MHRA 34

Italico Rota An extraordinary ambassadorfor MaltaThe right wine for the right time.

Pjazza Regina - fresh, fruity and full flavoured.The ultimate chill!

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MHRA’s platinum partners

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Sharp, crisp and clean. That’s what Snowhite’s linen hire service for hoteliers, caterers and healthcare centres looks like.

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It’s why our high quality 100% Egyptian cotton linens are tried and tested – proven in our washing process to maintain its quality and durability.

In economic terms, taking advantage of our rental contract has made hoteliers more competitive in a very competitive hospitality market.

By saving the capital costs of buying bed linen, towels and table linen, you can release that cash flow for investment elsewhere in your core business.

In fact, a number of hotels have used this heaven-sent opportunity to improve their product offering, increasing their room rates as a result.

Other hoteliers now operate lower inventory levels, for obvious reasons, freeing up all that storage space. For event caterers and domestic households, our short-term rental service is ideal for weddings and house parties. For more information or to arrange a tour of the Snowhite factory, call 2148 7000 or visit www.snowhitelaundry.com.

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e extend our Grand philosophy of luxury, comfort and service to each and every guest,

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Our eventing skills and state-of-the-art technology are crafted to both your corporate culture and your budget.

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facilities to your conference table, too, should you need it.There’s room for 1,000 seated delegates in 4,026

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5June 2011

EUR 51 Million in Supporting Growth of Maltese SMEs

Entrepreneurship and the cre-ation of new financial instruments enhance access to finance for SME operations and are vital to the rebooting of the European economy as they create new value-added opportunities. The objective of this financing package is to further enhance the access to finance for Maltese and Gozitan SMEs. The JEREMIE Financing Package offers advantageous interest rates and enhanced collateral require-ments earmarked for SMEs as part of the EU’s 2020 Strategy.

Small and Medium Size Enterprises (SMEs) are the main economic and employment drivers of the European Single Market. SMEs have proven to be the main economic powerhouse, generating sustainable economic growth and new investment opportunities. The investment in entrepreneurship, creativity, innovation and green technologies improving the competitiveness of European SMEs when compared to their counterparts on the international economic scene.

Target sectors include:

• Tourismandrelatedservicesincluding accommodation and food service activities;

• Thecreativesectorincludingarts, entertainment and recreation;

• Information,Communication and Technology;

• Manufacturingoftraditional and new products and services such as aviation;

• Professional,scientificand technical services; and

• Wholesale,retailandtheassoci-ated storage services.

Through the Financing Package, SMEs and micro-enterprises will be able to:

• Improvetheperformanceof their investment in plant and equipment;

• Launchnewproductsand services in new niche markets through capital investment;

• Tapintonewexportmarkets by improving the Malta-based operations;

• Enhancetheirpresenceonthe WorldWideWeb;

• InvestinGreenTechnology;and • PromoteandtransformGozo as an ecological island.

The BOV JEREMIE Financing package involves the granting of loans up to EUR 500,000 at SME-friendly conditions. These loans specifically target capital invest-ment, with particular attention being given to micro-enterprises.

For additional information on the JEREMIE Financing Package, contact Victoria Azzopardi ([email protected]) or Peter Sant ([email protected]).

Further information on the JEREMIE Financing Packagefacility is available at www.bov.com

The JEREMIE Financing Pack-age for SMEs (including micro-enterprises) is financed by the 2007-2013 Structural Funds for Malta and currently managed by Bank of Valletta as the national financial intermediary.

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Apart from our varied product range, we also offer an all round service to ensure customer satisfaction which include:

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with a cost effective solution backed up by an exceptional after sales service. We are suppliers of commercial kitchen equipment and utensils, food service solutions, refrigeration equipment and walk in cold/freezer

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7June 2011

Cover: Italico Rota. See page 34

Cover PhotograPhy: George Scintilla www.georgescintilla.com

Design: Defined Branding www.definedbranding.com

MhRa is a quarterly publication issued by Crest Limited on behalf of the Malta hotels & Restaurants association Nr. 2, Gallina Street, Kappara San Gwann, SGN 4111, Malta. Tel: (00356) 21318133/4 Fax: (00356) 21336477 Email: [email protected] Web: www.mhra.org.mt

eDitor: George Schembri

Publisher: Victor Calleja

Production, Design and advertising Crest Limited, Circle Flats No. 8, Calleja Schembri Street, Msida, MSD 1741, Malta.Tel: 2010 3000 E-mail: [email protected]: www.crest.com.mt

34 41 81

5 Eur 51 million in supporting SMEs 9 From the CEO

11 From the president

15 MHRA in the news

34 He came he saw he was conquered

41 Feeding the soul

47 The need for consensus

55 Getting the right facts about hotels 57 Reach for the Stars

61 Showcasing Gozo

65 Dress up your tables

67 Wastewater recycling in Hotels

71 A first class degustazione

73 Food works its magic

76 Malta incentivises foreign investment 79 Maximum revenue through direct online bookings 81 Head north to Batubulan 87 Relaunch of the single market 91 SME finance: Room for Improvement

93 Delicata D.O.K. wines win accolades 95 Tourism career awareness

96 GO news

99 News Bulletin

102 Entertainment and culture venues

109 Suppliers’ directory

110 MHRA preferred suppliers

112 Advertisers’ list

Contentsissue 34

June 2011

Spon

sors

The President and Council of the Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association, on behalf of the members, would like to thank the Sponsors for their support and commitment towards the MHRA. The long-term agreement reached with the sponsors has enabled the MHRA to take a more long-term perspective to its operations.

PLaTINUM SPONSORS

CORPORaTE SPONSORS

9June 2011

George SchembriChief Executive OfficerMHRA

Editorial from theCEODear Members,

Over the last few weeks what has stood out is the number of emails received from member hoteliers and restaurateurs about the deplorable state of areas in their vicinity. This is of great concern due to the fact that from time to time MHRA has instigated a consider-able amount of meetings with the authorities concerned to address issues such as lack of cleanliness, unchecked construction sites, prob-lems in waste collection and other issues which impact our product offer. After such meetings one did note some improvement but within a short time things went back to the same situation as before.Whilethereisawilltochange

things this soon wanes when those given charge come face to face with the mammoth task in hand. Over the years legislation was enacted to have the necessary regulations and rules in place to improve the situation these were meant to address. However, not enough resources were put in place to create awareness about the laws enacted to be able to enforce the laws properly, and there is a lack of hefty fines to deter abuse and encourage a more professional approach by operators.

One needs to conduct a clear assessment of the situation that needs addressing. One needs to set a vision and draw up a proper road map of the goals one needs to achieve over a period of time. Once one has a clear idea of what one wants to achieve then one needs to identify people who

are competent to take the vision forward and give them the tools to achieve the desired results. Then starts the communication process through which all those concerned need to understand what one desires to achieve and discuss with those on the ground the most effective action necessary to start the process. There needs to be perseverance by those leading the process and from time to time an assessment of progress needs to be carried out along with an adjustment of the roadmap ac-cording to new needs and actions identified in the process.

Some time ago MTA had come out with the idea of having Town CentreManagementinplace,which was definitely a good idea but this does not seem to have been followed up any further. MTA has a number of Tourism Zoneofficerswhodoanexcel-lent job of highlighting deficien-cies in tourist zones to the proper authorities. However it is not clear who is supposed to follow up on these reports since nothing seems to happen and improve. WhileMHRAhasapproachedlocalcouncils in tourism zones to take action with regard to cleanliness and upkeep, they complain they do not have the necessary funds to cover theextraordinarydemandcreatedbythe volume of visitors, be it local or foreign, who descend on such areas. ExtrafundshavebeenallottedbyCentralgovernmentforlocalcoun-cils in designated tourism zones but not all have been proactive enough to make use of such funds to improve their particular locality. Then there

are the authorities which seem to lack the necessary manpower to monitor and enforce the laws.Weseriouslyneedtoact

now and set our house in order. Resistance to change will always be there but if we do not tackle to-day’s problems now we are going to have bigger problems as time goes by. MHRA will continue to persist in chasing for improvement in our product offer. Members need also to do their small part in keeping surroundings in the vicinity of their establishments clean and in good order, practise good standards and follow regulations so that perhaps this rubs off on to others. Consumersdorecognisegoodoperational standards and service which definitely give one an edge over those who believe they can get away with mediocre standards and service.

Success depends on timely action.

corinthia.comDe Paule Avenue, San Anton BZN 9023Tel: +356 2370 2370 E-mail: [email protected]

Indulge in unrivalled tranquillity

11June 2011

Continues on page 98

George MicallefPresidentMHRA

From the PresidentDear Members,

The significant increase in tourist arrivals to our Islands for the first 4 months of the year was indeed a positive and encouraging trend for all operators in the hospitality sector, thoughwecannotexpectincreasesto continue at this level for the fol-lowing months as the seat capac-ity has, from May, come down to match that of last year. It is crucially important however that we continue to maintain growth in arrivals to make up for the continuing trend of a declining average length of stay.

The booking situation for May and June has been good but not as goodasmostexpectedittobe,ascertain hotel categories have se-curedoccupanciesattheexpenseofratediscounting.Weareexperienc-ing an incredibly late booking situ-ation and we still have a way to go before we can determine the level of performance of the entire summer season.Althoughweexpectthissummer to be generally good, much depends on the travel behaviour affecting our main source markets as hotels across the Mediterranean are worried by low occupancy rates which may give rise to a price war that nobody wants.

However our main concern remains Air Malta. The Air Malta process is a delicate one, and we are now at a very important juncture which calls for all stakeholders to col-lectively work together with Govern-ment in an effort to place Air Malta on a solid footing, with parallel efforts to ensure that improved seat capacity is sustained at all costs. the urgency of the matter the appointed consultants took another 5 months to complete it. Not even now do we have a full picture, and we are fed bits and pieces through unofficial sources.

A lot can be said and has been said about Air Malta’s current state of affairs. Fingers have been pointed at individuals, governments, bad decisions,circumstancesetc.Withoutany shadow of doubt Air Malta is in the state it is in today as a result of a number of compounding factors, however the buck stops with the main shareholder, which is Govern-ment, which must ultimately shoulder the responsibility. Blame goes to the politicians who over the years inter-fered and took decisions for Air Malta where and when they shouldn’t and did not when they should have!

It goes without saying that the global airline industry, which over recent years faced challenges of epic proportions, also had a major toll on all of this. In 2004 Air Malta was quick to realise that a storm was brewing and embarked on a restruc-turing process including cost-saving measures, and by 2006 it registered some progress. Nevertheless the pro-cess seemed to have slowed to a halt and losses continued to mount.

In February 2008, when airlines all over the world were feeling the pressure, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) chief issued a stern warning saying that “Global aviation faces a tough future despite making profits in previous years as it grapples with debt, rising fuel bills and a looming recession”, adding “Tough times will continue... Airlines may be out of intensive care but the industry is still sick.” Another worrying statement was issued the following September which said “Some airlines will have to fold up if structural changes are not carried out immediately, the IATA has asked governments to take speedy steps to enable the industry to weather the ‘perfect storm’ of high costs and falling demand.”

At the time we witnessed major legacy and other airlines that had been established for years, in major difficulties, struggling with bankruptcy. Wesawairlinesbeingbailedoutand undergoing very stiff restructur-ing processes, and some of these airlines are now back on track. The recession and the rising cost of fuel compounded the problems further, and the market became increasingly competitive and highly price-driven, as it continues to be till this day.

However, in the face of all this, Air Malta, seemed unfazed and very little took place. Substantial losses continued to mount, and only last year when Air Malta’s cash flow came to a crunch, did government finally make a move and declare that Air Malta’s time for an overhaul had come. Government then injected 52 million Euro to bail out the national carrier so that it could continue to operate,andthankGodforthat!Wewere then promised a restructur-ing plan to be submitted to the EU Commissionbytheendoftheyear,

15June 2011

March 2011

4th March

MBB Breakfast Business - Meeting with Commissioner John Dalli

CouncilmembersofMHRA,theMaltaChamberofCommerce,Enterprise and Industry and a number of members of the two constituted bodies had the opportu-nitytoexchangeviewswithCom-missioner Dalli on various topics of business interest during a Business Breakfast meeting at Phoenicia Hotel organised by Malta Business Bureau. This high-profile event was introduced by MBB President John A.Huber.AfterwardsCommissionerDalli made his keynote speech and this was followed by a floor debate moderated by PBS journalist Keith Demicoli, which delved into critical issues affecting businesses today.

In his address, MBB President Mr. Huber referred to a recent posi-tion paper published by the Malta Business Bureau on the European Commission’sproposalsforthere-launch of the Single Market Act. Mr. HuberalsoexpressedhisconcernattheConsumerRightsDirectivethat will soon be voted on by the European Parliament. In respect of e-commerce, which is crucial for business in modern economies, he claimed that consumer trust is vital, but not to a degree that leaves the trader practically defenceless against fraud. He concluded that these are excitingtimesfortheMaltaBusinessBureau. The organisation is celebrat-ing its 15th anniversary, for which it hasearmarkedarebrandingexerciseto create a new image that befits its dynamic and efficient approach to its duties. More importantly, the

MHRA in the newsMalta Business Bureau will keep monitoring the work of all the EU institutions by continuing to conduct reports and commission impact assessments on how EU legislation and Directives impact local business.EuropeanCommissionerJohn

Dallihasexpressedhisviewthat“European business has lost its competitive edge over the years and has fallen behind in areas that it once dominated. He also delved into the current crisis being faced in the North African region, particularly Libya.Heexpressedtheopinionthatit was difficult for Europe to take concrete decisions on how to tackle the situation at this particular period in time due to the fact that there was still a lot of uncertainty about what was actually happening within the country. Members of the audience expressedtheirconcernsonhowthe political turmoil that was taking place on Europe’s doorsteps was already having a detrimental effect on local businesses and would likely impact negatively on the economy. CommissionerDalliexpressedtheopinion that the EU’s most impor-tant role when it comes to establish-ing stability in the region would be to encourage and facilitate “govern-ability”, which would, in turn, pave the way for democracy, rule of law, human rights, economic stability and development. This was of course a situation that would also be ben-eficial to Europe. The debate also focused on how, in the long term, the EU and its member states could bring about greater competitiveness andeconomicgrowth.Commis-sionerDalliexpressedtheviewthatthe role of the European Union is to support and supplement action at national level.

