Strategy 21.

To institute Governance procedures to monitor/measure the results of this strategy and organize an annual national tourism conference bringing together all stakeholders with a view to reviewing results, discussing key issues and agreeing on way forward to ensure the Strategic Planning Process is integrated into macro and micro industry actions in a rolling manner.
 

Rationale

This Malta Tourism Strategy up to 2030 is based on the principles of “Recover, Rethink, Revitalise”. The
Strategy has been set with the objective of strengthening Malta’s improved attractiveness, enhanced competitiveness and maximised socio-economic returns based on the principles of sustainability, the delivery of a higher quality experience and the fostering of a stronger bond between host population
needs and visitor expectations.

The Strategy is based on clear objectives and deliverables and its progress will be measured through the formulation of a wide range of KPIs including Sustainability Indicators, Economic Measurements, Social Impact Measurement, Geographic and Motivational Segment Measurement and Forecasting, Product and Service Monitoring, Monitoring of International Trends and Developments and the introduction of stakeholder involvement and consultation structures amongst others.

The Governance and Implementation element of this Strategy will rest on the set up of a dedicated Malta Tourism Observatory which will be charged with the responsibility of managing and following the Execution of the Tourism Strategy to 2030. The Observatory shall possess executives under the direction of the MTA Chief Officer Strategic Development. It will be administered by a Board comprising officials from the Ministry for Tourism and Consumer Protection, the MTA Board of Directors and the MTA and shall also have an Advisory Board comprising members from the major industry, academic and administrative sectors.

The Malta Tourism Observatory will have a proactive role in the execution of the Tourism Strategy and will be empowered to commission studies, undertake KPI measurement and continually consult with the wider set of stakeholders during the process of steering the implementation of the Strategy. It will report regularly through the production and publication of ad hoc, quarterly, half-yearly and annual reports and strive to join the growing network of international tourism observatories.

A further outcome of this approach will consist of the holding of an annual National Tourism Conference to bring together all stakeholders to present, discuss and update strategic actions in line with developments during the lifetime of this Strategy.

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Objective

To ensure that the processes emerging from the Tourism Strategy are adequately managed, monitored
and evaluated and to put a structure in place to oversee such tasks. To keep the Strategic Process alive and relevant by convening stakeholders in an annual manner to involve them in updates, discussions and evolution of the Strategy. Widespread support and endorsement should be sought for this Strategy to ensure continuity and a full understanding of the challenges ahead.

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Goals and Actions

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GOAL 1
Creating a dedicated structure to manage the Tourism Strategy.
 

Actions

 

Action 1.  Set up a Malta Tourism Observatory including officials, management structure, reporting and advisory structures and provide adequate funding for its running and execution of duties.

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GOAL 2

Elevating the measurement of the Strategy’s implementation to the scrutiny of a multi-disciplinary team of advisory stakeholders.

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Actions

 

Action 1.  Setting up of an Advisory Team to review and provide inputs into the process.

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GOAL 3

Creating a dedicated team charged with the publication of quarterly, half-yearly and annual reports for accountability and information purposes.

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Actions

 

Action 1.  Identify the roles and engage the appropriate candidates for undertaking Goal 3.

GOAL 4

Giving Malta its own Tourism Observatory in line with developments elsewhere in Europe and the Mediterranean.

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Actions

 

Action 1.  Work to incorporate the Malta Tourism Observatory with similar setups and networks within the Mediterranean and Europe.

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GOAL 5

Convene an Annual National Tourism Conference bringing together the wider set of tourism industry and related stakeholders.

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Actions

 

Action 1.  Establish an Annual event incorporating Strategy Updates, keynote expert deliveries and active stakeholder participation and intervention to keep the Strategy alive.

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Strategy 22.
To follow up the finalisation, publication and implementation of this Strategy with detailed Marketing, Product Development (also encompassing Accommodation), Human Resource Development plans including segment- and source-market- specific stand-alone plans for the destination’s major tourism inflows. Gozo to feature a specific standalone plan.

