With Michelin stars, superyachts and swish new hotels, a reinvigorated Valletta is ready for the tourists to return.

On the rooftop of Gracy’s, a new brasserie and member’s club in a baroque 16th-century palazzo, blazers, florals and linen are the order of the day. Rakish co-owner Greg Nasmyth, an English media scion turned philanthropist and Liberal Democrat donor, is doing the rounds, while Malta’s Eurovision star Destiny sings smooth Aretha Franklin covers as the sun sets behind the dome of Valletta’s St Paul’s Cathedral.

The narrow peninsula on Malta’s east coast is a place of romantic ancient buildings with olive-green gallarija balconies — becalmed after a tumultuous history of being tossed around between the Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Normans, French and British.

Spurred on by Valletta’s 2018 stint as European Capital of Culture, and splashy architecture projects such as Renzo Piano’s parliament and city gate, more than 40 boutique hotels are said to have opened in the past five years — like the eight-suite palazzo Casa Ellul and Cugo Gran Macina, a Design Hotels member opened in 2018 by German property developers the Von Der Heyden Group. Having had no Michelin stars until 2020, Malta now has five, including Under Grain, a slinky basement restaurant at Rosselli, another smart design hotel that opened near the Iniala in 2019.

Read the full article here: https://www.ft.com/content/64f9640b-f05a-4cb5-8bcb-457cc62dfb51?accessToken=–sanitized–&sharetype=gift%3Ftoken%3D–sanitized–&fbclid=IwAR1BVhq2x0emnjWQBnUH8wvDbYFcSdXddpfXPxwZUtM66dJ-6yKH_syTWRU

Malta will be reassessing travel restrictions from the United States according to each state, with the majority expected to be moved to the amber list. “Contrary to what has been done before, the United States of America isn’t going to be assessed as a whole country,” Health Minister Chris Fearne said. “Instead, we are going to assess each state separately.”

Fearne said that the majority of the states will move to the amber list with ongoing assessments being made with regards to those that remain on the red list for the time being. Previously, health authorities red-listed the US as a whole, meaning travel to Malta from the country was prohibited.

As such, people travelling from a state that is on the amber list will be allowed to enter Malta as long as they produce a negative PCR test 72 hours before boarding.

70% of the Maltese population received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine whilst 42% has been fully vaccinated already.

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

This week we headed down to Vittoriosa to learn about Heritage Malta’s Taste History initiative. Clive Cortis explains to us this fairly new concept that is being introduced  to Museums on the islands.

After thorough research extracted from a vastly documented evidence found in Malta from the days of the corsairs, Taste History managed to reproduce the recipes and food stuffs used in the past and bring them to life.

This activity is lead by a professional team of curators and chefs that have come together to recreate the paupers’ frugal snacks, the corsair’s celebratory dinner, the Grand Master’s wine list, the Inquistor’s lent dinner and the Merchant’s decadent dessert, bringing about results that are as surprising as the flavours which have been brought back to life. An opportunity for guests to taste Maltese and Mediterranean history. This journey can be enjoyed at the Maritime Museum or the Inquisitor’s Palace, both found in the Three Cities, the original location of the corsairs or in any other Heritage Malta site. The Taste History team are urging the general public to join expert historians and fellow learners and immerse in the changing tastes of history in 18th century Malta.

This experience is exciting and interesting as a traditional dinner or lunch event and is being extremely well received by all that have experienced the journey.

Malta is renowned for its history and we are very proud to share it with all our guests as we greet them on our islands and passionately recount the myriad of stories the island holds so dearly.

The Malta Tourism Authority is committed to support tourism operators to confirm M.I.C.E. business to the Maltese Islands. This scheme is targeted to incentivise foreign corporate clients and associations to choose Malta and Gozo for their M.I.C.E. events in 2021 & 2022.

The M.I.C.E. segment is a very important component of Malta’s tourism industry. It is known to generate a higher than average spend per tourist and important tourism traffic in the shoulder months. The Malta Tourism Authority is committed to continue investing in this segment of industry in it’s recovery and long term sustainability. This scheme is being launched with this objective.

Applications can be submitted directly by the corporate client, Professional Conference Organizer, licensed Destination Management Companies (DMCs), Hotels and Audio-visual companies for tourism travel specifically for M.I.C.E (i.e. meetings, incentives, conference, and exhibitions) activity.

Support
A contribution will be granted towards each international delegate /registered attendee effectively travelling to attend or participate in a meeting, incentive, conference, or exhibition happening in Malta and Gozo in 2021/2022.