MHRA President George Micallef raised a number of issues

withCommissionerDalli.TheMHRA president recommended the need for impact assessments whenever new EU proposals are made in order to assess the costs to business of such proposals before theseareenacted.HealsoexpressedMHRA’s concern regarding the harmonisation of standards such as the proposed classification and fire safety standards, food labelling proposal,Consumerrightsdirectiveand copyright issues amongst others.

MCESD Group 3 Meeting Re COLA Mechanism

Representatives from the employers’ bodies and union representatives metattheMCESDofficesinVal-letta to continue discussing the revi-sionoftheCOLAmechanism.DrGordonCordinaledthediscussion,clarifying the terms being proposed bytheunionssincetheGWUwasbasing its argument on the fact that theCOLAshouldbebasedonthenational ‘Average wage’ and not on the ‘base wage’ as at present. Em-ployers’ bodies were totally against thisasitwoulddoubletheCOLAcontribution. It was agreed that for thenextmeeting,DrCordinawouldwork out various scenarios on the ef-fectoftheCOLAinsuchinstances.

6th March

MHRA President Comments on Hotel Bookings Situation

WheninterviewedbytheIndependent on Sunday MHRA President George Micallef indicated that operators in the hotel industry have had a

16 June 2011

number of small groups cancelled andsomewereexperiencingaslowdown in bookings as a result oftheLibyancrisis.Whilethesituation was not yet alarming, Mr Micallef said that if matters are not resolved soon, it could have a negative effect on the country’s vital tourism industry. So far, MaltahadnotexperiencedanextraordinaryinfluxofmigrantssimilartoItalyandtheexpatriatesleavingLibya,mostlyonboardships, have been using Malta, the safestcountryclosesttoLibya,as a stepping-stone. Most people who arrived in the previous weeks had made arrangements to return to their homeland within one or twodaysandagroupofChinesepeople stayed on a cruise ship in Grand Harbour until they were flown back to their country. Mr Micallef said MHRA had beeninformedthatsixtosevengroups from Italy and France, booked for small conferences, had cancelled. However, reservations from the UK had slowed down considerably, he commented. On the other hand, a number of tour operators and conference organisers were worried about the situation and all efforts were being made to put their minds at rest. The general trend was one of late booking anyway, Mr Micallef noted, and some people might have decided to postpone their holiday. However, if the crisis was to drag on, business would be lost. The effect was partly a result of the negative perception created by foreign news agencies that spoke in detail about warships arriving in Malta, commenting that expatriateswereinundatingourshores. The situation in Tunisia and Egypt did not as such have an effect on Malta because the uprising did not last long and Malta was not involved directly although still in closeproximity.However,althoughsimply acting as a stepping stone, our island did find itself implicated inLibya’sstilldevelopingsituation

and was receiving continuous exposure.MHRAwasinconstantcontact with the Malta Tourism Authority, which was helping the government in accommodating the evacuees who needed to stay in Malta overnight. The possibility of changing advertising and marketing strategies was also being taken into consideration.

11th March

MHRA President Comments on Malta’s Threatened Competitiveness Due to Impact of EU Directives

In an interview MHRA President GeorgeMicallefexpressedtheindustry’s concern about the lack of an impact assessment on pro-posed directives not just in terms of the financial impact but the impracticality and adverse condi-tions directives create, even to the consumer which the directives are sometimes aimed at protecting. Mr Micallef went on to highlight several directives, such as the Food LabellingDirective,theConsumerrights directive, harmonisation of standards; copyright issues and theICTPlatformforTourism.Withregardtothefood-labellingdirective Mr Micallef indicated that not only it was burdensome on the small operators but also impractical and threatens the use of fresh produce in hotels and catering establishments due to the complexityofthemethodbeingproposed.TheConsumerRightsDirective would severely impair hotel and restaurant bookings if theIMCO1reportwasconfirmedatthenextEPPlenary.Theformalinformation requirements as sug-gestedbytheIMCOCommitteereportwillbeextremelydifficultfor hospitality contracts concluded by telephone.

On harmonisation of standards MrMicallefsaidthatflexibilityshould remain at the core of the

EU approach in this area in order to accommodate the inevitable structural and cultural differences that underpin the distinctiveness of specific economic sectors and, in the case of the hospitality in-dustry, the peculiar attractiveness of a destination.

On copyright issues, the licens-ing system for collecting societies needs to be thoroughly revisited by the EU legislators in order to establish a fair level-playing field among the collecting societies themselves in order to avoid the unfortunate creation and mainte-nance of monopolistic practices in this sensitive field. Mr Micallef also held that EU legislators must avoid the unnecessary collection of fees unjustifiablyclaimedattheexpenseof end-users, whether commercial entities such as hotels or private citizens as individual consumers of copyrighted material.

Mr Micallef welcomed the EUactiontosetupanICTPlatform for Tourism to facili-tate the adaptation of the tour-ism sector and its businesses to market developments in the new information technologies and improve their competitiveness by making use of possible syner-gies between the two sectors.

11th March

MHRA Press Release on Air Malta’s Restructuring

TheMHRAhadexpresseditsconcern over the slow rate of progress in the restructuring pro-cess of Air Malta. The Association has drawn attention to the fact that Government had originally announced a completion date for the first draft of the restructuring plan by December 2010.

“This would have allowed suf-ficient time for discussion between the various parties before approval is soughtfromtheEuropeanCom-mission,” stated MHRA President

18 June 2011

George Micallef. “In accordance with EU procedures, Government iscommittedwiththeCommissionnot only to seek approval for the re-structuring plan, but also to initiate its implementation by not later than the 16th May 2011, which is just eight weeks away.”

Mr Micallef went on to say that “Malta is fast running out of time. MHRA is concerned that in spite of the fact that the con-sultants were afforded two ad-ditional months to complete the restructuring plan, the Ministry for Finance felt the need to send this back to the consultants to ‘imple-ment fundamental changes’.”

MHRA also drew attention to the fact that Malta’s tourism relies toalargeextentonitsnationalairline.WhileMHRAacknowl-edges the fact that it is in no posi-tion to comment on any details of the developments nor suggest a way forward, “Neither MHRA, nor the Malta Tourism Authority, has been consulted at any time, despite its strategic relevance to the issues at hand.”

The Association stated that Malta has a lot to deal with, not least the turmoil in the North African region, particularly the prevailingescalationinLibya,the effects of which are already being felt in tourism. “The loom-ing threat of further increases in the cost of fuel and the overall economic uncertainties within our main source markets are just a few of the issues affecting Malta at present,” stated Mr Micallef.

“However the challenge posed by Air Malta is such that, if we do not get this right, the results may be catastrophic. The hotel and restaurant industry represents the livelihoods of thousands of Mal-tese and circa €1.5 billion Euros in Maltese direct investments in tourism businesses, in addition to the other economic activities that heavily depend on tourism,” he continued. MHRA once again ap-peals to Government, the Oppo-

sition, the unions and all parties concerned to work together to find solutions within the prevail-ing time constraints that will put Air Malta back on the road to recovery, as its strategic role in the economic and tourism devel-opment of Malta is critical.

15th March

MHRA Recommended Scheme Label for Restaurants

The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association officially presented the quality-label guidelines to the first 11 restaurants participating in aRecommendedLabelScheme,launched in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority at the beginning of the year. Each restaurant representative, from different restaurant categories, was given the official guidelines and criteria that need to be fulfilled to be awarded the label, which can be displayed in the restaurant once awarded. Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco said that the restaurant industry has made significant im-provements in the past few years, especially with the advent of inde-pendent and low-cost travelling. The newly launched scheme en-sures that the sector continues to improve its service. Both MHRA and MTA hope that more restau-rants will join the scheme. There are around 1,200 restaurants registered with MHRA. Over 850 of them fall under the first or second-class category. Taking part in the scheme costs €1,300 and theRecommendedLabelSchemeneeds to be renewed every two years. Dr de Marco said that the scheme allows clients to identify the quality level of a restaurant, while it ensures that restaurant owners invest in all the aspects of what makes a good restaurant experience.Headdedthatthe

RecommendedLabelSchemewillserve to encourage the restaurant industry to remain competitive. Tourism operators must con-tinue to ensure that they adapt to tourists’ demands and to the changes in the tourism market. Developed by MHRA earlier in the year, the scheme aimed to incentivise restaurant operators to adopt best practices throughout all levels of operation and in turn have their high level of service acknowledged. The first group of 11 participants was to be allowed asix-month‘adjustmentpe-riod’ to implement the necessary standards, policies, procedures and training as indicated in the operational guidelines manual. They will also have to produce complete and convincing evidence of compliance in all areas, plus a mark of 75% or over through a mystery guest audit. MHRA presi-dent George Micallef encouraged the association’s members to raise their standards and deliver the best possible service to customers. “The restaurant sector is considered a vital component of Malta’s tourism product, and through this scheme, MHRA is aiming to award those that achieve and maintain the very highest operational standards,” Mr Micallef said. The label signi-fies that the awarded restaurant conforms to the high professional standards of MHRA.

22nd March

MHRA President Comments on Removal of Employment Registration by Foreigners

In an interview with a local newspa-per about the removal of the present employment permit system, retained by Malta despite EU accession in 2004, and which will be lifted as from May 1st to allow EU citizens the same freedom and liberty of employment as the Maltese,

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Mr Micallef commented that it will not have a major effect on the job market, as basically what would be different is that instead of one apply-ing for a work permit, which was is-sued in any instance within a matter of 2 days, any EU citizen will now havetoregisterandbeexemptedfrom paying the small fee normally charged. Furthermore this will not need to be renewed every year. Mr Micallef went on to say that there should be no real impact as this new system does not constitute any sig-nificant gain other than doing away withtheformalities.WhenaskedwhetherhewouldexpectahugeinfluxofEUworkers,MrMicallefsaid that is highly unlikely. It had not happened elsewhere within the EU member states where it was easier to just cross borders than having to travel by air or sea to reach Malta. MrMicallefwentontoexplainthatthenumberofEUexpatriatesinMalta was not that voluminous in the first place. A significant percentage of employment was in the financial, gaming sector or management posts. Consequentlyitwouldnothaveanymajor effect on Maltese employ-ment levels. From surveys MHRA had conducted within the hospital-ity sector it had transpired that the number of non-Maltese EU citizens working in the hotel and restaurant sector was a few hundreds, and this was by no means significant. MHRA didnotexpectanysignificantinflux,and consequently it had not been deemed necessary to prepare the sec-tor, other than advising them of the new procedures.

MHRA Holds a Conference for the Restaurant Sector

A conference for restaurateurs was heldinlateMarchattheExcelsiorGrand Hotel in Floriana when four main workshops were held during which problems associated with restaurant operations were identi-fied to eventually be incorporated in a document being prepared by

MHRA to pass on to Government for inclusion in a strategic develop-ment policy for the restaurant sector in Malta.

Following the presentation of the findings of the workshops by the fourfacilitators,namelyAlexMifsud,CarolCalleja,CharlesMicallefandCharlesMartin,apanelofexpertsmadeupofETCCEOMrClaudioFarrugia,MTAConsultantonQual-ity Assurance Mr Frank Farrugia and ITS Director Mr Adrian Mamo, MHRA President George Micallef stated that the restaurant and cater-ing sector is increasingly becoming a critical success factor of Malta’s tourism product, especially since the independent traveller’s seg-ment is continuing to grow at a steady rate. Furthermore, surveys show that Maltese prefer by far to spend their leisure time eat-ing out, and this is supported by official statistics that show that a large portion of the near €300 million revenue per year gener-ated by restaurants is spent by Maltese. The restaurant sector has evolved over the years in reaction to market demands, yet it developed in the absence of a national policy and did not fol-low any set strategy. Mr Micallef stated that the sector may not be entirely in tune with the needs of the tourism industry at present, and therefore there is a need to take stock of what we have today and plan where we have to take this sector in five, ten years from now. MHRA has proposed that an in-depth study is led by the Malta Tourism Authority in col-laboration with MHRA, to serve as a basis for the drawing up of a development policy for the sector. Mr Micallef also outlined how cer-tain sectors of the local community are of the opinion that restaurants are generally overpriced and do not offer value for money. This is a generic perception since very little informationexiststohelpestablishtheextentofthisnegativepercep-tion, but it does seem to contrast

with the relatively high satisfaction level registered by tourists visiting local restaurants, as determined by surveys conducted by the MTA.

24th March

MHRA Attends HOTREC Barcelona Meeting on “Access to Financial Resources by National Associations Representing the Hospitality Sector”

MHRA, represented by Vice-President Tony Zahra, attended a meeting of the European Hospitality Foundation (EHF), in collaboration with the European Association ofHotels,RestaurantsandCafés(HOTREC*)andFundacióGas-part Bonet, held in Barcelona to discuss how national associations representing the hospitality sec-tor could better access financial resources, particularly in times of economic downturns.

Both Kent Nyström, President ofHOTRECandMr.JoanGaspart,Vice-President of EHF, congratu-lated the organisers and speakers of the seminar for their outstanding work and commented that “the experiencespresentedbytheguestspeakers and the national associa-tionmembersofHOTRECrepre-sentauniqueopportunitytoex-change best practices and innovate thewaystoobtainextrarevenues”.

