Travel Tips: An appetite for Malta

Hampshire Chronicle 23/01/2014: "Malta’s story is one of survival,” says Vince Debono, a guide for the Maltese tourist board.

And anyone taking in the huge medieval fort at Mdina, which served as the capital city when the Knights of Malta ruled, will get a sense of this.

The Knights Hospitaller, the Carthaginians, the Arabs, the Romans and the British have all held the tiny island at some point, and all have left their mark.

A melting pot it may be, but make no mistake: Malta is 100 per cent Mediterranean. Set in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, and just 90 minutes by ferry to Sicily, its cuisine, history and climate make Malta a perfect destination for foodies, culture vultures and sun-seekers alike..read on.

Malta signs cultural agreement with China

Times of Malta 22/01/2014: Malta and China have signed a cultural agreement which will see China involved in several cultural projects in Malta.

Parliamentary Secretary José Herrera, who has just returned from Beijing, said the agreement would provide for cultural exchanges, preservation and conservation of cultural heritage, audio-visual productions, local council projects and projects coordinated through V-18. Dr Herrera said the projects would run between this year and 2018.

He said the Chinese State Broadcasting Authority may produce a documentary on Malta, which would be a major boost for tourism. The Maltese Philharmonic Orchestra will also be visiting China.

Dr Herrera said he had also visited Chile to experience the summit of the International Federation of Arts and Culture Councils. Malta will host a similar summit in two years' time. (source)

Malta summer holidays booking guide: 2014

Planning a holiday to Malta? Read our guide to the best regions, including expert advice on Valletta, the islands of Comino and Gozo, and the best resorts. By Juliet Rix, Telegraph Travel's Malta expert.

The Telegraph 25/01/2014: Malta has long been sold as a “sun and sea” destination and it certainly has plenty of both. The sun shines on average for 300 days of the year and Malta’s three inhabited islands (Malta, Gozo and Comino) are surrounded by sparkling, clear blue Mediterranean waters. Malta has more to offer than this, however. It has a density of historic sights arguably greater than any other country. Its charming little capital, Valletta, built by the Knights of St John, is a World Heritage Site, as are its unique prehistoric temples – some of the oldest stone buildings in the world...read on.

Malta is the perfect isle for a nice cuppa in the winter sunshine - even if it rains

Mirror, 22/01/2014: Tom Howell hadn’t been sure what to expect from a winter sun break in Malta – a little warmth, of course, but history, miracles and fine cakes were a lovely bonus.

"Not a drop of rain for four months and the minute I arrive the heavens open! I’d escaped to Malta hoping for some glorious winter sun – and got a very wet welcome. But one big downpour wasn’t enough to dampen my spirits and it soon warmed up.

Within the hour I was soaking up the rays on the roof of my hotel with a cocktail in hand – and not a black cloud in sight. This tiny Mediterranean isle is the perfect destination for a warming winter trip (expect a delightful 16C to 17C). And with the sun now, thankfully, on my back I was keen to see what it had to offer.

I was based near the capital, Valletta, staying at The Palace hotel in an area called Sliema. It’s got a trendy feel with plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops..." read on.

Norway to help Malta strengthen maritime pollution response

MaltaIndependent 22/01/2014: Transport Malta will collaborate with the Norwegian Coastal Administration to strengthen the country's maritime pollution response.

During the launching of the project “Oil / HNS Spill Response Capacity Building For The Protection Of Malta’s Seas”, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Joe Mizzi, said that the undertaking, supported through grants from the European Economic Area, aims to address our island’s capacity building in the field of maritime incident response,particularly spills from oil and other hazardous and noxious substances.

Through this project, Transport Malta will have the distinction to share the Norwegian partner’s vast experience in this field.

“There is no doubt that the Norwegian Coastal Administration is the ideal partner to enhance Malta’s response to maritime pollution,” Minister Mizzi said...read on.

Malta and baroque music were made for each other. Here's a festival to put in your diary (for 2015)

Telegraph 25/01/2014, by Michael White: "Some years ago I went to Malta and stayed at the Phoenicia Hotel: an old-colonial palm-court pile by Valletta’s city gate that I remember for two reasons: (i) because the entrance hall announces on a stone plaque that it was erected "at the command" of an Edwardian grandee called Lady Mabel Strickland, who apparently went around "commanding" the erection of hotels with an imperious clap of the hands like Maggie Smith in Downton Abbey, and (ii) because there was terrific storm at the time which blew in several windows facing out toward the harbour. It happened during a concert in the ballroom; and I have memories of some soprano battling away against the roar of gale-force winds and sound of tinkling glass. So much for Maltese music out of season.

