Gozo has been listed the Best European Island for: Sparkling coves

Odysseus nearly didn’t make it home to his wife, Penelope. Instead, the sparkling island of Ogygia winked at him and he was lured ashore, spending seven years under the spell of its seductive sea nymph, Calypso. That Homer’s Ogygia is widely considered to be Gozo should come as no surprise. This rugged island surrounded by cerulean waters forms the perfect backdrop for myths and legends – and for films. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie spent several months here filming By The Sea, and the island’s now crumbled Azure Window featured in the first episode of Game of Thrones. Despite such claims to fame, Malta’s smaller sister island remains unspoilt and untamed. North Africa, Arabia and Sicily meet in this sizzling and spiky stone in the sea. Spend your days swimming in sparkling coves, sipping a Kinnie – the locals’ favourite orange-flavoured fizzy drink – in the sun and feasting on plates of sea urchin spaghetti. Then join the queue for ftira (Maltese pizza) at the Mekren bakery in Nadur.

Getting to Gozo: Fly to Malta International Airport, and from there it’s one hour by road to Cirkewwa Harbour, where ferries to Gozo depart. The sea crossing takes 30 minutes.

Article credits: https://www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-secret-islands-europe

The Ministry for Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority are pleased to announce that the 21st edition of the Malta International Fireworks Festival will be taking place on seven nights between Sunday 17th April and Saturday 30th April 2022. Each night promises to be a beautiful display of colour and coordination, and the closing night is bound to be a true spectacle.

The festival also has a competitive edge! Each year, the festival hosts a Pyromusical competition, which means that the fireworks are designed to match the rhythm of a musical number! Awards are then distributed to the most impressive displays.

There’s always something brewing.

The Brewhouse is one of Malta’s most iconic industrial buildings and exciting regeneration projects. Occupying the site of the former Farsons Brewery and designed by world renowned Ian Ritchie Architects, The Brewhouse is being transformed into an inspirational mixed-use destination which will include a variety of unique spaces, unlike anything found on the island.

Events Spaces
The Brewhouse is a standout venue for your next event. On Level 4, one finds a fully equipped and flexible 300 sqms space for small to medium sized events such as seminars, workshops, networking events or private parties. These is also The Brewhall, a breathtaking two-tiered brewing room featuring the original boiling coppers.

Meeting Facilities
Depending on your requirements, The Brewhouse has the right meeting facility for you. Take The Redler Room, a 20-person boardroom anchored around authentic industrial equipment in situ. Users of this amazing space will also enjoy private access to the adjoining terrace and have a full range of Food and Beverage packages at their fingertips.

The lifestyle offering housed within this historical landmark will have something for everyone. Office tenants will no doubt enjoy the convenience of the several food and beverage outlets on site for working lunches and after-hours networking, while families and tourists will easily make a day out of their visit to The Brewhouse with a stop at the upcoming Farsons Brewery Visitor Experience, a browse through the flagship Brandstore and a bite to eat at the upcoming Microbrewery and beer garden.

A new apron is to be developed at Malta International Airport to handle future growth, MIA said.

The €40 million project was given the go-ahead by the board of directors of Malta International Airport on Tuesday.

The Apron X project will see the development of an area measuring around 100,000 square metres, which is roughly comparable to the size of 14 football pitches. It will significantly improve the airport’s aircraft parking capacity and its ability to better handle mixed-fleet operations, particularly during peak hours in summer.

Apron X will be able to accommodate up to seven medium-size aircraft or three larger ones.

The airport has an additional 20 stands for aircraft on Aprons 8 and 9.

At this critical juncture, we have the responsibility to start taking long-term decisions, even if they may appear to be at odds with the current aviation environment, that will determine the future of the local tourism industry. Today’s approval of the Apron X investment is Malta International Airport’s strongest statement yet about its confidence in the industry’s ability to recover to pre-pandemic levels, as well as its potential to grow further and achieve new records,” said Malta International Airport Chief Executive Officer Alan Borg.

The project will include a taxiway to the new apron, and a staging area housing facilities for ground handling operations.

The Apron X project is also envisaged to support Malta International Airport in honouring its environmental commitments through the construction of a 10,000sq metre reservoir for better rainwater harvesting and the installation of LED floodlighting systems.

Additionally, the project will provide for preparatory works for the electrification of parking stands, in line with a European Union plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project will supply parked aircraft with an electricity supply.

Works on the project are expected to commence in the coming weeks once the local Planning Authority issues a permit. While the company is eyeing the start of summer 2024 for the completion and utilisation of the first parking stands, the full project is expected to be concluded in 2026.

Article credits: https://timesofmalta.com/articles/view/malta-airport-to-invest-40m-in-new-apron-and-taxiway.936383

Colours of Malta is thrilled to announce that Kuoni Tumlare Meetings & Events have optimised a longstanding business partnership with their DMC and now have a Global Partnership Agreement covering future business. The Agreement establishes Malta as a key destination within Kuoni Tumlare’s extensive portfolio, with high potential for our client markets. After successful discussions between Davide Cachia, Managing Director Colours of Malta and Maxime Toldre, Head of M&E Kuoni Tumlare, we are looking forward to our partnership and expanding our growth opportunities.