Indeed, access to financial re-sources is a major problem for na-tional associations when the busi-ness they represent, mostly SMEs, finds serious difficulties in surviving the economic crisis. In addition to other sources of revenues, national associations, as all economic actors, need to apply innovative strategies to turn difficulties or uncertainty into opportunities. Mr. Albert Bosch, guest speaker, a recognised expertinbusinessstrategyandriskmanagement, showed through hispersonalexperiencehowtouse creativity and innovation to

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overcome the crisis. Mr. Malco Par, memberoftheExecutiveBoardof“Gremi d’Hotelers de Barcelona” (GHB), presented the successful experienceofBarcelonaHotelsasa model to follow in other Eu-ropeancities.Lastly,Mr.DavidField,HeadofCustomerandSalesDevelopmentofNestléProfes-sional,explainedhowHOTRECnational associations could benefit from the collaboration and partner-ship with companies from other sectors, especially providers to the hospitality sector, as a way to ensure financial stability. Several national associations presented examplesofbestpracticesofservices offered to the businesses theyrepresent,suchasCEHAT(Spain),KONINKLIJHORECA(Netherlands),FEDERALBERHI(Italy), HAH (Hungary) and BHA (United Kingdom). The representatives from the associa-tions of Austria, Belgium, France, Germany,Ireland,Latvia,Lithu-ania, Malta, Portugal and Sweden, explainedthestructureofthenational hospitality associations in their countries. The European Hospitality Foundation (EHF) andHOTRECoftencollaboratetogether in the organisation of events, amongst other objectives to promote the hospitality sector andtofacilitatetheexchangeofbest practices in different areas around Europe.

1st April

Fuel Increases Cost Hotels in Excess of €2.5 Million in the Past Year

Following another increase in fuel oil in April MHRA issued a press releaseexpressingitsconcernabout another increase in fuel as announced the previous day, and in particular about the increase inthinfueloilwhichisexten-sively used by the hotel industry. The cumulative increase of thin

fuel oil over the past thirteen monthsexceeded50%,andthiswas putting a heavy burden on the industry. MHRA calculated that the increase in the cost of thin fuel oil alone, over the past months, has cost the hotel in-dustry around €2,450,000, which averages at €18,550 per hotel, per annum. This increase does not include the consumption of diesel and petrol, which if added would push up the cost of increases on fuel to around €20,000 per hotel over the past year. Thin fuel oil isextensivelyusedbyhotelsfor heating purposes during the winter months when the industry generally operates at a loss and consequently this, in addition to the very high utility rates, will probably push more hotels to consider closing during the win-ter period, as further losses will become unsustainable. MHRA feels that if this had to happen it would have a detrimental effect on the tourism industry at large and indeed on the economy. MHRA is also concerned by the fact that the cumulative per-centage increase of thin fuel oil surpasses that of other fuel prices and MHRA will be writing to the Malta Resources Authority ask-ingforanexplanation.MHRAappealed to Government to look into this matter in order to find a way of curbing the increases on the cost of fuel, as such hefty increases are rendering the entire islands less and less competitive.

Malta Hotel Prices are Far from Expensive

MHRA wrote a letter to the editor of a local paper in reply to an article published on the 30th March, titled “Malta hotel rooms rankamongmostexpensive”as reported in the annual Hotel PriceIndexissuedbyhotels.com.This information was far from the truth. Such press statements

issued by foreign organisations without asking local trade organi-sations for their comments do not give a balanced picture, and con-sequently present a very distorted picture of matters.

The actual achieved aver-age hotel room rate (AARR) for Malta for year-end 2010 was €59, which is a far cry from the quoted €143 rate. In fact the highest average achieved rate for 2010 was of €98 in the 5-star category peak summer, which still was hugely lower than that quoted bythehotels.comindex.MHRAstated that it gets its results from a scientific and independent survey carried out every quarter by Deloitte. The survey results normally also reflect the trends published independently by the NSO. MHRA was not aware of the precise methodology adopted by hotels.com, other than it was meant to represent a weighted average reflecting the size of the quoted market. Hotels.com have no access to rates that are negoti-ated between Maltese hoteliers and tour operators who represent close to 60% of the occupied room nights in Malta. In the case of online bookings, which repre-sent less than a third of occupied bed nights, the rates quoted by hoteliers are all real time and are adjusted almost on a daily basis to reflect the availability or otherwise of rooms in the hotel.GiventhemarketmixinMalta,itwould normally achieve the lower rate and not the higher rate, and consequently the achieved aver-age rate was never anywhere near that advertised online.

4th April

MHRA Concerned Regarding Another Increase in Fuel Prices

InaletteraddressedtotheCEOof the Malta resources Authority,

24 June 2011

MHRAexpresseditsconcernaboutthe spate of increases in fuel prices over the past months, in particular that concerning thin fuel oil, which isextensivelyusedbythehotelindustry. MHRA reported that it had calculated that the cumulative increase of thin fuel oil over the pastthirteenmonthshasexceeded50% which is undoubtedly putting a heavy burden on the industry.

MHRA referred Ing Anthony Rizzo to the press release issued by MHRA the previous week, where it was estimated that the increase in the cost of thin fuel oil alone was costing the hotel industry around €2,450,000 per an-num averaging €18,550 per hotel. This increase did not include the consumption of diesel and petrol, which if added will push up the cost of increases on fuel to around €20,000 per hotel over the past year. MHRA indicated that the cumulative percentage increase of thin fuel oil appears to have sur-passed that of other fuel prices and that it would like to be informed about the mechanisms and meth-odologies adopted by MRA when approving such increases.

6th April

MHRA at Full-Day Seminar for ITS Academic Staff

‘ForwardwithConfidence’wasthe title of a full-day seminar or-ganised by the Institute of Tour-ism Studies for its academic staff. The seminar was organised in line with the new vision of the Insti-tute of Tourism Studies, which has taken shape in the last few months following the appoint-mentofanewexecutivedirectorand a new deputy director. In his opening address Mr Mamo said that one of the main objectives of the seminar was to get an insight into the current trends happen-ing in the local and international

tourism industry and to analyse the human resources require-ments of the sector. He reiterated that this was a very important event which should take place every year in order to ensure that the ITS moves in line with the re-quirements of the tourism indus-try while still keeping in mind its vocational education role. Speak-ers from the industry, including theCEOoftheMaltaTourismAuthority, Josef Formosa Gauci, andtheCEOoftheMaltaHotelsand Restaurants Association, George Schembri, who spoke about trends and the relation-ship between ITS and industry. Sandra Scerri, training manager oftheCorinthiaSanGorgHotel,delivered a presentation targeting the aspect of change. The event was hosted and sponsored by The Palace Hotel, Sliema.

13th April

MHRA Welcomes New Associate Members to the Association

CamilleriWinesandbesthotelin-fo.com subscribed to become Silver Associate Members of MHRA. They join a long list of preferred suppliers who have chosen to join MHRA under this scheme. Over the last decade The Master Group have invested to upgrade the quality of their wines and now are amongst the top wine producers on the Maltese Islands.MHRAandCamilleriwines will be working together to promote its wines and grow the knowledge of wines through regular seminars, establish a Som-melier of the Year, and promote CamilleriwinesinMHRAmem-ber restaurants. Besthotelinfo.com is a website specifically for hotels to promote their amenities in a more structured format than that found on normal websites. besthotelinfo.com is a free online

Hotel Directory that provides detailed and objective listings and most clients are tour opera-tors and hotels that want to offer their guests the chance to inform themselves about a hotel in all respects.Customerscanaccessaccurate and detailed information, make more informed decisions and thus be more satisfied with the hotel of their choice. Fewer misunderstandings between hotel guests, hotel owners and tour operators will reduce requests for compensation.Whatmakesthebesthotelinfo.com Hotel Direc-tory unique is that it does not classify the hotels and remain im-partial. No personal comments or opinions are included and the ac-curacy of the information collect-ed is approved and signed by the hotel. besthotelinfo.com’s head office is situated in Munich, Germa-ny and the operations are conducted from offices in Malta. Since its inception in 2007 besthotelinfo.com have built a solid Hotel Directory featuring hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

14th April

MHRA at Tourism Students Association Annual Conference

Mr. George Schembri represented MHRA once again at the TSA annual conference held at the Intercontinental Hotel in St Julians. This year’s theme was based on the effects of various transport devel-opments on the Maltese Islands Tourism sector. A number of guest speakers took part in this morning conference, amongst them Mr. Joe Muscat from the Gozo Tourism Association,Mr.AlfredQuintano,lecturer at the Institute of Tour-ism,TravelandCulture,Mr.JohnPortelli,CEOattheVallettaCruisePort and Gianfranco Selvaggi, CEOatMaltaUniversityHoldingCompany.ParliamentarySecretary

26 June 2011

forTourism&CultureDrMarioDe-Marco opened the conference high-lighting the need for good transport communications to grow the tour-ism sector of the Maltese Islands. 4th Year Student Mr Joseph Borg, reading for a BA (Hons) in Tourism Studies presented an interesting talk onthetouristexperienceandtrans-port by visitors to the island.

25th April

MHRA President on Malta Economic Update

MHRA president Mr. George Micallef was interviewed for an article titled ‘A Glimpse of the Tourism industry at Present’ By The Malta Economic update. During the interview Mr Micallef highlighted that Tourism was one of the sectors that made a strong comeback in 2010 after the recession of 2009. It generated €1.1 billion worth of earnings and millions more in other indirect economic activity. The positive results vindicated the decision taken at the start of the previ-ous year for further investment in increased seat capacity from underserved routes, and a more aggressive marketing approach by the Malta Tourism Authority. The previous year tourist arrivals increased by almost 13% on 2009, whilst the average per-capita spend rose by 8%. The increase inspend,MrMicallefexplained,was mainly caused by a rise in the free and independent travel-ler (FIT) segment and a higher propensity for a shorter average stay. The biggest investors in the tourism industry were hotels and restaurants, with an estimated worth of circa €1.5 billion, and a workforce of 17,000. The sector requires continuous investment in improvements because of its high depreciation rate and constantly changingtrends.Consequentlythe demand for disposable capital

required for reinvestment in this sector was usually very high. However he cautioned that notwithstanding the sustained improvement in 2010, hotels reported a decline in both average achieved room rates and occu-pancy level when compared to 2008, whilst revenue dropped by 3%. The considerable increases in costs in 2009 and 2010 have impacted the profitability of the sector and was standing 13% below 2008 levels. The prevailing market trends and stiffer competition did not help the situation either, and hotels were constrained to forgo a considerable amount of their profit margins in favour of price compe-tition, which continued to dry up disposable capital.

The problem was tied with local high operating costs which were steeper than those in most of Malta’s competing destinations, however all compete and pitch for business in the same marketplace. Eurostat figures confirm that the gross value added for the hotels and restaurants sector in Malta has been sharply declining when com-pared to competing Mediterranean destinations, and this despite the restructuring measures undertaken by the industry since the recession. The industry was concerned that if this continued, it would undermine the investment capability of the sector. He continued to indicate that the value added of the tour-ism industry on the local economy remained huge. Mr Micallef concluded with his call for Govern-ment and all industry stakeholders to work together and further inten-sify their efforts to increase arrivals andtouristexpenditure,asthiswasthe only way Malta could secure a healthy future for the industry. Tourism had proved to be one of the most resilient global industries, and people will choose to travel irrespectively.Conditionsmayinfluence people how and where to travel, but people will still travel, and Malta needed to make every

effort to ensure that it remains a formidable destination of choice.

29th April

MHRA Writes to Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism re James Blunt Concert

MHRA president Mr George Mi-callef addressed a letter to Parliamen-tary Secretary Dr Mario DeMarco following the Police intervention duringtheJamesBluntConcerton the 7th April, 2011 at the Val-lettaWaterfront.ThePolice,basingtheir considerations on the ‘Trading LicenceRegulations’SubsidiaryLeg-islation 441.07, issued a complete ban on the selling of alcohol throughout the above captioned open-air event, a couple of hours prior to the com-mencement of same, which regula-tion states that “No alcohol and no tobacco products shall be sold to persons under the age of seventeen years”. Mr Micallef wrote that whilst MHRA appreciates the benefits of such a provision, it was felt that the Police interpreted the above quoted Regulation 7 as prohibiting the presence of any alcohol in events attended by persons under the age of seventeen years – as distinct from the sale of alcohol to U-17 youths. It was evident that the legislator envisaged a situation where in events simi-lar to the one in question, alcohol was to be sold solely and strictly to persons aged seventeen and over. Should one follow such an interpre-tationthiswouldleadtoextremitieswhere open-air events attended by families, such as summer wine and beer festivals, would be completely devoid of any alcohol since persons under the age of seventeen would be present. MHRA highlighted that open-air events were not only attended by Maltese citizens, but most importantly these events were attended by numerous tourists visit-ing the Maltese Islands. In fact, most of these events were promoted and

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marketed purposely for tourists and this with the aid of the Secretariat for Tourism. MHRA fears that this absolute ban will negatively affect such events and tourism. MHRA, in the light of the above considerations and in view of the scheduled events planned for this coming summer, invited discussions to be held with the Police Authorities with a view to finding a workable solution in the interest of all.

2nd May

MHRA Intervenes on Behalf of Marina Hotel Corinthia

A proposal by Transport Malta toextendtheSwimmingZoneatSt George’s Bay St Julians further outwards would have seriously jeopardisedtheMICEbusinessofthis hotel sitting on the left hand side of St George’s Bay. MHRA pursued a meeting with the par-ties concerned to find a solution which will not impact the hotel but at the same time allow the swimmers’ area to grow. Following an onsite meeting agreement was reached on how toextendtheswimmers’zonewhile the hotel will continue to be able to make use of its quays towelcomeMICEgroupstothehotel through sea transport pro-vided by companies which offer harbour cruise boats.