Earlier this week I was at the Phoenicia Hotel again, where thankfully the windows stayed intact. And yes, the Maltese are still doing off-season music in the face of storms. But now more grandly, with a..." read on.

More than 1,300 marriages in the Malta diocese last year

Times of Malta 18/01/2014: A total of 1,319 church marriages were registered in the Malta Archdiocese last year, the Curia said.

It said that 1,136 were between Maltese nationals and 62 between Maltese and foreigners.
The marriages between Maltese and foreigners were between Maltese Catholics and foreign Catholics (32), between Maltese Catholics and foreign Christians (19) and between Maltese and non-Christians (11). Another 12 marriages were registered between Maltese couples living abroad, and 109 between foreign couples.

The 62 foreigners uniting in marriage with Maltese nationals were 42 men and 20 women and hailed from 29 countries, including Italy (13) and the UK (seven)...read on.

Maltese ship register the largest in European Union

Transport Malta reports strong improvement and record figures in Malta’s ship register for 2013

MaltaToday 20/01/2014: Transport Malta has registered a solid performance and strong improvement in ship and yacht registration in 2013 registering a growth of 13.6% equivalent to over 6 million gross tonnes and a growth of 18% in yacht registration over the previous year.

The figures consolidate Malta's position as the largest merchant flag in the European Union and the seventh worldwide. As at the end of December 2013, the registered tonnage of ships registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, exceeded the 50 million gross tons for the first time ever, totalling 51.8 million gross tons...read on.

Malta’s continental shelf oil is largest asset

Times of Malta 19/01/2014: The continental shelf is the largest and most valuable asset held by Malta. Its area is more than three times the size of Sicily and includes hydrocarbon and other mineral resources worth several billion euros.
Despite rising oil prices, Malta’s unsuccessful oil exploration programme is characterised by decades of inactivity and several oil exploration licences that remain undrilled. Only 12 deep wells were drilled in 60 years, the lowest density of wells in the Central Mediterranean.

Inexplicably, Malta remains the only European country without a national geological service that can assess and develop mineral resources in its vast shelf area.

The 20 per cent probability of success claimed by the oil company that will shortly drill a well south of Malta is relatively low when considering that highly successful 3D seismics were used. This reflects a lack of geological research, aggravated by official secrecy on oil exploration data that keep Malta a high-risk, oil-exploration area.

Malta’s continental shelf jurisdiction is the legacy of British colonial seabed surveys and the fathers of Maltese statehood. In 1966, prime minister George Borg Olivier enacted the Continental Shelf Act which decreed equidistant maritime boundaries. Later, prime minister Dom Mintoff embarked on an ambitious oil exploration programme. When the Medina Bank became...read on.

Malta to host World Summit on Arts and Culture

Co-hosted with the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the World Summit will welcome around 500 delegates from 80 countries to discuss the major issues impacting the arts.

MaltaToday 17/01/2014 The Malta Council for Culture and the Arts has been announced as the host of the 7th World Summit on Arts and Culture, to be held in Valletta in October 2016.

Co-hosted with the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), the World Summit will welcome around 500 delegates from 80 countries to discuss the major issues impacting the arts. Coming in the run-up to the Maltese EU Presidency in 2017 and Valletta as a Capital of Culture in 2018, the World Summit will usher in an exciting period for anyone involved in the Maltese and international cultural and artistic landscape...read on.

Malta Business Weekly - Leader: The Drivers

MaltaIndependent - Business Weekly 16/01/2014: No economy can move ahead by just standing still. The only imperative is to grow as standing still will only mean regression, recession and unemployment. All through the past decades of Malta as an independent state, the search was on for drivers of growth.

The first years after Independence saw an emphasis on changing from a sea base of a naval power to the first timid steps towards industrialisation and tourism. These two drivers were retained, with adjustments, in the next period which saw Malta push for more industrialisation and tourism. This was accompanied by unorthodox if not downright pillage as last week’s long-awaited judgement on the legality of the National Bank takeover reminded us.

For a long time, our economy resonated of a centralised economy with strict controls on importation and import substitution. But in the third phase of our independence, this was removed and the country allowed to breathe as an open economy. Importation was liberalised and the country soon adopted all the trappings of...read on.