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Rationale

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Strategic Plan Related Studies
The publication of the Malta Tourism Strategy 2021-2030 will be followed up with the immediate
commissioning of a number of Studies aimed at enabling the execution of the identified Strategies.
These studies will provide the direction needed by every strategy to ensure its proper execution,
establishment of relevant KPIs and other means of measuring and timeframes necessary for
implementation. The following areas of study have been identified in the Strategy:

 

• HR Development Plan

• Gozo Tourism Plan

• Geographical Market Plan

• Accommodation Development Plan

• KPI Formulation Plan including SDGs

• Segment Development Plan

• Tourism Events Plan

• Carbon Neutral Plan

• Digitalisation Plan

• Tourism Economic Impact Measurement Plan

• Connectivity Plan

• Product Development plan including Key Investment Opportunities

• Domestic Tourism Plan

• Increasing Brand Footprint through Regionalisation of Territory

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Objective

To enable the effective and efficient delivery of the Tourism Strategy through the commissioning of a
number of specialized studies aimed at giving clear direction on the basis of a scientific analysis and
evaluation of the different topics concerned.

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Goals and Actions

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GOAL 1
Terms of Reference for HR Development Plan

• Defining Tourism HR in today’s Tourism Industry
• Quantification of Tourism HR by Category
• Attractiveness of Tourism as an Employer
• Factors impeding Attractiveness of Tourism as an Employer
• Comparing Tourism Employment Remuneration with other employment Sectors
• Impact of COVID-19 on Tourism Employment
• Employing Maltese vs Foreigners: Pros and Cons of both options
• Tourism Employment and the Delivery of Hospitality
• Skills gaps in Maltese tourism employment 2021-2030
• CPD needs in Maltese Tourism Employment
• Skills needed by eventual newcomers which need to be addressed by education system

 

GOAL 2

Terms of Reference for Gozo Tourism Plan

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• Gozo as an international and domestic tourism destination
• Gozo as a Destination
• Identifying Gozo’s USPs
• Tourism Development Policy for Gozo: Accommodation, Facilities and Attractions
• Segmentation Strategy for Gozo: Market Positioning, Geographical Markets, Motivational Segments
• Infrastructural Requirements: Connectivity, Transport, Heritage, Coastal, Rural
• Gozo and its Cruise Market Potential
• Digitalisation Strategy for Gozo
• Measuring Tourism Activity on Gozo
 

​GOAL 3

Terms of Reference for Geographical Market Plan

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• Geographic Market Groups to be Targeted:

• UK/Ireland
• Italy
• France
• Germany/Austria/Switzerland
• Benelux
• Nordic
• Eastern Europe including Balkans and Baltic
• Russia and CIS
• Iberian Peninsula
• East-Mediterranean
• Middle East North Africa (MENA)
• Asia Pacific
• Americas

• Main Market Dynamics: Population, Travel profile, Visa issues, Connectivity, Competitor Set etc.
• Creation of Market Matrices matching market outbound characteristics with best prospects for Malta by Demographic, Season, Motivation, Socio-Economic, Airport of Departure/Airline serving route
• Competitor Performance
• Online Searches (Amadeus) and Competitor Comparison
• Link with BCG proposal currently being evaluated with MTCP and KM

 

GOAL 4

Terms of Reference for Accommodation Development Plan

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•  Accommodation as the major factor influencing the country’s receptive capacity:
development, forecasts, trends, carrying capacities and other issues
• Quantifying and addressing unlicenced accommodation
• Reviewing the Application regime: addressing weaknesses to enhance quality and value added
• Short term vs Long term measures needed
• Evaluating the existing classification system and proposing amendments and improvements.
• The expanded role of Quality Labels
• Reviewing the Eco-Contribution system
• Improving and Adapting Existing Accommodation to emerging market demands

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GOAL 5
Terms of Reference for KPI Formulation Plan including SDGs
 

•  Selection of KPIs for lifetime of Strategy: the Rationale and the Benefits
• Identification and Measurement of direct Tourism KPIs
• Identification and Measurement of SDG KPIs from Tourism Perspective
• KPIs and responding to short term impacts
• International Best Practice re KPIs: benchmarking with existing methodologies for comparability

 

GOAL 6

Terms of Reference for Segment Development Plan
 

•  Quantification and Ranking of Product Segments of current Maltese Tourism Inflows
• Volume and Value Measurement per segment
• Understanding Segmental Inter-relationships in terms of overlaps and competing use.
• Lifecycle stages of each segment and recommendations on process of evolution.
Differentiating between niche segments and established segments.
• Segment prioritization in terms of recognizing emerging, evolving and declining segments.
• Identification of new segments by following international developments.
• Addressing Segment Needs from the Product, HR and Marketing Perspectives
• Clustering segments by broad thematics.