5th May

MHRA Hosts Charlie Gatt at its Office

MHRAhostedMrCharlieGatt,afervent travel agent supporter of the Maltese islands tourism potential for the North American Market, for a meeting with Marketing Directors of five-star establishments, MTA, Air Malta and Malta Enterprise to propose an initiative he was working on to attract more travel operators

to promote the Maltese Islands. The meeting, chaired by MHRA vice President Tony Zahra, who is also involved in the travel business, introduced Mr Gatt to those present. Mr Gatt proposed to promote with US visiting Travel Agents (USVTA) a two night/three day visit to Malta for $299. The contribution would be shared between airline, hotel andDMC.AirMaltawouldgiveasubsidised fare to bona fede travel agents from the US while the hotels will offer a reduced rate for two nights’ upgraded accommodation. TheDMCswillbeofferingtransfersandexcursionsalsoatareducedrate. Mr Gatt also encouraged both private and public enterprises to be innovative to make visitors have anunforgettableexperience.HesuggestedexploitingMalta’suniqueasset of being a small state and as an examplesuggestedthatperhapstheParliamentary Secretary for Tourism could host once a month a couple from each hotel to a short recep-tion at the Auberge d’Italie. Visitors who would never have occasion to meet a Minister in their country, this wouldbeanunforgettableexperi-ence and they would tell the story and show photos to family and friends. One has to take such oppor-tunities if Malta wants its tourism to stand out. It was agreed that MHRA will get together with MTA and Air Malta to discuss the proposed initiative and bring others onboard to kickstart it as early as possible. Mr John Mizzi, representing Malta Enterprise, offered his assistance once he is stationed in New York later in the year. The Ambassador for Malta in New York was also support-ing the initiative and would offer any assistance sought from him to launch the initiative.

5th May

MHRA Meets Minister Pullicino Regarding Way Forward for Proper Waste Management

MHRACEOMrGeorgeSchembriaccompanied by Ing Ray Vassallo from Radisson Group, Mainte-nancemanagerCharlesBonaviafromCorinthiaGroup,IngJoeRestall from Hilton Malta and Ing ChrisTabonefromIntercontinen-talexpressedtheirviewsontheprevailing situation with regards to collection of separated waste from hotels and problems associated with general waste. They informed Minister Pullicino that they had visitedtheWasteprocessingplantat Marsascala and congratulated government on the investment for the regeneration of waste into compost and to generate electricity.WasteServwasseek-ing opportunities to collect more separated organic waste to be able to run the generator long periods and other general waste to produce more compost. The Hotel engineers highlighted the problems and whilst they assured the Ministry that ho-teliers would be willing to separate more waste, they stressed that it was important to have a homogenised system of collection which had an inbuilt audit trail as at present this wasnon-existent.OfficialsfromWasteServindi-

cated that at present there were only 20 truck owners that had installed theloadcellsontheirtrucks.WSare to follow-up with truck owners who have not yet installed the load cells, in view of the scheme in place. It was agreed that MHRA will conduct a survey to obtain the list of collectors hoteliers are using, whileWasteServwillpassontoMHRA the present list of con-tractors who are fully equipped. Minister Pullicino insisted with WasteServthattheMEPAlicencefor the waste carriers is to be enforced. Also MHRA will be communicating with the office of theHon.ChrisSaidontheissueofLocalCouncils.MHRArequestedthat the prices of recyclables are presented to them from time to time. MHRA will make an official requesttoWasteServandthesewill be transmitted to MHRA.

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MHRA members complained that grease is being discarded in sew-ers by the collectors when such collectors are being paid to empty their grease-traps. MHRA was to bring this matter to the attention ofWSC.EventuallyMHRAwillcall a meeting with the licensed collectors in order to discuss a better organisation of the collec-tionofwastetobesenttotheCAsite. The trucks could be organ-ised in such a way that one truck covers a certain region and that truck holds the licence to go the CAsiteinLuqa.Astickerwillbeplaced on such trucks. In order to promote more waste separation it was agreed to award a certificate to those establishments in recog-nition of their efforts to recycle waste. Ing Vassallo suggested that WasteServlooksintothepos-sibility of setting up a temporary transfer station for organic waste atMghatab.WasteServwasalsoasked to look into the possibility of providing compensation for organic waste, this could take the form of a rebate on the electricity bill.Wasteservalsoconfirmedthatthey would be willing to provide pellets for use in composters.

9th May

MHRA Attends Meeting Organised by Fondazjoni Ulied Qormi with Dr Chris Said

MHRAwasrepresentedbyCEOMr George Schembri at a meet-ing called by representatives of FondazjoniUliedQormi(FUQ)withDrChrisSaid--HonMariaLouiseColeiroPreca,GeorgeAz-zopardi,LisaCassarandconsul-tant Maria Rauch. Present for the meetingwerealsoMBBCEOMrJosephTantiandMBBExecu-tive Mariella Scicluna. MHRA is endorsingFUQ’sprojecttopro-moteQormiculturalassetsandorganise events to attract more

foreignvisitorstovisitQormi.MrAzzopardipresentedDrChrisSaidwith a brief highlighting the con-cept behind the project to integrate the local community on a partner-ship basis with the aim to promote the area as a tourist attraction.

10th May

MHRA President Meets Officials of Enemalta

MHRA President George Micallef, Vice-President Tony Zahra and MHRACEOGeorgeSchem-brimetEnemaltaCEOIngKarlCamilleri,CFOAntoineGaleaand Financial Risk Manager Janice Mercieca to discuss the rising pric-ing of Thin Fuel Oil which is used by the accommodation sector. Mr Micallef highlighted the impact the rise in this oil is having on operational costs of the accommo-dation sector and MHRA wanted toexplorehowthepricecanbestabilised in order for the industry to be able to plan its operations in asmoothermanner.IngKarlCa-milleriexplainedthemethodologyused in obtaining fuel oil and the only solution was for the sector to hedge its needs on a 12-monthly basis with all the ramifications that such a method brings with it. It was agreed that MHRA conducts a survey to assess the quanti-ties that the sector uses and see whether it was worth going down this road to maintain price stabil-ityforthesector.IngCamilleristated that he would be more than willing to address MHRA mem-bersandexplainhowthehedgingprocess works in order for the sector to understand the risks and benefits of hedging oil prices.

11th May

Meeting with Deputy Director General of DG Enterprise & Industry Mr Daniel Calleja Crespo, at Dar l-Ewropa

MHRA,MaltaChamberofCom-merce,GozoChamberofCom-merce, Malta Enterprise and GRTU were invited to Europa House in Valletta for a meeting with Mr DanielCallejaCrespo,DeputyDirector General of DG Enterprise and Industry together with Dr Joanna Drake, Director General DG ENTR responsible for SMEs and Entrepreneurship and Deputy SpecialEnvoyofEU.MrCallejaCrespohighlightedtheworkbeingconducted by DG Enterprise & In-dustry and key proposals to address SME matters. He highlighted the launch of the Small Business act as oneexamplewheresimplification,easy access to finance and access to markets were the main goals of the act. The SBA aims to help SMEs by having a one-stop shop to cater for their needs within the public sector and by setting goals which aimforexampleatthesetting-upa company in not more than 3 working days and not costing more than €100. Several tools are in place such as the Jeremie Scheme, to help SMEs easily access to finance which will help them move their business forward and tap into investment funds and venture capital. He also explainedthatSMEsneedeasyac-cess to markets and DG Enterprise & Industry was developing tools so that they can market their products outside their territory, in other EU states and possibly also to other countries. He proposed also that each member state is to nominate an envoy (defender) for SMEs to evaluate government policies and how these were impacting SMEs.The envoy will need to be able to argue the SME case and report progresstotheEUCommission.

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17th May

MHRA President Meets Hoteliers in St Paul’s Bay/Bugibba/Qawra Area

MHRA coordinated a meeting with hoteliers in the St Paul’s Bay/Bugibba/Qawraareaduringwhich Mr. George Micallef, Presi-dent of MHRA, highlighted the need for accommodation opera-tors in the area to come up with ideas how to address seasonality problems. Invited for the meeting werealsoMTACEOJosefFor-mosaGauciandMrLeslieVella.MrMicallefexpressedhisconcernthat over the last couple of years several accommodation establish-ments have resorted to closing down during the winter season. This in itself was having a nega-tive effect on those that remained open since travel operators were shying away from promoting and booking visitors in the area dur-ing the lean winter months due to the fact that the area with so many establishments closed for the season was not very attractive to visitors. If the area becomes synonymous with summer busi-ness only, more visitors will shy away from the area in the lean winter months and eventually it will truly become a seasonal resort with the repercussions that thiswillbring.MrLeslieVellamade a presentation on numbers and profile of arrivals in the area ofStPaul’sBay/Bugibba/Qawraand their perception of services in the area through the ongoing survey conducted by MTA. This was followed by a discussion about the positive and negative aspects highlighted in the survey. Towards the end of the meet-ing Mr Micallef indicated that MHRA will send a set of ques-tions to collect ideas and feed-back on some of the issues raised during the meeting.

19th May

Meeting of Ghadira Lido Operators at MTA

At a meeting held at the Malta Tourism Office, Perit Kevin Fsad-ni and Dr Jesmond Schembri indi-cated that Government had been planning the proper organisation of Ghadira Bay for a number of years with respect to implement-ing better beach management, life guards, beach supervisors, etc. Over the years, the way that lido and kiosk operators have been operating has led to complaints and criticism from the public that no space was left for free use by them. Operators, on the other hand, objected to the fact that the concessions that they operated were small, unrealistic and badly placed. The MTA in conjunction with the Government Property Division and the Parliamentary Secretariat for Tourism, drew up an implementation pilot plan for summer 2011, whereby all those operators that place sun-beds and umbrellas on the beach would have the possibility of having a designated area for the placement of beach furniture for hire to the public while leaving designated areas free for anyone who wanted to bring his or her own beach furniture for the day. Perit Fsadni highlighted that the proposals also would not allow for the renting of furniture outside designated areas although this may change after the pilot period based on justified reasons, on condition that this will not lead again to abuse. It was agreed that MTA will send the proposals to theLidoOperatorsandthesewillgive their reaction to them.

23rd May

MHRA Meets the Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry and Malta Employers Association

TheproposedrevisionoftheCOLAmechanism was the main point for discussion between the three con-stituted bodies. The meetings, held undertheMCESD,withunionswere not leading anywhere and it was agreed to ask for a meeting with Parliamentary Secretary Dr ChrisSaidbeingresponsiblefortheMCESD.ThePensionreformissuewas also discussed at length and the three constituted bodies will suggest to government to go for the third pillar as early as possible since the second pillar was not acceptable to the employers’ bodies.

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34 June 2011

He Came, He Saw, He was Conquered Victor Calleja

WhenIgettomeetItalicoRotatofindoutallabouthislife,Ifeelimmenselyhappy.He makes me feel special, he makes me feel as if I am the most important person around.SignorRotamakesyouliveadream,yourdream.Andthisisexactlywhathospitality is about: making you believe you are in your little part of heaven, away from your cares, away from your daily drudge.

MrRotaisaGMextraordinaireand one of Malta’s most loving and useful ambassadors. He is not part of any diplomatic corps but he has helped Malta get known and get loved for over 30 years. After living here for so long he feels even more Maltese than most of us locals.

He has Maltese citizenship and also retains his Italian citizenship, not that he needs it that much nowadays he says, since he has ev-erything he needs here. “Malta is a corner of paradise. Everything about it is good and I love it grandly.” He is more Maltese than most of us because, unlike us, he does not find fault with everything Maltese and with all that Malta has to offer. He talks to everyone, locals and foreigners, about the charm, the beauty of Malta and of the loving Maltese people.

I wish I could clone this man and have him teach us all how to love what we have on this little rock. And grandly he does it too. He might have lived most of his life away from Italian shores and piazzas but his way of communicating and loving life is definitely a remnant of his Italian origins, a part of the old Italy where the gentlemen were alwaysexudinglimitlesscharm.Heis so proud of being Maltese that he manages to imbue a good feeling in allthosearoundhim.WhenImeet Mr Italico Rota, the GM at the Corththia Palace Hotel

Phot

o: G

eorg

e Sc

intil

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35June 2011

himattheCorinthiaPalaceHotel&Spa in San Anton, where he is GM, I instantly notice that it’s not just the guests who feel this electrifying Rota energy. In or out of his presence, all his staff are a bundle of energy, all full of praise for him.

All this might sound as if his only jobistoexudehisnaturalcharm.But this couldn’t be further from the truth. The hotel seems to run like clockwork. Staff are friendly and

make sure you are given prompt at-tention and service. He also moulds and grooms people to become lead-ers.IntheCorinthiaGroupheistheeldestGM,whilehisprotégéandex-deputyJonathanPacebecamethe youngest GM in the history of theCorinthia.JonathanPaceworkedclosely and most happily with Signor Rota. He eventually became his deputy and thanks to Mr Rota’s faith and trust in him, he was hand-

picked to run the Marina Hotel at theCorinthiaBeachResortasGMwhen he was only 27. A true feat for Mr Pace and another milestone in the Rota list of successes. And Jonathan Pace, Mr Rota’s ‘pupillo,’ has now moved even higher: he hasbecomeGMattheCompany’sPanorama Hotel in Prague. Another first for a man just over thirty. Mr Rota’s main words of advice to Mr Pace and everyone he has had to guide or mould is “to have a shower daily before coming to work.” I stu-pidly think that he is talking about personal hygiene: but the shower he speaks of is of humility, which gives you a strong bond with all the people around you and makes you a great leader. As Mr Rota says “the highest person in any organisation is the one who never knows enough and is always learning”.

How does he do it I ask him? How does he find the strength to remain so positive all the time? “It’s easy” he says, in his sonorous sing-song English that still lilts beautifully with an Italian echo. How come it

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37June 2011

is easy? I stress “Because I love it, I do not strain to do it. I love people. I love being with them and making sure they are happy and that they feel special.” And while we are going round the hotel, he greets every-one effusively and the women are treated like a bevy of Duchesses ofCambridgestraightfromtheirroyal weddings. He bows to them, kisses their hands, compliments them and booms his words of advice about where to go or what to do. And the males are greeted as eloquently and with heartfelt smiles and handshakes.