Cyprus, Greece and Malta to promote common interests inside and outside EU

MaltaIndependent 15/01/2014: yprus, Greece and Malta will intensify their cooperation to promote common interests both within and outside the EU, Cypriot Communications and Works Minister Tasos Mitsopoulos said on Monday.  He made the remark after he and his counterparts from Greece and Malta, Miltiadis Varvitsiotis and Joe Mizzi, respectively were received by President Nicos Anastasiades.

Earlier a trilateral ministerial meeting on shipping between Cyprus, Greece and Malta was held.  In his statements, Mr Mitsopoulos said that during the morning meeting, the ministers agreed “to intensify cooperation and promote coordination to promote our common interests through the EU and outside the Union".

He said maritime is a powerful sector for all three countries, as it is an element of development and creates job openings, adding it is of vital interest “to secure the competitiveness of our fleet and registry".

Mr Mitsopoulos expressed the hope that Greece, which now chairs the...read on.

Malta: ‘2013 economic growth exceeded our expectations’ – S&P

Credit ratings agency maintains long and short-term sovereign credit ratings on Malta, as its indications are that economic growth during 2013 exceeded its expectations.

MaltaToday 17/01/2014: Credit ratings agency Standard & Poor's has maintained Malta's long and short-term sovereign credits ratings at BBBplus/A-2 after noting that the government started its legislative session with progress on a longstanding reform agenda, particularly in the energy sector.

"Indications are that 2013 economic growth has exceeded our expectations," S&P said.
The agency however sees the government's relatively high debt burden as constraining policy flexibility, particularly as it forecasts growth to remain below pre-crisis rates...read on.

Think magazine draws over a million readers

Times of Malta 12/01/2014: The online version of the University of Malta’s research magazine Think has attracted well over a million viewers from over 100 countries around the world, including the US, the UK, Brazil, Russia, South Africa and China.

The free digital news stand Issuu (http://issuu.com), which features Think on its website, recently received over 100,000 hits a day over the space of a week. Its online readership has grown rapidly from just a few thousand in its first issues.

The magazine tells the stories behind research conducted by University students, staff, researchers and alumni.

Over the past seven issues, stories have ranged from robots exploring ancient sites around Malta to ideas that could solve Malta’s traffic problems.

The latest issue explores how Malta is being affected by shipping pollution and how intelligent pills could automatically scan the insides of human bodies to detect disease...read on.

Mirror mirror on the wall...

Sliema and St. Julian's

Times of Malta 12/01/2014: Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s in store for the Maltese economy in 2014?

Analysts do not resort to witchcraft, but rather to more sober economic reports. Luckily, the festive season has been quite prolific for the Central Bank of Malta, with no fewer than two publications being issued, the Quarterly Review and the Financial Stability Report Update. Of particular relevance is the new vintage of economic projections prepared by the bank’s staff.

The bottom line? The Central Bank is rather optimistic. In 2014, the economy should perform better than it did last year and in 2012, though not to the levels experienced during Malta’s booming years.
The revised forecasts on economic growth are more positive than the earlier vintage, but also more upbeat when compared to the numbers presented by the Minister of Finance during the last Budget speech.

The Valletta-based institution thus indirectly confirms the minister’s remarks that he erred on the side of caution when presenting his Budget. Forecasts prepared by the Central Bank may differ from those prepared by the government because of newly available information being...read on.

Air Malta starts summer early with flights to UK regional airports

MaltaIndependent 10/01/2014: Air Malta will start summer early this year by serving an array of UK regional airports from April in time for the spring and Easter period. Flights to and from Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow, Exeter and Norwich will be begin on April 8th until October 28th.

Air Malta Chief Commercial Officer Philip Saunders said this was a response to a noticeable increase in demand for shoulder and off-peak holidays.

“Easter starts late this year so we decided to bring forward the start of these regional operations to April instead of May,” said Mr Saunders.

He commented that these added departures and a reduction in travelling time and costs by flying directly from/to such airports, visitors now have more opportunity to travel to and from the airport closer to their destination or their home.

Air Malta operates such regional services as a supplement to the regular scheduled services to/from Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester...read on.

Malta: Average gross annual salary estimated at €15,772

Di-Ve 09/01/2014: The average gross annual salary of employees for the third quarter last year was estimated at €15,772 according to the Labour Force Survey. This amount refers to the gross annual basic salary and excludes extra payments such as overtime, bonuses and allowances. The highest average gross annual salary for employees was recorded in financial and insurance activities.