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GOAL 7

Terms of Reference for Tourism Events Plan

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•  Snapshot of current situation
• The relevance of Events within Malta’s Tourism Portfolio
• The Events Spectrum
• The role of Festivals within the Events Calendar
• Events as a year-round activity: requirements to make Malta a year-round events destination
• Matching Events with Destination Brand Values
• Producing Events for the wider mix of Malta’s tourism inflows and markets
• Maximising value from events

GOAL 8

Terms of Reference for Carbon Neutral Plan

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• Measuring Tourism’s Carbon Footprint
• Reducing Carbon Footprint by Category: Accommodation, Catering, Transport, Attractions
• Aligning Tourism Carbon Reduction Measures with overall Government Plans
• Following international, especially EU, developments to safeguard Malta’s interests and
competitiveness
• Turning Carbon Neutrality into a Selling Point for Malta

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GOAL 9
Terms of Reference for Digitalisation Plan
 

• Development of Digital Strategic Roadmap
• Investment needs and Opportunities:
• Government to Government
• Government to Business
• Government to Tourist
• Addressing the entire travel cycle: Pre-Trip, Trip and Post-trip.
• Progressing into Emerging Technologies
• Consolidating Malta’s digital tourism data, message and platforms
• The Digital Exchange Platform
• Big Data for Planning
• Attracting the Digital Operators
• Stimulating Investment: Awareness, Training, Funding

 

GOAL 10

Terms of Reference for Tourism Economic Impact Measurement Plan

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• Tourism economic impacts measurement: TSA and other Tools
• Economic Measurement for Optimisation: introducing the Principle of Opportunity Cost
in tourism planning
• Cost-benefit analysis models and methodologies for Tourism decision making
• Understanding the wider inter-relationship of Tourism with other Economic Sectors
• Measuring Tourism beyond GDP impacts: inclusion of other indicators on tourism’s socioeconomic
impacts

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GOAL 11

Terms of Reference for Connectivity Plant

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• Rebuilding Malta’s Airline Connectivity
• The role of the Maltese airlines in the rebuilding
• Connectivity mix: Point-to-point and Connecting options
• Supporting Connectivity
• Understanding the post-COVID-19 aviation sector
• The need for airline mix: diversification and client type

GOAL 12

Terms of Reference for Product Development Plan including Key Investment Opportunities

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• Tourism Product Development as a tool to shape the destination. Defining limits and
establishing responsibilities.
• Addressing tired elements of the Product: the role of Maintenance and Upkeep
• Tourism Product Development as a contributor to regeneration: identification of zones
requiring regeneration and establishing tourism’s role
• Product Development as a vehicle for Innovation and Future Proofing the Destination
• Directing private investment beyond accommodation: the identification of Key
Investment Opportunities
• Regulating vs Stimulating

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GOAL 13
Terms of Reference for Domestic Tourism Plan
 

• Integration of Domestic Tourism into overall Tourism Framework. The Domestic market
to be officially recognized as another Tourism Stream
• Domestic Tourism Marketing Plan
• Measuring and Presenting Domestic Tourism in Official Statistics
• Differentiating between the International and Domestic Markets: Products, Travel
Patterns, Seasonality, Length of Stay
• Emerging trends in Domestic Travel: products, tastes, selling platforms, expenditure
• The impact of Domestic Tourism on the unlicensed accommodation segment

 

GOAL 14

Terms of Reference for Increasing Brand Footprint through the Regionalization of Territory

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• Unzipping the Maltese Islands to increase their Brand Footprint
• Differentiating between Malta and Gozo/Comino
• Valletta as a distinct brand
• The Cosmopolitan Dimension: Quality Product in a modern Malta setup: leisure, business,
entertainment, shopping, fine dining
• Rural Tourism
• The Beach Product
• Tourism and the South of Malta
• Linking Brand components to thematics

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GOAL 15

Proposed Agenda for National Tourism Conference

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• Annual Event
• Plenary and Workshops format
• Target 400-600 delegates
• Ideally in a venue subject to COVID-19 restrictions
• Plenary: Presenting the Vision and Strategies and Plan/Study Outcomes
• The issue of Quality Service and Product.
• Results and Targets
• Discussion on Emerging Trends and Current Issues
• Invited Foreign Speakers: UNWTO/European Travel Commission/European Parliament
Tourism and Transport Committee/Industry Leaders
• Stakeholder involvement: Local and Foreign

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