The Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne has announced that all restrictions on weddings and events will be lifted from 2nd May. That means that person limits, vaccine requirements and mask-wearing will no longer be mandatory at weddings and events. Malta will also remove obligations for a passenger locator form for anyone arriving into the country from 2nd May.

Fearne made the announcement along with several changes to mask-wearing rules, quarantine, and the opening of English Language Schools. He said he expected all measures to be lifted soon, but did not give a date.

The PLF has been controversial, given the backlog and queues it creates at the Malta International Airport. PLFs will be needed for the red and dark red zones only.

The only people who will need to remain in isolation and quarantine are positive cases. The quarantine period will be seven days. This will apply to both vaccinated and unvaccinated. Primary contacts will no longer need to quarantine. People who live in the same household as a positive case will not be obliged to quarantine, but it is recommended if they are showing symptoms.

When it comes to masks, they will no longer be obligatory except in hospitals, clinics, elderly homes and flights. However, it is recommended that masks be used on public transport and in closed spaces.

Read full article here: https://lovinmalta.com/news/watch-weddings-and-events-completely-back-to-normal-from-2nd-may-chris-fearne-announces/

Malta Tourism Authority welcomes the great news that the Malta International Airport welcomed a total of 418,473 passengers in September, which also marked the first time, since 1999, that September outpaced August in terms of passenger traffic, and the strongest month, in terms of passenger volumes, since the COVID-19 pandemic started.

Seat-occupancy levels also remained below pre-pandemic levels, as airlines carried passengers to and from the airport at an average seat load factor of just over 70%.

“The recent news published by the Malta International Airport is truly encouraging for the local tourism sector. Notwithstanding the challenging times, Malta managed to strike a balance between the lives and livelihoods of the Maltese people. We will continue working hard to assure that the hospitality industry continues to recover and assure that Malta becomes a home of tourism excellence for the years to come,” remarked Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Clayton Bartolo.

“This is great news for Malta, especially given the circumstances which we all have had to live with in the past months, and naturally, it fills us, as an Authority, with a strong sense of positivity, coupled with the right amount of energy, to look forward to ending 2021 and starting 2022 with further positive results. I believe that our marketing efforts, together with the €20m-strong Tourism Recovery Plan which we have laid out together with the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection, as well as, the excellent way in which the Health Authorities have handled, and are still handling the pandemic, all played a crucial role in the positive results which we have seen for September. This is also another example of just how important it is for all stakeholders to work together for the greater good, when faced with such an unprecedented crisis,” MTA CEO Johann Buttigieg said.

Malta International Airport also reported that the United Kingdom retained its spot as the top driver of passenger traffic as it continues its path of recovery, with over 108,000 passengers departing or arriving from this destination in September, followed by the Italian, German, French and Spanish markets.

“A word of thanks must go to our marketing teams at Head Office, and our teams across Europe and the world for being resilient in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, working closely with the management, as one big team, and adapting to the ever-changing situation of the pandemic across various countries and regions. We have used the pandemic to reinvent our marketing strategy, investing in digital media campaigns, to make people feel close to the Maltese Islands, even during the strictest of lockdowns. This has paid off, and is paying off, with the encouraging results which we are seeing. I am sure that with regards to the UK market, we will continue to see further improvement, especially with restrictions being eased further in the UK,” MTA Deputy CEO and Chief Marketing Officer, Carlo Micallef added.

Article credits: https://www.mta.com.mt/en/news-details/327

The past year and a half have impacted airlines, hotels and the tourism industry in general. But whilst the world went quiet, we held on tight and pushed through, to ensure we returned even better and stronger than ever before, by bringing you the best-in-class events on the Maltese Islands.

We Are Ready!

11 beaches in Malta and Gozo have been awarded the Blue Flag for 2021. This year the International Jury took into consideration the COVID-19 restrictions imposed on beaches all over the world and noted that the beaches in Malta and Gozo followed these restrictions in a good manner, keeping in mind the safety of beach users in mind.

The Blue Flag Beaches in Malta and Gozo are:

• Fond Għadir, Sliema
• Westin Dragonara Beach Resort, St Julian’s
• St George’s Bay, Paceville
• Qawra Rock Beach
• Buġibba Perched Beach
• Għadira Bay, Mellieha
• Golden Bay
• Ghajn Tuffieha Bay
• Ramla l-Ħamra Bay, Gozo
• Ħondoq Bay, Gozo
• Marsalforn Bay, Gozo

Malta’s Tourism Recovery Plan will seek to attract tourism activity to Malta, with a funding injection worth €20 million for the industry. Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that Malta will seek to attract as many tourists as possible to help contribute to recovery.

One aspect of the plan involves attracting free independent travellers (FITs). These are travellers who plan their own trips and opt to travel alone or in small groups, as opposed to mass tourism strategies that rely on large groups and travel packages.

Bartolo pointed out that the schemes will not only target FITs, with further schemes to be announced over the next few weeks.

Regarding use the Digital Green Certificate, the minister reassured that it won’t lead to discrimination between those who have received the vaccine and those who fall further behind in the vaccination queue.

“The Green Certificate won’t be the only way someone can travel – you can use negative PCR tests taken hours before travelling. These appear to be the two favourite options at EU level and for Malta, with discussions with the Superintendent of Public Health confirming this,” he said.

Read the full article: https://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/national/108693/malta_targets_1_june_for_tourism_recovery_with_plan_to_attract_free_independent_travellers#.YHZ-Ba8zY2x

As of June 1st, Malta will welcome passengers from the UK who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.

British travellers who can show proof of full vaccination received at least ten days before arriving in the country will no longer have to provide a negative PCR test certificate 72 hours prior to, or on arrival in Malta.

Passengers will need to show their vaccination card when boarding to be accepted to travel.

Malta is second to the UK in terms of European countries vaccinating the greatest proportion of its population, with 40 per cent of the adult population having received its first dose, making the destination a safe choice for future travel.

Tolene Van Der Merwe, director UK & Ireland of Malta Tourism Authority, commented: “Malta is a very popular destination for British holidaymakers and is a key contributor to Malta’s economy, so we are excited to welcome back fully vaccinated travellers from the United Kingdom from June.

This latest announcement is another example of Malta and the UK’s special, long-standing relationship which dates back to the 1800 when Malta voluntarily became part of the British Empire as a protectorate and in the 20th century Malta was famously favoured by her majesty the Queen, and she spent two years living on the island when the Duke of Edinburgh conducted his work for the Royal Navy and returned for many state visits.

Present day Malta offers world-class diving, a burgeoning gastronomy scene and year-round warm weather.

The islands have an exciting few months in store with a wealth of new restaurant, hotel and spa openings for travellers to enjoy when they can return.

Read the full article: https://www.breakingtravelnews.com/news/article/malta-to-welcome-vaccinated-brits-from-june/