Average annual salaries varied from €25,302 among managers to €10,923 among elementary staff.
Labour Force Survey estimates indicate that during the third quarter last year total employment stood at 179,476, accounting for almost half the population aged 15 and over. Unemployed persons stood at 12,827 (four per cent) while inactive persons totalled 168,429 (47 per cent).

The activity rate for the quarter under review was estimated at 66 per cent. When compared to the previous year, the activity rate among women increased by three percentage points, while the male activity rate rose by one percentage point. The highest activity rate was recorded among...read on.

Government: We’re moving in the right direction

Times of Malta 05/01/2014:Malta is moving in the right direction on most of the big challenges facing the country. The economy is growing, and in the short time we have been in office we have enacted some vital reforms.

I have no doubt that 2014 will be a particularly busy year in government; there is still an enormous amount of work to be carried out. The Maltese people elected us to improve their lives and that is what we are duty bound to do.

When I look back on the election I think we can all be proud of what a mature democracy we live in. I pay tribute to my predecessor, Lawrence Gonzi, for the service he gave his country, and to our President, George Abela, for overseeing the transition of government and representing all Maltese.
While we came into office with an ambitious plan for change we were also careful to maintain stability. We sent a message to the rest of the world that Malta was a stable, dynamic country offering tremendous benefits for those who wanted to do business here...read on.

Malta world’s second safest country, again− World Risk Report 2013

MaltaIndependent 06/01/2014: The recently published 2013 edition of the World Risk Report, drawn up by the United Nations University’s Institute for Environment and Human Security in Bonn and Alliance Development Works”, a coalition of German NGOs, has named Malta, once again, as the world’s second safest country in terms of its exposure to and ability to cope with natural disasters.

The collaborative report lists Malta in second place in terms of safety from natural disasters, and just below Qatar, which was once again deemed the safest place to have lived in 2013
Vanuatu, Tonga, the Philippines, Guatemala, Bangladesh and the Solomon Islands topped a 173-nation ranking of disaster risks and how societies cope.

While the Maltese face an overall 0.61 per cent chance of falling victim to a natural disaster and those living in Qatar a 0.1 per cent chance, a fellow island dweller in Vanuatu faces a 36.43 per cent chance, Tonga a 28.23 per cent chance while those in the Philippines stand a 27.52 per cent chance of...read on.

Relocating to Malta?

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If you are looking to set up a company prior to moving to Malta, we can offer guidance and help with that, as well as offer advice on your human resource requirements. And if you are moving to Malta to take up a corporate position, we can provide briefings and information on cultural sensitivities for you, your partner and children so that you can settle easily."

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Malta among favourite venues for Irish getting married abroad

MaltaIndependent 01/01/2014: There has been an increase of 12 per cent in the number of Irish citizens getting married abroad, according to new figures, the Irish media reported yesterday.

The Department of Foreign Affairs yesterday released its review of 2013 and said it gave more than 3,000 letters of freedom to Irish people getting married or entering into a civil partnership in another country.

Italy was the most popular destination, followed by Spain, Germany, Malta and Scotland.
Separately, the Department of Foreign Affairs said that it helped out more than 1,500 Irish people who found themselves in difficult abroad this year.

The government department said that the figure was an increase of 6.5 per cent on last year.
The biggest number of cases, which included problems with passports, illnesses and crime, were in Spain, followed by Australia, the US, Britain and Canada. France, Thailand, Portugal, the UAE and the Philippines rounded out the top ten. ...read on.

Malta’s famous faces – the highs and lows of 2013

MaltaIndependent 01/01/2014: Joseph Calleja - Tenor - “2013 was another very good year for me, with the culmination being my performance at the US Supreme Court and the dinner thrown in my honour, in November. Two weeks later I performed at the Kennedy Centre. I felt honoured to have formed part of the tribute for the icon Martina Arroyo. I also met wonderful Washington literati, Hollywood actors and exchanged a few words with the First Lady and President Obama. Two receptions, including one at the White House, were also thrown.

Other highlights were my nomination for two Classical Brit Awards including for my latest album ‘Be My Love - tribute to Mario Lanza’ as ‘Classic FM album of the year together with performances in Paris, Vienna, London, Munich and Chicago to promote my album as part of the eight-city tour.
On a negative note, I was disappointed to have cancelled my La Scala debut in February and a couple of other performances due to colds. A consistent low I have to live with is spending long weeks away from my children.