At some point I pin Signor Rota to his story. I ask him what he started life in hotels as. As a lift boy, he quips. And proceeds to take out from his pocket a very

well-preserved silver dollar dated 1881. “This has been in my pocket practically since I started working. I was working in Milan when I was 14 and an Italo-Americano asked me a few questions about me and my life. He then gave me this dollar which I have preserved for good luck ever since.

It has been my own ‘porta fortuna’ for 59 years. It has never left me and it has been a great deliverer

of good luck and good stories.” Oh howannoyedandangryIfeel.Whycan’t silly dollars speak? I want to ask it all that it has seen to get the full story of this man. Throughout our conversation he peppers it with comments about how good his staff are, how he needs them and how he just contributes his little bit. Speak dollar, speak and tell us more of bellboy days and other secrets.WhileinMilanworkingcontinu-

ously, he studied all the languages he knew he would eventually need. He studied English, German and Spanish, while French and Italian he already knew, and now he also speaks Maltese. And he worked, as he says, round the clock, to save enough to go to university in the USA. Meanwhile, this man kept rising in his roles: from bellboy to positions in F&B, HR, accounts and even sales and marketing.

His lifelong dream however was to go to university and he managed. So from his little town of Parma, Mr Rota went to Milan at the tender age of 14 and subsequently all the way to New York.

In New York he finalised his

Mr Rota being interviewed

The Silver Dollar

Phot

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38 June 2011

thesis, which was purchased by a leading hotel group, the Sonesta Corporation,whichsubsequentlyemployed him on the strength of that same thesis. The chairman of Sonesta gave him the special task of introducing and implementing in Europe the hotel management system the corporation had devel-oped in the USA. Italico was very successful in this and travelled be-tween New York and various places. Eventually he wanted to find a base, so he settled with the same group in Munich, then Milan, then Beirut. However, the settling hardly hap-pened, as he had to travel back and forth to New York, so he came to Malta for a holiday to get away from it all. And the man who came for a few weeks of rest fell in love with the island and the rest, as they say, is his-tory. Thankfully for us Maltese the man’s history is tied unequivocally to Malta and Gozo. Or rather Gozo and then Malta, as his first years here were spent in Gozo. And the chair-man of Sonesta was shattered, but still happy that his own ‘pupillo’ left his company to further his career.

He remained in Gozo to develop, for an Italian entrepreneur, a site in Sannat, which was turned into one of our most interesting hotel stories: theTa’Cenc,whichunderMrRota’s management, became one of the most sought after places in the Mediterranean.ItfeaturedinCondeNast Traveler as the 21st of the top 100 hotels in the world.WhileinMalta,MrRotamet

another man who mesmerised him. This man was Mr Alfred Pisani, chairmanoftheCorinthiaGroup.AndthensixyearsagoMrRotajoinedCorinthiaasGMoftheCorinthiaPalaceHotel&SpainSan Anton, where 49 years ago the Corinthia-Pisanistoryallstarted.MrRota tells me: “Mr Pisani is a man of great vision, a born leader and an exampletousall.IsaythisbecauseItruly believe he is one of a kind and Malta is lucky to have had him and his vision. My chairman is a down to earth person in reality, as are most of

the intelligent men on this planet.”Before I leave, a beaming Italico

Rota tells me that Malta has given him everything: he met his charm-ing, loving German wife while he was in Malta; he had his children here; he discovered real friends here and he found his real happiness here. His final words to me are “Malta is a gem, an old precious gem that never loses its worth.”

I leave the hotel on a high just

“Malta is a gem, an old precious gem that never loses its worth.”

as I am sure most guests staying at theCorinthiamustfeel.

And What Does Italo Rota’s Own Pupillo Think ?

I spoke to Jonathan Pace about Mr Rota to see what he thinks of the man and if he thinks of him as a legend. Mr Pace was once Mr Rota’s deputy and today has risen, at an incredibly young age, to become GM at the Panorama Hotel in Prague, one of the many hotels that are owned or run by theCorinthiaGroup.

Mr Rota gave Jonathan the best lessons not just in hotel management but in life. Accord-ing to Jonathan: “Mr Rota is such a people’s person who treats peoplewell.Whetheryouareaguest at his hotel or a member of staff—in whatever grade—he makes you feel good. He is always positive and this is felt throughout the hotel. Mr Rota is not a GM who stays at his desk crunching numbers; the num-

bers and reports are important but can be done when there are no people and by others. To Mr Rota the best thing to do at the hotel is to look after your guests and make sure they are treated like very important people.” Ac-cording to his pupillo, Mr Rota’s presence is electrifying and he is there to make sure all is fine with the food, the service and the whole hotel operation. According to Jonathan Mr Rota does a great job and also knows how to enjoy life. He loves his food and travel-ling but most importantly for his job he loves his staff. The way Mr Rota treats his staff is part of the living legend of a man who came from nearby Italy for a vacation to rest and overstayed by over 30 years. The rest is part of Malta’s hotel history.

Mr Pace,

“Mr Rota’s presence is electrifying and he is there to make sure all is fine with the food, the service and the whole hotel operation.”

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41June 2011

Feeding the Soul Victor Calleja

IloveMdinamustbeawellworncliché.ButeverytimeIgotheretheplacemanagestofascinateme.Imeanderaroundtheoldlanesandstreetsandnevertireofexploringnew sights, new surprises, new features. In the morning it is, bar the many guided tours, a real gem with the light casting interesting, ever-changing shadows. In the evening the place turns into another priceless gem.

Bacchus Restaurant

And walking around in the dark I always manage to get lost in silent reverie. I see noblemen and their dames of old in resplendent cloth-ing worthy of any old-time theatre set. I see young men furtively kiss-ing their beloved in terrible dread of being caught and quartered. And the little lady, coquettishly red in the face, nods her hesitant approval. Yes, Mdina is a place for dreams, dreamers and everlasting surprises. I headed to Inguanez Alley where Bacchus restaurant

lies. The little alley is one of those places which epitomise Mdina for me: small but full of character and history and always capable of oiling my dreams. Bacchus was always one of those dependable old favourite restaurants of mine. I hadn’t been for some years and felt rather as if I had abandoned a great friend or intimate partner for no reason. So I tiptoed inside and waited for a table. I am usu-ally loud and a bit of a lout when I eat in company but Mdina does

manage to make me change and keep my volume down. Maybe it is the thought of all those noble-men who walked imperviously or maybe it’s the thought that this is the silent city.

It helped that on this particular visit I had with me, my soon-to-be-a-quarter-of-a-century-old son, who loves his food but loves savouring it in relative silence. IexplainedtohimthatIhad

always loved Bacchus because it is always full of surprises, and unlike

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43June 2011

some other restaurants it is full of positive surprises. The place, just like Mdina, used to be a dream and the food was always a new revelation of sensations for the palate. I spoke volumes about this to my dismayed son who was worried that my garrulous self would not only disturb his joy but alsobuildupexpectationswhichcould not be matched by the food on offer.

Unfortunately when we went it was still nippy so sitting out in the garden was not an option. The beauty of the garden on top of the bastions is amazing. I’ve seen it a few times but it still manages to overwhelm me every time. If you go on a hot day do sit outside; unlike the rest of Malta when we all burn and gasp with sullen tiredness caused by the heat and opt to sit in air-condi-tioned surroundings, dining out in Mdina will be cool and breezy, especially in the evening

The place itself is full of his-torical anecdote and architectural charm. Bacchus, which today offers plush and comfortable seat-ing, was once a gunpowder store back in the time of the Knights. Its bellicose past is hardly discern-ible, with food and drink served and enjoyed in the most serene surroundings. Bacchus, that god of wine who loved to eat and drink so much, would surely approve.

The history of the restaurant reflects the history of Mdina. Parts of it date back to Arab times, parts to the age of the Knights and all of it has been tastefully and tactfully renovated to give comfort but never indulge in ostentation or strident minimalism. The modern style just would not work in a place like Bacchus, steeped as it is in history and, for a dreamer like me, in fables and age-old stories. How can you visualise a lacy dress and a rouged courtesan in mini-malist surroundings?

I made a quick visit to the bathroom before we started our meal. I have never forgotten what a friend once told me: the state of the bathroom is a good indica-tor of standards. Bacchus passes with flying colours. All in order and spotless. One small problem would be tackling the steep stairs after too much to drink. Bacchus might opt to just drink, eat and forget the ‘rest’.

Now let’s tackle the food or, as my son would say, the place is great, the staff is welcoming but what about the grub?Wewerebothhungryandwe

both over-indulged. The food is beautifully presented, in crockery that, to use more vocabulary of the young, rocks. Although we over-ordered, the food is brought to you with just enough of a break to allow you to enjoy and digest it. The waiters are not at all stuffy while doing their job magnificently in clockwork fashion, constantly attentive to every call. The place is relaxedwithoutbeingprovincial–just what dining should be about.

My son ordered a beef carpac-cio with local goat’s cheese, argula and olive oil. One look at his face after his first bite made me ask for a taste, which he reluctantly gave me. Yes, I agreed and I would have done an Oliver and asked him for more if he had encouraged me even slightly – but no luck! Oh well, I had my own delight to sa-vour. I had gone for the asparagus in filo pastry. Unfortunately I had to return the favour and part with some. The pastry was superb, the asparagus succulent. My worries about having over-emphasised how good the food and the place was, were over. My son was al-ready truly inspired. But more was to come – and more compliments were due to the chef.Chef Antoinne Mamo

44 June 2011

WeorderedabottleofMar-sovin Antonin and a Meridiana Melqart. The Melqart was a perfect companion to the carpaccio, the pasta and the veal while the Antonin added fulsome flavours and piquancy to the asparagus and the grouper. Once more Bacchus would nod his divine approval both at the wines imbibed and the choice at his own restaurant.FormynextcourseIoptedfor

paccheri with goat’s cheese. The only complaint here was that I should have taken a less heavy dish to appreciate the rest even better, but I am not at my strongest when tempted by pasta. And at least it

wasn’tanexaggeratedlybighelping.My son only gives praise when it is unashamedly due so even a few words from him are impressive. And he was garrulous about his rich sea-food lasagne which he described as divine. By this time I was beginning to wonder if the chef was Olympian and got lost on his way back home and thankfully stopped in Mdina.

My main course was a grouper (cerna) with a very original arti-choke raviolo with a lobster and dill sauce. I wondered if this dish was going to be overdone, with too many different tastes attacking my buds. But the cerna was another success, as attested by my attendant

and attentive son. He had ordered veal escalopes with caramelised fig and apple chutney, which again received a very impressed and impressive nod.Whatnext?Afeastofsweets!

Weaskedforandwereallowedtosavour a sliver of each delicacy on offer. Sweets are definitely not in short supply and they were freshly made.Whyohwhydootherrestau-rantsforgetoursweettooth?Whycan’t they copy Bacchus and give us afittingendtoalordlymeal?Whenvery often I am presented with sweets that resemble cardboard both in look and taste, with smidgens of shaving foam, my heart and my soul bleed. I loved them all but my firm favourites were the old baker’s bri-oche and grandmother’s ricotta tart, while my son voted for the warm crêpe and the panna cotta.

Indulge in a great dream, get yourself to Bacchus and let his heavenly food captivate you as it did us and, obviously, by looking at the happy and satisfied faces around us, all the other diners. So I can honestly, hand on heart, shout out: Bacchus is as good as it has al-ways been. If the soul needs feeding then what is on offer there is surely its food.

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47June 2011

The Need for ConsensusDr Gavin Gulia, Opposition spokesman for Tourism, talks candidly and openly about what he thinks is right and wrong with the sector and proposes some strategies he wouldadoptifheweretobecomeMinisterofTourismiftheLabourPartywinsthenextelections.DrGuliatellsVictorCallejathathefeelsthatthewayforwardistofindconsensuswithallthestakeholdersandtoavoidpettysquabbles.

You have been shadow minister for tourism for just under a year. What is your impression of the state of tourism?

Tourist arrivals to Malta have been up during 2010, and in the first quarter of this year, and there has been a general improvement on the industry’s performance comparative-ly over the last few years. This has certainly improved the scenario as the recession of 2009 had hit Malta very badly and could have under-mined the industry’s sustainability immediately if we had another bad year. The increase in arrivals came about thanks to new routes opened bylowcostcarriers(LCCs)particu-larly in Italy. Although this is very positive I cannot emphasise enough the fact that an industry that be-comesincreasinglyreliantonLCCsis also a volatile industry. In as much asLCCsdefinitelyhelptoopennew markets and bring new tourists, wehavenoguaranteesthatLCCsare here to stay. So it is important to maintain a level playing field between Air Malta, other legacy airlinesandLCCs.Wealsoneedtosee why we are losing our competi-tiveness on the British market as we are 14% down since 2005. On the other hand, Gozo is still very much in recession and there are structural problems that need to be addressed before its distinct characteristics can be properly marketed.

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49June 2011

I feel that given the current dra-matic change in market trends we need to be careful when assessing performance, look beyond tourist arrival numbers, and zero-in at the real impact on the economy.

The Parliamentary Secretary of tourism is a lawyer and if Labour is elected in the forth-coming election and presum-ably you are appointed to that position, then we have another lawyer handling tourism. Could you ever envisage a hotelier or a restaurateur becoming a judge or running the law courts? Joking apart, how easy is it for someone not steeped in tourism to shadow this most important of ministries? How easy is it for you to go from law to be a spokesman first of the economy and now of tourism?

Besides the Parliamentary Secretary responsible for tourism, the industry falls under the remit of the Prime Minister who is also a lawyer by profession. In the past there were other lawyers, Dr Zammit Dimech and Dr Refalo, heading the ministry. I think it is all coincidental although I re-member I joked about it too at my first meeting with MHRA on my appointment as the Opposition’s Main Spokesman on Tourism. I think that my two year stint as the Economic Services spokesman has helped me to understand and speak the language of the opera-tors in the tourism industry, and I can relate very well to them. Actually I feel very comfortable in the environment. Besides, I already knew many hotel and restaurant operators on a personal level and knew of the strengths and weak-nesses of the industry through the economic services shadow portfolio.Iamveryexcitedaboutmy new appointment and I have a genuine drive to do well for the benefit of the industry. There is nothing in life one cannot learn,

and learn quickly, provided there is the genuine will and determination to perform to the industry’s benefit.