The official trailer for Hollywood blockbuster film Jurassic World Dominion has been released. The blockbuster movie was partly filmed in Malta in summer 2020.

The filmmakers used various locations around the island, including the capital Valletta, where a motorbike chase around the streets of the city and St George’s Square sees raptors chasing the film’s heroes.

The film was expected to be released in cinemas in June 2021  but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The movie was filmed in locations in Malta, Vancouver, Hawaii and London’s Pinewood studios.

Jurassic World signalled a return of large budget movies to the island. In 2016, Assassin’s Creed and 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi were also partially filmed in Malta.

The move will premiere in cinemas on 10 June.

“Jurassic World: Dominion” is set in the present day, around four years after “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.” Following the destruction of the Jurassic World theme park, genetically engineered dinosaurs were auctioned off by companies and released in the human world.

Cast members of the original “Jurassic Park” series will also return in the film — including Laura Dern as Dr. Ellie Sattler, Sam Neill as Alan Grant and Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm.

In the trailer, there are dinosaurs wandering free in a wintery tundra and swimming in the ocean as humans look on warily.  “Human and dinosaurs can’t coexist. We created an ecological disaster,” Dern says in the trailer, which is a keen observation that should have been apparent five movies ago.

“We not only lack dominion over nature, we’re subordinate to it,” says Goldblum.

“Jurassic World: Dominion” stars Chris Pratt, Bryce Dallas Howard, DeWanda Wise, Omar Sy, Daniella Pineda and more.

Colin Trevorrow and Emily Carmichael co-write from a story by Derek Connolly and Trevorrow, who also directs. The film is from Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment. Trevorrow, Steven Spielberg and Alexandra Derbyshire executive produce, with Frank Marshall and Patrick Crowley as producers.

Article credits: https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/arts/film/114888/watch_dinos_in_valletta_spotted_trailer_for_jurassic_world_3_is_out#.YgzjC9_MLIU

VisitMalta and Carter Entertainment are proud to announce an exciting collaboration to bring the first-ever LIVE show of the L.O.L Surprise! Dolls to the UK and to Malta!

Introducing L.O.L. Surprise! LIVE VIP Party in collaboration with VisitMalta – the multi-city UK national and Malta tour is set to remix the vibes of a club, feature the best ever beats & latest songs from the upcoming L.O.L. Surprise! movie, never-before-seen dance moves and the ultimate instagrammable sets.

After kicking off in Sheffield last week, everyone’s favourite L.O.L. Dolls arrived in London, as a host of famous faces descended to The SSE Arena, Wembley, for a night of glitz and glamour. Ferne McCann, Fearne Cotton, and more attended London’s opening night of the highly anticipated L.O.L. Surprise! LIVE VIP Party in collaboration with VisitMalta hosted by Lady Diva, Royal Bee, Swag, Neonlicious and many more.

Speaking at a press event before the first Wembley Show, via a video message, Malta’s Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection, Clayton Bartolo said “Having VisitMalta as an official destination partner with LOL Surprise, one of the biggest worldwide brands when it comes to children’s entertainment is an exciting journey that we shall embark on together. This partnership shall be an opportunity to promote the Maltese islands as a family tourism destination directly with the target audience itself – as the show will be watched by hundreds of thousands of families across the United Kingdom. Moreover, this will make our country appealing to tourists will who be choosing Malta to travel alongside their families over the Easter holidays.”

Mr Johann Buttigieg, VisitMalta CEO, said that “we are really looking forward to seeing this partnership come to fruition, as it forms an intrinsic part of VisitMalta’s commitment to ensure that Malta cements itself as the safe family destination where families with children of all ages can enjoy great weather, beautiful beaches, an abundance of history, and some of the best food, with this exciting show by the L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls being the ultimate cherry on the cake. We are also proud to be supporting the UK tour of this show, which for us makes perfect sense, with the UK being our biggest and most important tourist market.”

L.O.L. Surprise! LIVE VIP Party in collaboration with VisitMalta will perform at the Malta Fairs and Conventions Centre, from the 5th to 17th April 2022, and tickets are available at www.visitmalta.com. Show times and days vary.

Samantha Wilson, Marketing Director for L.O.L. Surprise! UK^TM said: “We’re delighted to be bringing our L.O.L. Surprise! Dolls to the stage for the first time in the UK and in Malta. It’s such an exciting moment for us. We always love an opportunity to surprise fans, so the opportunity to work with Carter Entertainment on this brand-new show was one we couldn’t turn down. It’s going to be a show like no other, with bubbles, projections, confetti and even holograms. We can’t wait to see our fans interacting and dancing with their favourite dolls. We have no doubt it will be a moment they’ll never forget!”