• M.I.C.E. events showing that a minimum of €800 is spent in the Maltese Islands per delegate are entitled to a contribution of €150 per attendee travelling from overseas.
• M.I.C.E. events showing that a minimum of €600 is spent in the Maltese Islands per delegate are entitled to a contribution of €75 per attendee travelling from overseas.

Application
Support under this scheme is subject to approval and is awarded at the sole discretion of the Malta Tourism Authority.

Applications can be submitted online on www.bit.ly/micescheme

Terms & Conditions
Any event can be supported one time only.
Applications will be handled on a first come first served basis.
Support is only payable post event.
Group size should not be less than 10 persons with a minimum stay of 2 nights in Malta or Gozo.
M.I.C.E. event program must showcase the destination in the best possible manner. Quality of service and product must always be ensured.
M.I.C.E. event spend in the Maltese Islands that can be submitted as proof of expenditure per delegate may include costs related to hotel accommodation, ground transportation, dining, excursions, team building activities, event production and logistics. International flights or other means of travel to and from the Maltese Islands are not eligible to be included in the calculation of expenditure per delegate.

Download The M.I.C.E Business Scheme Document here: https://www.mta.com.mt/en/news-details/295

Malta retains its coveted title as the safest country in Europe for the second time.

According to the 2019 Global Wealth Migration Review, published by the New World Health, Malta ranked second globally and first in Europe.

Several criteria determined the outcome of the report. A few include; wealth growth, economic growth, press freedom and women’s safety. The study focused on the movements of the wealthiest men and women.

Among other European countries, Malta maintained its status as a safe country, while cities such as London and Paris saw a decline over the past few years.

The Top 5 Safest Countries in the World for Women

1. Australia
2. Malta
3. Iceland
4. New Zealand
5. Canada

As stated in the report, “Woman safety is one of the best ways to gauge a country’s long-term growth potential, with a correlation of over 90% between historic wealth growth and woman safety levels. This means that wealth growth is boosted by strong levels of woman safety in a country.”

Another report, which was published in 2018, identified Malta as the second safest country in the world. The World Risk Report was published by the United Nations University Institute for Environment and Human Security. In terms of its susceptibility to and ability to deal with natural disasters, Malta came in just second after Qatar.

Lower down the list of 173 nations, island nations such as the Philippines, the Solomon Islands, Guyana, Tonga and Vanuatu were among the last in the rankings. This means that they are the least equipped to deal with natural disasters.

At the top of the list, Qatar was rated with a 0.36 percent chance of surviving a natural disaster, Malta closely followed with 0.57%. In terms of the lower ranking countries, Tonga encounters 29.42% and Vanuatu a more substantial risk of 50.28%.

The two nations which led the ranking, Qatar and Malta, may credit their low rates to their low exposure to earthquakes, floods and rising sea levels. In the event that such tragedies should occur, the infrastructure of both Qatar and Malta would be able to sufficiently manage the crisis.

Four categories which can define the basis on how risk is determined are:

1. Awareness of approaching natural hazards such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, droughts and rising sea levels.
2. Infrastructure vulnerability in terms of food, housing and economy.
3. Management strength in terms of governance, meaning lack of early warning systems, medical care and security.
4. The countries adaptive systems to future natural events and climate change.

In the latest edition of the World Risk Report, special attention was paid to the safety of children amidst such crises. It has come to light, that during natural disasters children are at a higher risk of physical injury and death.

Katrin Radtke, scientific director of the Global Risk Report stated: “of the 15 countries with the highest risk, nine are island nations.”

What can be learnt from this report, is that preparation is key in managing extreme natural disasters, with regards to both the outset and the aftermath.

Malta grants the possibility of relocation through its residence and citizenship programmes allowing you to enjoy Malta’s lifestyle as well as its security.

Read the full article: https://theisland.mt/business/malta-the-2nd-safest-country-in-the-world-safest-country-in-europe/?fbclid=IwAR3V796lNlbYWHBy3wOug_aopIrbUsiUmicjaAHDj4nTadamyF0RLYaATyw%20Cristina%20Galea%20|%20Colours%20of%20Malta

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 the Maltese summer begins to approach, with talks of herd immunity and nation-wide vaccination finally within reach, Signature Entertainment Group took to Facebook to share that the legendary international hospitality brand Buddha Bar is coming to Malta in the form of Buddha-Bar Beach.

With a (so far) undisclosed location, Buddha Bar Beach will welcome ‘colourful recipes, amazing cocktails & hypnotic world sounds’, with the iconic global brand welcoming summer 2021 in the best way possible.