Do you use a team of experts from the trade on all aspects of tourism?

Of course. But one must also have the ability to tap the people who run the industry on the ground. WhatIlikeaboutthisindustryis that the players care little if at all about partisan politics. They care only for the industry because they want the industry to thrive. There is the right spirit among the operators across the board, and this environment and attitude is tailor-made to my profile as a politician. Dr Demarco and I may agree to disagree on issues but we both know that the industry needs dialogue and support not petty squabbles.

2010 was a year of records. No one can deny that something positive was done by the gov-ernment and the authorities and in fact you have acknowl-edged this publicly. But there are always a few buts to annoy and distract. Are we doing it all properly or are we still too ob-sessed with the numbers game? Are we still obsessed with quantity as opposed to quality?

Both quantity and quality are important.Youmusthaveamix.CertainlyLCCshavecontributedto the numbers game and hotels have benefited, but as I already said we must avoid being increasingly reliant on them. It will be a criti-cal mistake to curtail Air Malta’s operations.IfLCCsredimensiontheir role at a moment when the national carrier, that accounts for 50% of seat capacity, is restruc-tured in a way that gives it a smaller footprint in the economy, then the whole industry can potentially be impacted negatively. So we must ensure that the seats are

always available. Secondly the hotel industry is reporting diminishing profitability, because of spiralling operational costs, brought about by high utilities tariffs, increases in VAT on collective accommodation, fuels and other prices of government controlled products and services. Lowerprofitabilityunderminesin-vestment in refurbishment, product and quality, and this will impact on the long-term sustainability of the industry. I am very supportive of the hoteliers’ concerns in this respect. And although it is the Min-istry of Finance that is responsible for imposing these burdens, the Tourism ministry cannot abdicate responsibility to influence financial policies that affect the industry. Its remit is not just about bringing more tourists to the Islands but also to secure the long-term sustainabili-ty of the industry. The Government must understand that it cannot cut thedeficitbyover-taxingthepri-vate sector, particularly an impor-tant value-added sector as tourism with direct and indirect spin-offs. If we want quality we must help the private sector to be able to provide a better quality product that will attract quality and repeat tourists.

Quality of arrivals is pivotal to success for us as a country. It translates into less infrastruc-tural problems and more of a return for our coffers, therefore more funds being transferred to the pockets of the population. But is Malta, as a destination, a wholly qualitative product?

There is an obvious correlation between qualitative tourism and product. It is clear that the increase in tourist arrivals in 2010 contribut-ed to the quantity factor rather than quality.HeretheLCCs’contributionis unquestionable. I think that at the moment the quantitative factor is making up for the qualitative defi-cit. The fact that hotel rates regis-tered in 2010 did not improve on those of 2008 is indicative of this.

50 June 2011

Of course the private sector has its contribution to make provided it is given the right economic en-vironment to invest in a qualita-tive product and service. But the government has its role to play in upgrading the infrastructure. The quality of our roads network, pub-lic transport, beaches, resort areas and other ancillary factors all fall in the government’s remit.

What is your solution to get-ting better quality visitors and better spenders?

In the first instance we need to appreciate that quality visitors are not necessarily big spenders and vice versa. Ultimately what is more important is determining the impact tourists leave on the island, not just economically but also socially and environmentally, before making such declarations. And let’s be realistic, you do not transform a destination’s “brand” identity over-night, and start getting recognised internationally with the likes of Montecarlo! It takes years to build a destination to reach that level, requiring the provision of a high level of products and services and a quality of life to match it, which may indeed impinge on the socio-cultural fabric of the Maltese way oflife.Whatisrequiredisidentify-ing high-yield market segments, for exampletheMICEbusinesswhichper capita passenger equates to three times the average tourist, and work towards finding the best way to increase the market share. But we cannot afford to do away with the core market leisure segments which are the mainstay of our ecomony. It’s all about striking the right balance based on sustainabil-ity in the long term.

Product Malta must now be the most abused cliché. We have heard all about the problems over and over again but they still need to be tackled. If you are appointed minister what sort

of pledge can you give that you, or your fellow ministers, would tackle the cleanliness, the road management, the beach upkeep, the road worthiness and the rest of our usual kantaliena?

IthinkthattheLabourparty’strack record is there for all to see. The 1997 Bugibba infrastructural project that revamped the whole area in the bat of an eyelid is a tes-tamenttoLabour’scommitmentinthisrespect.Wehadalsoincreasedtourist arrivals without the contri-butionofLCCsthatdidnotflytoMaltaatthetime.Wealsoalwaysinvolved and consulted the private sector in any projects we wished to undertake. I am also very glad that aformerLabourtourismminister,Mr. Karmenu Vella, is now on the finance portfolio, which in my view isaplus.Wewillbeworkinghardtogethertomeettheexpectationsofthe industry.

We have all heard about trans-ministerial problems and often enough the tourism PS does not have enough clout, or does not seem to have it at least, to get other ministries and their employees to do his bidding. Do you have some magic wand to surmount all this if in power?

The industry needs a minister. True, it is the prime minister who is officially in the driving seat, but then he has too much on his plate.

You mentioned Gozo as a problem because even when the numbers were good in 2010 Gozo seemed to have lagged behind. What should be done to get Gozo back in line? What are Gozo’s tourism problems and how will you tackle them?

My party firmly believes that Gozo has huge tourism potential that,ifproperlyexploited,canprovide full employment not only to the Gozitan population but also to

the residents of the northern region of the main island. Gozo needs to be branded and sold separately from the main island in a sustained marketingcampaignthatextolsthegreen credentials of the sister island. This at a time when the modern consumer is characterised by a lifestyle of health and sustainability (LOHAS)andseeksaWellnessholi-dayexperience.Soyeswebelievein Eco-Gozo but our Gozo tourism plan will be an action plan and not mere empty words. Years after the Eco-Gozo idea was mooted, we are still waiting for the detailed Strategic Plan.Alsotheinexistenceofaheli-link to Gozo and the never-ending CirkewwaprojectcompoundGozo’s problems.

Is the Air Malta restructuring plan going to work? And if not, what follows? How would you go about the Air Malta problem if you were minister now? We surely can’t go on subsidising it while it haemorrhages away.

Air Malta is not like any other company but a national carrier with an infrastructural mission. I hope that the restructuring plan will be implemented with this in mind. Downsizing the airline is a very easy solution that does not necessarily solve the problem. I am already on record in stating that a smaller Air Malta does not only mean less employees on its books, but it also means less aircraft and less routes. Of course until the routes are sup-plied by other legacy airlines and LCCs,wemightcarryonexperienc-ing increases in tourist arrivals. But theconsiderationthatLCCsmayredimension their contribution or cut routes is real. The worst case scenario would be that they pull out, partially or totally, at a time when the national carrier would have downsized its operations. Whowillthenprovidetheseatcapacity?Cyprushasjustclinchedadeal with Ryanair, and Greece is in theprocess.IfitpaysLCCstomove

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they will do so, make no mistake. They have no economic mission to carry on serving our economy, like Air Malta has, if moving else-where makes economic sense to them. Air Malta must be restruc-tured in a way that it can con-tinue serving the economy and the tourism industry if and when circumstances change.

Are you satisfied with the way the Low Cost Carriers have been attracted to Malta? Do you agree with the strategy as pro-mulgated? Would you consider more airlines and more routes?

A strategy that aims at ensur-ing that passengers generated throughLCC’ssubstituteandmake up for the drop in tour op-erator business, which is a global development affecting Malta too, is plausible. It’s a matter of ensur-ing we have the right policies in placesoasnottoallowLCC’stodisplace business already gener-ated by legacy airlines, like Air Malta. Also not all low cost air-lines travel to core Air Malta des-tinations, so they do not neces-sarily disturb Air Malta. However, where route development subsi-diestoLCCsareconcernedtheline of demarcation can be very fine, particularly when low cost carriers travel to airports which areinrelativecloseproximityto other airports that have been core destinations of Air Malta for years. Any strategy must guaran-teethatarrivalsgeneratedbyLCCsare the product of new business.

Hotels keep harping about their decreasing profitability; and res-taurants keep talking of hard-ship even while many open and expand; what is your opinion on this touchy subject and what do you think is the way forward?

It’s not a contradiction but a paradox.Itistruethatarrivalshaveincreased which, to the naked eye,

would imply that hotels should be making higher profits. But Eurostat statistics also confirm that profit-ability has been persistently on the downside for a couple of years. One can live with a one-off, but the trend is consistent, so it is of major concern. There is only so much that any operator can take. For instance a leading hotel fared better when it closed down for a few months, thus saving on energy costs which are very high. But is this the type of industry that we want? This does not necessarily mean that hotels are not mak-ing profits. But when operational costs, mainly government induced, chew into profitability, there is much less space for investment which is vital to the industry.

During the Egyptian and Tu-nisian crisis Dr Joseph Muscat proposed that Government and the MTA should launch a massive marketing campaign to attract clients to our shores away from the countries which had problems. Don’t you think this was a bit clumsy? And especially now that we are so close to the troubles we should appreciate even more how delicately we should tread when these trou-bles are around us. Wasn’t that bad marketing or bad advice from those close to him?

Let’sfaceit,thatwasjustpolitical spin, as all the Mediter-ranean destinations were pitch-ing for the potential business at the time, including MTA which was working with the sector to see if any business could be diverted our way, and rightly so I wouldadd.TakeforexampletheCanaries,whichwereamongstthe foremost beneficiaries, do you think that they managed to secure such a market share in the absence of marketing efforts? I think everyone agrees that our job is to see that tourists do not shift to other destinations that

are our competitors. And you can only do that if you launch a mas-sive marketing campaign. All our Mediterranean competitors are in the top 10 most popular destina-tions for British tourists in the first quarter of 2011 and we have slipped another four places into 24th position.

The PL’s relations with MHRA and all the other lobby groups seem to be on a good foot-ing at the moment. But this is while you are in opposition so cordial relations are easier as you have a sort of lobby group role too. Will the PL if elected keep these relations with MHRA and the other partners? Will it consult with MHRA for advice and strategy?

It would be foolhardy not to. If we don’t we will fail. But make no mistake, we have already co-operated with the sector when we were in government and it will be evenbetternexttime.

Food features highly in any visitor’s needs and expecta-tions. Do you have any set ideas on how to place Malta’s food, its beverages and foods and its produce in the spotlight to get more visitors engaged in what really constitutes Malta?

I agree that food has become an integral part of our tourism product and our restaurants have a major role to play as our culinary ambassadors. Needless to mention that our industry is no longer entirely reliant on the British market, as tourists from the continent have increased over the years bringing with them diverse tastes. This is a ma-jor challenge to our restaurant sector. I am also a firm believer in Maltese traditional dishes and would like to see more of these included in our restau-rant menus. This is a segment

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where the private sector must play a pivotal role. I agree with MHRA that we should work for a strategic policy for the better organisation and development of the restaurant sector. Are you satisfied with the way the MTA is structured and functions? Could we do more with our marketing budgets?

Although MTA’s core function is marketing it also has the remit for product development, and I am particularly referring to tour-ism core products. I feel that MTA needs to have in place a strategic plan that works in tandem with itsmarketingobjectives.Weneedto make sure that in terms of the supplysidewehavetherightmixand type of products to support the industry needs for the years to come, be it accommodation, restaurants and other essential products and services. As is often

the case in Malta, the missing link is also law enforcement and we shall make sure that legal provi-sions are adhered to, visitors protected and offenders taught a lesson. Moreover, we shall take steps to provide the Enforcement Directorate with regularly updated product quality and service stan-dard benchmarks tagged to the best in class.

Putting details and expenses aside, do you agree with the Piano view of Valletta? Will it regenerate the capital city?

The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The project has already stirred up enough controversy. Let’swaitforittohittheground

Is enough done for our edu-cational system to integrate school leavers into the hos-pitality field? What are your views and plans for ITS?

ITS has a vital role to play and must double its efforts to re-instil job satisfaction in Maltese trainees, particularly in the waiters’ category, otherwise it will fail in its objec-tive to attract students towards this segment of the industry. In Gozo for instance the problem of unavail-able students is compounded by gross inefficiencies at the school. Job satisfaction involves also better pay and an acknowledgment of this by the private sector, provided, of course, government provides the right economic conditions.

Finally: Is Mario De Marco do-ing a good job or not? Give me a mark from 1 to 10

Mario is an old friend from university days. He is a decent politician.

NB : This interview was conducted in the first weeks of June.

55June 2011

Besthotelinfo.com Getting the RightFacts About Hotels

Starting2011IHACisnowthe system that powers the besthotelinfo.com website, the free Hotel Online Platform that provides detailed and objective hotel fact listings. Tour opera-tors and hotels that want to offer their staff and guests the chance to read information about a hotel in all respects use this platform knowing that they can rely on it to get the facts right.“Wehelpgueststoselectthe

right hotel by providing clear and detailed listings. This gives hotels more satisfied guests, and travel agents increased customer satisfaction”, said a spokesper-son for the organisation whose head office is situated in Munich, Germany.“Inourexperiencecus-tomers who receive accurate and detailed information make more informed decisions and are more satisfied with the hotel choice. Fewer misunderstandings be-tween hotel guests, hotel owners and tour operators will reduce requests for compensation”.Whatmakesbesthotelinfo.

