’s Immigration had said that it not selling European citizenship to anyone who could afford €650,000, which became controversial among many EU countries and the European Commission condemn the proposal. Although the EU and its Commission allowed the sale of the passports, it was heavily detested by many EU countries because it “cheapened” the citizenship, coveted by other countries.

Malta said that it is changing the original plan of selling the passports and are requiring the migrants must have lived in the Island nation for a year.

According to Malta’s official statement “no certificate of naturalisation will be issued unless the applicant provides proof that he/she has resided in Malta for a period of at least 12 months immediately preceding the day of issuing of the certificate of naturalisation.”

The European Commission suggested to Malta after talks that it should also stress the applicant should have a “genuine link” to the country. Employment or relatives are valid links. According to the EC, the ability to pay is innate with any citizen of a country, which makes it “cheap” just to sell the citizenship to anybody.

Malta’s earlier plans of selling passports for access in the EU was part of a plan to attract other citizens from abroad to bring in billions in euros for the country in the next five years, which could help Malta’s financing develop schools, healthcare and jobs.

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The European Commission is now investigating why Maltese passports are worth €650,000. The EC said that it is possible Malta and Cyprus governments may face legal sanction. Cyprus passports amount to €3 million.

According to experts, Malta “on Sale” allows anybody with enough money to get a new citizenship without proper examination. They said that any person with a criminal record, regardless how vile, can earn citizenship even if background checks are done.

The EC is concerned about criminals getting a “golden ticket” from Malta to travel anywhere in Europe to conduct illicit activities. Regardless of security emplacements, criminals will have free ability to roam on European soil to use workarounds in going to different places.

In response to this particular action by the EC, Maltese President George Abela said that the government will postpone the implementation of the citizenship sale.

The “on sale” citizenships did not require anybody to have a residency or investment status. Maltese nationalists opposed the law because of their own security concerns and due to the fact that the government will publish the names of those who purchased their citizenships.

According to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, the citizenship sale was made as part of an effort to ease the country’s deficit by bringing in €30 million yearly.

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An “extraordinary” number of pilots calling in sick on Tuesday had left Air Malta financially scarred, paying €500,000 in denied boarding compensation to more than 2000 passengers who had their flights delayed in a single day.

According to Air Malta Chief Executive Peter Davies, the “sick calls” of pilots were uncalled for and illogical. He said that the company is still restructuring and its future is not yet secured. The pilots’ evasion of responsibilities had damaged Maltese tourism, the airline’s reputation and irreversible financial damages.

Dominic Azzopardi, the leader of ALPA, the airline’s pilot union, said that the airline had long operated on the perception that none of its pilots will ever report in sick. He said that he had warned the company had missed 16 people in the pilot’s complement. Azzopardi said he was rejected when he wanted to promote six first officers to captain to introduce six new pilots.

Azzopardi is also responsible for ensuring that the pilots are fit for duty, which cleared him of suspected conspiracy against the company. Airlines are not allowed to let pilots who are unfit for duty fly air vehicles.

The ALPA president also added that the Air Malta management did not schedule pilots’ rosters ahead of time properly. Without a proper system, most pilots are only called from standby to come in and fly the airplanes whenever they are available, which is inefficient and unhealthy for pilots.

 

Malta is a tropical country rich with beaches, sights and excursions for tourists and if you’re planning for a great summer vacation getaway, you’ll find it in this country. If it is your first time traveling to the country, here are a few things to help you get started.


1. Boat Trips
Malta features island trips by boat. If you’re looking to see the tropical beauty of its famous islands, notably Comino Island, you could go by the local boat trips offered by companies or even individuals. If you’re staying in popular tourist spots, you could ask the local authorities to help you find a suitable boat trip company.

2. Maltese Bus
The Maltese Bus is the common local transportation used by its many citizens. As a tourist, you could get by to almost everywhere from one town, to a village and to a city. The fare rates are quite low, definitely good news for those travelling on a budget.

3. Village Fiestas
The best way to enjoy Malta is to time it right that a village’s fiesta is happening. This is where you could see the true culture of the Maltese. As a religious country, most villages celebrate a particular Saint’s birthday complete with marching bands, fireworks and a festive mood in every Maltese in the area.

4. Jeep Tours
If you don’t like going on buses, you could go for Malta’s Jeep Tours, which offer extensive routes to specific vacation spots and sights.

Malta is a wonderful place to spend a vacation or live in for the rest of your lives. Like any country, Malta has a very rich history. This explains why its architecture is beautiful, scenic and clearly historic. Many tourists interested in monumental structures and architecture take interest in Malta because of its European-Mediterranean look.

Malta’s architecture derives from the use of soft globigerina limestone, which most of the island’s buildings are made out of. Of course, these structures make use of modern bricks, cement, foundation practices and other materials. The globigerina limestone does not yield to seasonal changes, which makes it a good and unique building material.

Experts trace the limestone’s history back to 3,000 BC during the Neolithic period. The limestone could be weathered to have the colour of natural sandstone and can be sculpted down to hairpin detail.

Malta’s architecture, aside from the stone, also derives from the Baroque period. Baroque utilized wide spaces and high ceilings common in most cathedrals and churches. Experts believe that Malta was under Roman rule during its reign and this is what led to the development of Baroque-style structures, to which the people of Malta lay an influence of the Mediterranean feel in architecture.

Malta has a long history of military strength starting from medieval knights to serving as a fortified base to defend against invaders. Italian military engineer Pietro Paolo Floriani strengthened the defences of the country and protected Malta from any invasion.

Malta is a South European country near Sicily and Tunisia and is one of the world’s smallest countries on par with South American countries. Malta has great historical significance dominated by different countries until its last captor, the United Kingdom, finally ended its reign in the country in 1964. The country has a good economy, but that is just one reason why you should stay and get a property in Malta.

1. The Mediterranean/ South American Vibe
Many tourists find South America as the foremost “summer vacation spot” because of its tropical atmosphere. In Malta, you could have the same atmosphere and scenic sunsets, yet have the best weather of having 5 hours of sunshine a day. The tropical vibe could visit by the morning with the country’s lush tropics, then end up with a Mediterranean mood as the sun sets.

2. Architecture
Because of its rich history dominated by Phoenicians Greeks, Christian Crusaders and later the British, Malta’s culture is very diverse as it is very endearing. Greek architecture is interspersed with Mediterranean and British architecture throughout history. Many of the oldest manmade structures in the world, such as the Ggantija, exists in Malta. It’s Roman heritage explains the mosaic floors and classical architecture that also exist in the country.

3. Economy
Malta has an advanced economy that depends on cotton and tobacco exports. It ships to different countries all over the world through its shipyards. It’s primary resources are limestone and it produces 20% of the food it consumes. Film production is a booming business in Malta because of its scenic locations visited by different film producers and companies. It also has no property tax.