Another highlight was the inaugural event of the BOV Joseph Calleja Children's Foundation, set up to help underprivileged children. While tickets were on the expensive side, no performer was...read on.

Bigger and More Ambitious 2014 Valletta International Baroque Festival

Di-Ve 04/01/2014: The unprecedented success achieved by last year’s first edition of the Valletta International Baroque Festival, which was attended by over 6000 people, encouraged the organisation of this second edition which will be held between the 10th and the 26th of January and which will include three weekends of Baroque performances and events for all the family as well as the much welcomed Baroque Ball.

Full details of this year’s programme were announced during a press conference which was addressed by Kenneth Zammit Tabona, Artistic Director of the Valletta International Baroque Festival, Jose Herrera, Parliamentary Secretary for Culture and Local Government and Dr Michael Grech, Chairman of Teatru Manoel, which is the organiser of this Festival.

In his address, Kenneth Zammit Tabona explained the uniqueness of the Festival which takes places inside a number of baroque churches, palaces and venues inside Valletta which further promote the baroque identity of our capital city. This year’s venues include the Painted Salon of the Museum of Archaeology, the former Auberge de France, the Hall of St Michael and St George at the Presidential Palace, the churches of St Nicholas, the Jesuits, St Catherine’s, Ta’ Ġieżu, St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral and St John’s Co Cathedral and of course the Teatru Manoel built in 1731 and still going strong as the living heart of culture in Malta.

“This Festival, which started from an ambitious idea, rapidly gained so much popularity both in Malta and overseas due to the unique venues and the very appealing programme of concerts by leading international and local baroque exponents. This year, it is promising a bigger and...read on.

Malta tourist arrivals jump 14.5 percent

eTN 31/12/2013: VALLETTA, Malta - Tourist arrivals jumped by 14.5% in November compared to the same month last year, and reached 100,365, the National Statistics Office said today. Excluding the 437 passengers who stayed overnight on board a berthed cruise vessel, 99,928 came to Malta last month.

During the month under review, 79,902 came to Malta on holiday, while a further 12,266 were here on business.

First-time visitors accounted for the majority of inbound tourists, with an estimated 66 percent, although there was a notable increase in repeat tourism.
Inbound tourism from EU Member States rose by 12 percent while the number of non-EU tourists advanced by 44 percent to...read on.

An Olive Grove in Malta

Godfrey Bezzina (left), director of BSS Ltd., explains the
process to Maltese Minister for Agriculture, Roderick Galdes

Olive Oil Times 28/12/2013:  The small Mediterranean country is a perfect holiday destination, but on its land also grow fruitful olive trees.

Set in the Mediterranean Sea between Sicily and Northern Africa, the island of Malta — actually an archipelago made of three larger inhabited islands, Malta, Gozo and Comino, and many smaller islands — is a popular tourist destination with its warm climate, sandy beaches and historical monuments.

But Malta, whose civilizations’ origins date back to the Stone Age, is also a fertile ground for vineyards and olive groves.

Olive growing was introduced to the Maltese Islands in ancient times: some olive trees found here date back to more than 1,000 years ago. The subtropical Mediterranean climate and the alkaline soil are both ideal for olive cultivation, which once flourished on these islands under the Phoenicians and the Romans, as many of the local place names still witness. Later on, it was replaced first with cotton production by the Arabs, then with sheep breeding by the British rulers and at last...read on.

L-Istrina achieves new record: €3.4m

DI-VE 27/12/2013: L-Istrina, Malta's major charity event organised by The Malta Community Chest Fund, achieved a new record on Boxing Day as €3,414,386 were collected within 12 hours. The total sum of €3.3 million was collected last year.

This was the last Istrina for President George Abela who described the new record as incredible. He also expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Maltese people for their generosity.

L-Istrina was organised by The Malta Community Chest Fund with the assistance of hundreds of volunteers. The events on the day were concentrated at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, in Valletta, with two satellite sites being at Smart City Malta and the Astra Theatre in Gozo.

Among the most notable donations were HSBC Malta Foundation which donated €100,000, Smart City Malta which also donated €100,000, the Good Causes Fund €50,000, McDonalds with €33,000, Vodafone Malta €30,000, the General Soft Drinks €28,000, Farsons €25,000, GO €20,000 and Betsson €20,000.

Events organised by the Presidency for l-Istrina raised a considerable amount of money with the Banif Bank Fun Run collecting €321,800, Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina €207,470, BOV Piggy Bank..read on.