In2007TheInstituteforHospitalityAssuranceCertification(IHAC)wassetuptobuild a solid Hotel Online Information Platform featuring hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa and it is growing at a steady rate. This growth trend is driven primarily by the growing concern in the hotel industry about subjective and sometimes irreversibly damaging inaccurate comments on international industry websites over which hoteliers have little control.

comuniqueisthattheIHACre-viewing system does not classify the hotels and retains impartial-ity by not including personal comments or opinions. The accu-racy of the information collected is approved and certified by the hotel. Major tour operators around the world, like FTI and Solresor are now adopting the

IHACreviewsystemwithintheirhotel operator’s network. In Malta over 40 hotels have already joined up as members and they are reap-ing the benefits of theadvantageous onlineexposure.Mr.GeorgeSchembriChief

ExecutiveOfficerofMHRAcom-mented that “MHRA is glad to welcome besthotelinfo.com as an Associate Member and this augurs well for closer cooperation with IHACMaltatopromoteMaltesehotels on the internet. Today’s presence on the internet is very important considering the ever-growing trend by travellers to plan their holidays from the comfort of their home. However, today cus-tomers are more demanding and the besthotelinfo.com website gives them peace of mind since it gives accurate and detailed information which assists them in making a more informed decision on their choice of accommodation”.

Enquiries on besthotelinfo.com operations can be made to [email protected].

For information contact 2144 0301. Open 19:00 – 23:00 (closed on Tuesdays) Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, De Paule Avenue, San Anton, BZN9023

Remember ‘The Secret Garden’?

corinthia.com

The lush setting of the Corinthia Palace Hotel gardens is quite likely what Ms Burnett had in mind. Our version brings an exciting selection of pizza and pasta to the tale. The friendly and relaxed atmosphere makes Pizza, Pasta e Basta the perfect place for an informal gathering. And what gathering isn’t improved by fantastic, Italian food?

57June 2011

Reach for the Stars!

Fifteen people were in the running for this prestigious award, and all of them were officially acknowledged at the STAR award ceremony. The person who most impressed the judges was Robert Aquilina, who occupies the post of concierge at the InterContinentalMalta.Hisprizeconsisted of an 18ct gold lapel-pin, a certificate and a cash prize of €800.

Following the award ceremony, the MTA spoke to Robert and some of the other STAR winners to get their reactions on winning the prestigious title. Here is what they had to say.

Robert Aquilina, Winner Hotel Worker of the Year 2010, Concierge,InterContinentalMalta:

What made you decide to start a career in hospitality? How long have you been in the business?

Cateringandhospitalityhavealways been in the family, with my father working in the industry for

Commitmenttoqualityandagenuinepassionforhospitalityseemtobethekeysto success according to the winners of the 2010 STAR Awards organised by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) last March. Each year since 2005, the MTA has beenawardingtheshiningstarsofthetourismindustryinrecognitionoftheexcellentservice they offer tourists. Over the past three years the MTA has also established thepopular‘HotelWorkeroftheYearaward’torecognisehotelemployeesshowingoutstanding initiative, dedication and professionalism among other important qualities.

over 20 years. The interaction with so many different people and the challenges the industry offers have alwaysfascinatedme.Luckilymyfather encouraged me to make a career out of it. After obtaining a Diploma from the Institute of Tour-ism Studies, I started my career at the Front Desk and presently work asaConciergehavingattainedLESCLEFSD’OR.Ihavebeenintheindustry for over 11 years.

Being nominated for this award means that you were selected among all the employees of the hotel. How did you react to this news?

I was very happy and felt ap-preciated.Whenthemanagementacknowledges your efforts and performance, it gives you further motivation to perform better. I am glad to know that I can actually make a difference to our guests. The fact that clients find the time tosharetheirexperienceswithmanagement is very satisfying. I am also grateful to the MTA for organising such events.

How do you feel about actually winning the award?

Tobeginwith,Ididnotexpectto be a nominee, let alone win the

award!WhenitdawnedonmethatI was the winner, I felt like I was on cloud nine. I cannot describe my joy. Although I claimed the award, this award is shared with the whole teamatInterContinentalMalta.Withouttheirsupportandcom-mitment we would not be able to providesuchanexcellentservicetoour guests.

Joseph Vella, Winner STAR Service Award (Hotels F&B Category), Head bartender, Seashells Resort at Suncrest:

How long have you been work-ing in hospitality and which as-pects of the job do you like best?

I have been working at the hotel, part of AX Holdings, for the last 22 years. I joined at the age of 18 and since then I have learned and acquired new skills especially in bar service. I enjoy the constant contact with guests, especially with the foreigners, as I get to know

For information contact 2144 0301. Open 19:00 – 23:00 (closed on Tuesdays) Corinthia Palace Hotel & Spa, De Paule Avenue, San Anton, BZN9023

Remember ‘The Secret Garden’?

corinthia.com

The lush setting of the Corinthia Palace Hotel gardens is quite likely what Ms Burnett had in mind. Our version brings an exciting selection of pizza and pasta to the tale. The friendly and relaxed atmosphere makes Pizza, Pasta e Basta the perfect place for an informal gathering. And what gathering isn’t improved by fantastic, Italian food?

58 June 2011

them and learn about their home countries and their history. I also enjoy selling Malta and telling guests which places of interest to visit.

In previous years you were selected by management as a nominee for the Hotel Worker of the Year award. This year it was tourists who got you to the final. How does it feel to have your work recognised in this way?

It is very satisfying and an hon-our to have represented the hotel for the last 3 consecutive years. I am proud to work in a successful hotel and happy to see that hard work and efforts are rewarded. I also feel grateful towards AX Hold-ings for being a generous employer.

Anna Azzopardi – Winner STAR Service Award (Hotels Rooms Division Category), Receptionist, Maria Giovanna Hostel

How long have you been work-ing in tourism and what are your plans for the future?

I was brought up in tourism. My family has been involved in the business since my grandmother’s time. At present we own the Maria Giovanna, a 15-bed establishment which was originally my grand-mother’s residence. As for the future, along with my twin sister Sonia we are planning to open a similar establishment also in Gozo.

Winning the STAR Award in the hotel category must have been quite an achievement since you come from such a

small establishment. What are your feelings about having won the award?

The tourism industry is very important for our economy and I strongly believe that rather than focusing solely on numbers we should focus more on the quality of our product. The fact that we are a relatively small establish-

ment motivates us even more to focusonquality.Wemakesurethat each and every one of our guests feels at home with us. I have to say I was overwhelmed when I was notified that I had been shortlisted, I can’t describe what I feel about winning. I suppose this proves that many tourists greatly appreciate that personal touch.

The 12 winners of the STAR Awards for 2010 were: • RobertAquilina Concierge, InterContinentalMalta (HotelWorkeroftheYear) • AnnaAzzopardi Receptionist, Maria Giovanna Hostel • MichaelCamilleri Taxidriver,BelmontGarage • EddieCorrin Diving instructor, Paradise Diving • GeraldCutajar Horse-drawnCabDriver • AndrewFarrugia Waiter,RedLionPub • PatriciaFloresMartin Tourist Guide

• VascoLazarova Travel Representative, Saga • JasonPortelli Coachdriver,VenturaCoaches, KoptaCo • IvanVassallo Custodian,Maltaat WarMuseum • JosephVella Head Bartender, Seashells Resort at Suncrest

• PaulZammit Boatman,MermaidCruises

For further information on the STAR Awards visit www.visitmalta.com/star-awards or contact the MTAon 22915273 or [email protected].

The 12 winners of the STAR Awards

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61June 2011

Showcasing GozoNoelAttard,GeneralManagerof theKempinskiHotelSanLawrenz,speakstoZillah Bugeja about the resort’s current projects to promote sustainability and attract niche markets to Gozo.

“Our efforts towards eco or sustain-able tourism started when we felt that Gozo can particularly fit into such a strategic map. Together with the idea of turning Gozo into an eco island there is the need to promote the island for its richness in history, culture, traditions, its people and its environment. The concept of turn-ing Gozo into an eco island needs to be embraced by the government as well as by private stakeholders. TheKempinskiHotelSanLawrenzis the only hotel with an eco-certi-fication in Gozo accredited by the Malta Tourism Authority and it has now even achieved the Gold Award by Travelife UK.“Whenyouspeaktobusinesses

about eco-friendly measures, the

first thing that comes to mind is cost-cutting measures. I feel strongly that the emphasis should be more towards sustainable tourism rather than on eco-friendliness as such, because sustainability would include whatever is eco, but also promotes the island, its culture, history, tradi-tions and the local community. You need to combine the two.”

The hotel started on the eco route by introducing cost-cutting measures on energy efficiency throughtheuseofLEDlight-ing and solar energy. In 2010 they managed to introduce the reverse osmosis plant in the hotel to ensure clean water and limit the loss of water through reservoirs, the use of secondary water and efficient

management of water. “Since March 2011 we’ve been providing potable tapwaterintherooms.Wewerethefirst hotel worldwide to introduce theuseofhydrogenperoxidetoreplace chlorine in tap water. This system, developed by a Belgian company licensed by the EU, is cur-rently being envisaged as well as a possible system that can be intro-duced all over the Maltese Islands.“Whenitcomestoeco,whatev-

er you do should reflect an efficient way of utilisation of resources be it energy, water and also conservation of our resources through recycling of waste. However ultimately we need to promote Gozo for its beauty and this is what we try to doatthehotel.Wehavesome-

Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz Pools

62 June 2011

one dedicated to organising and participating in the activities with the guests, be it walking, cycling, jogging, or the introduction to local handicrafts by local artisans. Guests are shown how lace is made, they can take lessons in stone sculp-ture and someone else takes them painting on the hotel grounds and in Dwejra and Victoria. The activity may be about a particular craft but you are also showcasing the island at the same time. This does not bring volume to the island but it definitely shows the island’s identity. The response to these new activitieshasbeenverygood.Westarted with agro-tourism, taking guests to Ta’ Mena where they can pick and taste fruit, visit vineyards, try wines or else spend a day at a local farm thus incorporating the experienceofafarmingholiday.Ifaguest has an enjoyable and unique experiencehewillreturn,andthat’sthe easiest form of marketing.“Gozoisidealforrelaxation

and does well on the leisure market with a good combination of the local market and foreign tourists. Definitely however the target should be to also attract the conferences and incentives market which is so lucrative. This market is very present in Malta but has not yet been attracted to Gozo due to certain limitations such as transportation and lack of facilities. However I do believe that Gozo is ideal for the incentive market as there is so much that can be done and offered. This would help to offset the high seasonality of Gozo and help to boast occupancy in the shoulder months . Gozo cannot take volume, it can only be pro-motedastheluxurydestinationofMalta. I do believe that Gozo needs to be promoted with Malta as the Maltese Islands as it is also ideal for tourists to appreciate both islands which offer similarities but also distinctive features.

“On the leisure side, we are more of a resort, so we need to go into niche markets. Once you pro-

mote the destination, the business will come to you. Some people are not aware of Gozo or of what it can offer, but via the MTA we are finding a lot of help. Also now with the introduction of the Directorate for Tourism and Economy in Gozo and the GTA more promotion and marketing can be done to put Gozo more in the spotlight. ”

Spotlight on the Spa

KempinskiHotelSanLawrenzmarkets itself as a resort where the spa is the main attraction and the mainimage.“Wemadesurethatthespa became an attraction to bring business yet became an independent unit in itself. During the past year we have been able to start the renovation of the Spa branded asTheQuintessenceSpasinceitfocuses on the philosophy of the five elements of Kempinski The Spa. TheQuintessenceSpaismarketeddirect via specialised magazines, websites and through our newly designedbrochures.Wehavealwaysbeen able to partner with niche tour operators who focus on Spas. Gozo is ideal for this because you need surroundings that are themselves quietandrelaxing.Youcan’thavethe same result in a busy city.

“This year we went more for the small operators who can focus onthespa.Wehaveoneofthetopspas in Malta – for the past three years Kempinski The Spa in Gozo hasbeenvotedbytheWorldTravelAwards as the Top Spa in Malta and in the Mediterranean. There we have a unique opportunity to promote ourselves. The spa today has become a necessity rather than aluxurybecausepeoplewanttolook good, be healthy, take care of themselves and pamper themselves. It is used by around 70% of hotel guests and the percentage of male guests has increased from ten to forty per cent. The local market is also one of the most important for us, the Maltese market accounting for around 18%.”

Recognising that the spa is the hotel’s focal point, its refurbishment was started in 2010 to ensure it would be one of the top spas around. In the gym, all fitness and work-out gear was replaced with state-of-the-art cardiovascular equipment.

The hotel partnered with top spa operators to take a different approach to simply offering massages and have reproduced an authentic Indian Ayurvedic treatment. Ayurveda is a holistic approach that can offer both wellness and medical treatments. If they choose to do so, guests have a consultation with the doctor and following an analysis of their needs, treatments can be prescribed. The same can be done with tailor-made cuisine while staying at the hotel.

“Our spa treatments are designed to balance the senses and heal the body’s equilibrium. Once you have the five elements under control you are in balance. Ayurveda addresses this very well since it is a 5,000 year old science which restores equilibrium in the five great elements. You can enjoy a one-off relaxationmassageortreatmentbutresults are better when you are able to subscribe to a package of longer duration, combining treatments withspecificfood,relaxation,andactivities like yoga, aimed at a changing lifestyle that is healthier. It is impressive what Ayurveda can do,andguestsoftenvisittheCentreforrelieffromtheirailments.Wehave managed to bring Kerala to Gozo by creating the only authentic AyurvedaCentreontheisland.

Treatments are primarily based on oils and herbs which we know might not appeal to some guests who prefer to have less oil and maybe something more pampering and refreshing basedonaromas.Wehavebeenable during the years to partner with some of the best brands like Thalgo, Terrake and St. Barth, the lasttwobeingexclusivetousonthe Maltese Islands.

63June 2011

proper conservation of red and white wines, and the place will accommodate around 30 people. The wine cellar itself will have leather sofas and a bar and in terms of dining it will be based on an Italian-style enoteca with platters.