Tony Worgan and Adam Carr, Co-Founders of Carter Entertainment said: We can’t wait for the UK and Malta to experience L.O.L. Surprise! LIVE VIP Party, and we’re delighted to have VisitMalta as the official destination sponsor. The show is so much more than a family experience, it’s a concert and dance party all rolled into one. Throughout the 90-minute show there will be creative sets, brand new choreography and everything from projections to confetti blasts. We knew we wanted to take the show to the next level and surprise fans, which is why it’s exciting to be the first UK family show to include holograms. We look forward to UK families coming together to see the show for the first time in November. The same goes for all the families in Malta next April!”

Read the full article here: https://www.mta.com.mt/en/news-details/347

Originally a TV show on Japan’s Fuji Television, Confidence Man JP follows the comic journey of a scammer as she tries to make do with copious amounts of money from yakuza bosses and evil businessmen. It is a comedy-heist series, which goes down a treat with all those who watch it.

The movie is the third in its series and it promises to be a multi-billion blockbuster like its two predecessors, which were filmed in Hong Kong and Malaysia, and the fact that this movie was now filmed in Malta, with the Island appearing as itself, will help to expose the beauty of the country to Japanese, Chinese and South Korean Tourists.

“Having this movie shot in Malta is definitely a big plus for the Asian Market,” Mr Shingo Endo, VisitMalta’s Japan and South Korea representative said, adding that with group bookings scheduled to start in June 2022, “we will continue to use this movie and its success to promote the sheer beauty of the Maltese Islands, giving tourists the opportunity to visit the various sites which have been used for the filming of this production.”

Although the movie is currently set for Asian release, there are plans in the pipeline to have it also available on streaming platforms, especially after the recent success of non-mainstream productions in the English language on giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

The movie production received the support of the Malta Film Commission and of VisitMalta, who were crucial in organising the pre-production visit to the Maltese Islands, when the movie was still in its early stages.

Read the full article here: https://www.mta.com.mt/en/news-details/349

The Games of the Small States of Europe (GSSE), which will be held in Malta in June 2023, has officially been launched following an announcement by Minister for Education and Sport Clifton Grima.

The event marks the third time Malta will host the event, since the Games’ inception in 1985.

At the time, the games were formed for countries with populations of fewer than one million people, and feature the same events seen in the Olympics.

In a promo video launched by the Ministry, athletes were appealed to fight for the top spot, as the occasion draws ever closer.

“Now, more than before is our time to dream big, aim high and fight hard. Now is the time to show the world what the smallest of the European Countries can do.”

“Sports makes us a nation. Sports unites us as one populace. Sports drive us forwards.”

SportMalta received €5 million in funds in an attempt to create the best environment for athletes to thrive, as they prepare to fight for gold.

“The government is proud to be giving full support to this sector, especially to these games,” said Minister Grima. “We have invested both in sports infrastructure, which we are raising to an international level, but for the first time, we have also invested in human resources.”

Since the first GSSEs, Maltese athletes have won 331 medals. In the two editions which happened in Malta, athletes won 32 medals in 1993, and 44 medals in 2003.

The walled city of Valletta, founded in 1566, is the capital and was built on a peninsula between two natural harbours. It’s full of Baroque character and was recognised as an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1980.

If you want to take in the full majesty of the city, then you need to see the Grand Harbour in all its splendour – and if you want to also enjoy a great meal whilst doing so, then you should consider making a booking at ION – The Harbour, a proud holder of a MICHELIN Star.

It’s found on the 4th floor of the Iniala Harbour House hotel and, when you are a restaurant fortunate enough to be able to offer tables on a terrace that provide such spectacular views, then it makes sense to use it as much as possible – and that’s exactly what it does.

However, don’t think that your eyes will simply stay focused on the vista – the stunningly presented food directly in front of you will compete equally for your attention.

It’s fairly clear that this a kitchen that was classically trained but it is also one that understands elegance and refinement. The balanced and appealing set menus all make great use of the finest produce from nearby countries, be it lobster from Brittany used for the pithivier or Sicilian red prawns served with aged Kaluga caviar. The best local ingredients are also showcased and these include line-caught lampuki which here comes with dill and smoked cream. From the delicate canapés that kick off proceedings to the exquisite desserts, this is food that tastes as good as it looks.

And it’s not just the cooking and the setting that make ION – The Harbour such a special place. The service also ensures you feel truly looked after – it’s attentive and detailed but never overbearing or starchy. Similarly, the wine service is helpful, engaging and enthusiastic and the wine list itself offers plenty of depth, which includes an interesting selection by the glass.

Read the full article: https://guide.michelin.com/en/article/features/michelin-guide-malta-ion—the-harbour-valletta?fbclid=IwAR3Knx0YRhMVYU9TRcE1edUyXvzaot0drbn9RoSXYfnLj8uQCxy8UgPZp_8