“The name must always tell astory.It’scalledLaCavernafollowing the legend or the truth abouttheOldManintheCaveatMgarrix-XiniwhereGozousedtobeabasetoexportwinesverylongago.LaCavernawillfunctionas the storage space for the hotel’s wines, around 300 different types and up to 1,800 different bottles, with a different room for the white winesasashowcase.Sixwineimporters are working together to provide a balance of offerings based on their own strengths.“IseeLaCavernaasa

complement to what agro tourism already offers on the island. Again it’s a niche market and such a concept will also help to create more product offerings in the market, whether to the hotel clients or even to those who just want to enjoy an evening with friends in a cosy place.”

“Between these different brands, the five elements of earth, air, water, fire and space are covered. Portraying ourselves as a spa that is based on the quintessence philosophy, you have to have what you stand for.”

Turkish Flavour within the Improved Relaxation Area

Withacomplementof28treatmentrooms, the need was felt to increase therelaxationarea.Thiswillbeanarea of over 200m2 due to open by the end of the year including two Turkishhammams,arelaxationarea and a tea house offering an innovativetypeofspaexperienceforthe Maltese islands.

More than simply a place to wind down after a treatment, thenewrelaxationareawillbeaspecialexperienceinitself,aritualincorporating all the senses and movement. The temperatures of the hammams will differ promoting a concept where you first unwind in a secluded, hot area, then you can carry on to the second area which is hotter. The design has been left in thehandsofCarloSchembri,wellknown for his attention to details and his innovative concepts. After

Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz

Spring 2011

• Globalfirstforinnovativewater cleaning system based on hydrogen peroxide.

• Emphasisonsustainabletourismand promotion of Gozo as destination• Targetingnichemarkets

• Increasingattractivenesstothe MICEmarket

• Importanceofongoinginvestment in spa

• Currentprojectsincludeenotecaand hammams

this ritual one carries on to the relaxationarea,allinbalsamicwoodused to awaken the senses. The final stage is a tea house and juice bar,whereonecanrelaxenjoyingfresh juices or herbal teas. “I want this hotel to continue to have the top spa and to have a complete structure. The offering of a sauna or hammam is just as important as the spa treatments. This investment will come up to €500,000 but will definitely complete the spa.

La Caverna: New Wine Bar

Whilethedayismadeforrelaxationat the Spa the night is made to enjoy dining and wining in a perfect atmosphere.“LaCavernawillopenits doors in the third quarter of the year.Wewantedtohaveaneveningbar and a place that revolves around wines, so that one can definitely unwind and enjoy the evening whether it’s dining, drinking, wine tasting or watching a movie. “Peopleexpectacosy

atmosphere for an evening bar. DesignedbyCarloSchembri,thiswill be a fantastic setting with a lot of wood but with a modern touch, moving away from a traditional style. It will have two areas for

Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz Gozo The Spa

64 June 2011

Kempinski The Spa, a Quintessence Philosophy

The award-winning Kempinski Spa treatments are based on the healing properties of nature and ancient wis-dom.ItsQuintessence(literally‘fiveessence’) philosophy is based on the natural changes of the five elements: water, fire, air, space and earth, a philosophy shared by both Indian andChinesetraditionalmedicines.By balancing these basic elements in the body, it is hoped that we are able to harmonise the vital essences of our body and soul.

My first massage was an Ay-urveda one, the 75-minute Elakkizhi Herbal Soothe. Ayurveda itself is 5,000 years old and based on how the five elements are represented in the body. My appointment began with a consultation with the doctor whoexplainedtheprinciplesbehindAyurveda. He took me personally to thetherapistandexplaineddirectlyto her what was required from my massage. In the Ayurveda treatment room there is a shower area where you undress. I was then led into an armchair for the first stages of the massage to the neck and arms.

The rest of the massage is car-ried out on a large wooden-framed couch and the therapist was wearing a sari to match the decor, in sooth-ing earth colours. The full body massage with masses of warm, thick oil was followed by a massage with warm roasted leaf bags. Both of these stages felt particularly wonder-ful.Thereisafeelingofluxuryandabundance throughout. Just when you think it can’t go on, it does.

This particular massage is good for relieving spasm and stiffness of muscles, lubricating the joints, strengthening the spinal muscles, relieving joint pain, back pains and enhancing peripheral blood circula-tion. After the massage, the thera-pist led me gently into the shower room where I could immediately shower off.

My second Kempinski Spa experiencewasaTerrakéSignature

Ritual so that I could appreciate how different it was from the Ay-urveda massage.

This time I changed into a robe and the therapist accompanied me totheroom.ThereareTerrakéSignature Rituals for each element – dealing with earth, water, air and light – and I chose the one with hot stones because that has always been afavourite.TerraMagica,arelax-ing 2-hour body ritual based on the element of earth, consists of a body exfoliationusingPolynesiansand,followed by a massage using red jasper semi-precious stones and a volcanic hot stone massage.

I was asked to sit in a recliner chair and was given a glass of tea. I appreciated the fact that the thera-pistexplainedeachoftheitemsshewould be using on me, including the jasper and glass stones, and rubbed some cream, sand and oil into my hand, also allowing me to smell the different fragrances. I think this

initial stage of the ritual is a valuable one because it engages the senses of sight, smell and taste and allows you to better appreciate what will follow. You also have time to take in the beauty of the room, whose colours and decor are chosen to harmonise with the chosen ritual.AfterthemassageIrelaxed

in the treatment room, was given another glass of tea and spent sometimeintherelaxationarea.Although both massages are very different in how they are carried out, the same attention to detail is obvious. There is something about having an authentic Indian massage that really appeals to me, knowing that it’s based on an ancient and proven curative system. It would be fantastic to make full use of the curative services offered at the Spa. TheTerraké‘earth’ritualwasalsoquite wonderful and leaves you wanting to try all four others as soon as possible.

Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz The Spa

65June 2011

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The product is available in a fantastic selection of colours and patterns.Colourhasahugeimpactonyourcustomer’sdiningexperi-ence – it not only creates a mood on your table but also has a direct effect on your guest! It creates a homely feel and makes your guests feel more relaxed,whichisfarfromtheeffectproduced by the clinical white every-one else has to offer.

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French restaurant table laid out with ‘Stripes Gold’ table runners and matching napkins

67June 2011

Wastewater Recycling In Hotels: A Green Initiative and a Cost-Cutting Tool

Due to what seems a never-ending increase in electricity and water bills, it is quite evident that in recent years we have become more conscious of the impact that theseadditionalexpensesarehavingonourdisposableincome.Thesameeffectsare not just being felt at home, but also throughout the business community which faces an ongoing struggle to remain competitive by reducing operating costs, thus enabling a better return on investments.

Whileingeneralwetendtolookat savings in utility bills through savings in electricity alone, at times we should remind ourselves that a substantial proportion of these bills is in fact our water consumption. The provision of water is heavily dependent on power consumption on a national scale (4% of the power gener-ated in Malta goes towards the desalination of seawater) apart from the power requirements for distribution to our homes, and hence the price of both utilities is correlated. So ultimately the ever-increasing cost of oil and gas on an international level will keep impacting heavily on the most basic of all necessities, i.e. a clean water supply in our taps at home and at work. Even the discharge of our wastewater comes at a cost to pump, treat to European standards and dispose of or reuse as second-class water.

Renewable energy technolo-gies, such as solar water heaters, photovoltaic panels, wind and

Below Ground – Biosam Sewage Treatment Plant – 10000 litres per day

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otherenergysourcesareanexcel-lent cost-cutting tool, and also work towards a sustainable future by safeguarding our environment. But we must not overlook the importance of water and waste-water recycling as an action that can bring in considerable savings. The concept of reuse is not new, rainwater harvesting in Malta through the use of wells at home is certainly one of the means our fathers used very effectively. Nowadays, for different reasons, this practice seems to have gone by the wayside and is taken less seriously. Sewage treatment and recyclingcanalsobeanexcellentway of using renewable sources to cut down costs especially in in-dustry and commercial buildings.

Such a concept is very wide-spread in the Mediterranean region, and has been gaining ground in Malta in the past 10 years. A number of prestigious hotels and other entities in Malta have taken the wise decision to invest in wastewater recycling

systems, by considering wastewater as a resource to enable them to cut down their water bills significantly andreducetheiroverheads.Whenwastewater is treated to the highest standards and completely disinfect-ed as per international standards it is generally reused for ‘second class’ purposes such as toilet flushings, ir-rigation, and other general cleaning operations when it would be a waste to use valuable clean tap water. In thereuseforirrigationforexample,the added nutrients typically found in treated sewage can also contrib-ute by enhancing plant growth.

68 June 2011

Such a concept of treating sewage for reuse can reduce the demand of first-class water by as much as 50% (depending on the application as this varies from one site to another). Depending on the technology used and the amount of flow treated, in Malta the cost of treating wastewater can vary between €0.50 to €0.65 per m3, which makes it a viable and cheaper alternative to water provided by desalination plants and ‘bowser water’ (where water is pumped out from numerous boreholes scattered around the island, thus negatively affecting the water table). Packaged wastewater treatment plants in com-mercial buildings, office blocks and hotels can be custom-designed for

sewage tariff to finance municipal wastewater treatment costs, hence applying a polluter pays principle. These tariffs are normally based on how polluted wastewater is and the volumes being disposed. On the other hand, besides paying for disposal of sewage, in various EU countries such as the UK, financ-ing incentives are injected by the government to those businesses capable of reusing more than 40% of the wastewater generated at their facilities. In the eventuality that such sewage tariff is implemented in Malta, investing in ways of reusing wastewater will make the investment in wastewater treat-ment plants more attractive. For the past 14 years, FM Environmental (Malta)Ltdhasbeenakeyplayerin supporting the local industry with wastewater treatment plant

design, manufacture, installation and servicing, incorporating various technologies, with custom-designed solutions to suit particular require-ments and site limitations. Apart from various projects overseas in Libya,Oman,Lebanon,Belgium,Ireland and the UK, local solutions have been successfully implemented at the Golden Sands Hotel, Hilton Hotel, The George Hotel, Mater Dei hospital, the Malta Transport building,andothers.Wastewa-ter reuse is not only an ongoing majorcost-cuttingexercisebutalso a commitment to enhance ‘green credentials’, and an active contribution to a much-needed, wider water conservation policy on a national scale. Reuben Cauchi is General Manager at FM Environmental (Malta) Ltd

Effluent quality after treatment suitable for second class re-use purposes such as toilet flushing and irrigation

“Payback periods on investment vary with the size of the treatment plants and are worked independently for each project, but can be as low as two years in commercial buildings and hotels.”

installation in basements or out-doors, both above or below ground, depending on the site availability and limitations. Various technolo-gies are available for the treatment and reuse of sewage and these vary from traditional processes such as aerated filters, to the latest mem-brane technologies. Payback periods on investment vary with the size of the treatment plants and are worked independently for each project, but can be as low as two years in com-mercial buildings and hotels.

In developed countries, disposal of sewage is controlled through a

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71June 2011

A First Class Degustazione

PJSutters(Marketing)Ltdiswell-known for its vast selection of chees-es. Fresh, creamy, semi-hard, hard, light, aged, mature – the company is proud to count over 2000 variet-ies in its portfolio, with each cheese sourced from unique geographical locations and produced with the finest quality cow, goat, sheep or buffalo milk.

The latest addition to the com-pany’s immense range hails from the region of Puglia in the Southeast of the Italian peninsula. Made from the milk of cows raised and fed on the lush verdant pastures of the Murgia region, the Murgella range boasts many fine creations. These include several hand-spun Mozzarellas in various shapes and sizes, the pear-

shaped and flavoursome Scamorza andCaciocavalloSilanoDOP,theincredibly silky Stracciatella and the award-winning Burrata in Foglia. The latter has taken home the gold at the2010WorldCheeseAwardsforbeing the best pasteurised soft cheese among 2600 other cheeses from 29 other countries and is easily Mur-gella’s best-loved product.

Recently, PJ Sutters (Marketing) LtdorganisedaninformativeseminarincollaborationwithCamilleriWinesat the Hilton Portomaso Suite. The aim of this event was to introduce this world-class range of authentic Apulian cheeses to the Maltese food sector and the general public. Guests were invited to sample these fine Ital-ian cheeses from a sumptuous buffet

table and even had the opportunity to talk to Mr. Michele Palazzo, Man-agingDirectorofCaseificioPalazzoS.p.A., the family-run dairy which has been producing the Murgella range since 1955.

73June 2011

Food Works Its MagicIt was one of those simple but good ideas, surely done before but still fresh and exciting.Gettheguestsnotjusttosamplethefoodbutalsotolendaproperhandinpreparingthefood.VictorCallejareportsaboutthefare,thefunandthenightthatwas organised by Foodworks together with their local representatives in Malta, P Cutajar&CoLtd.ThenightwasheldinconjunctionwithITSwhichalsoprovidedthe premises, staff members and service.

To be very honest when they told me what was in store I was scepti-cal on various counts. First of all they told me they would get me to cook. I was quite worried: my cooking days can be counted on less than one hand and inversely and perversely proportional are most of my cooking attempts that ended in disaster. So that was worry one. The other big worry was that I couldn’t imagine the guests bonding too well and assisting the master chef and his assistants. Most of the other guests were top chefs from leading hotels and restaurants in Malta. Besides the near impossibility of getting these revered culinary stars under one roof, getting them to fraternise and to even cook together sounded something beyond impossible and could be the setting for some murderous mayhem. However, just as they managed to get me to wear my silly hat and cook, so Food-worksandPCutajaralsomanagedthe other magic of getting the chefs to do all they were bid, and all was done in great camaraderie and, as all our school-day essays about outings

ended: great fun was had by all.The food we had was all im-

portedbyPCutajarandsomeoftheingredients were specially brought down for the occasion by Oliver Bertermann, product development and business relations manager of OSI Foodworks GmbH (Germany). Oliver is a great chef and he is also a good communicator, managing to put together a good sampling of

the food, ably prepared by him and assisted by us and the ITS chefs. And he did manage to get us all in-volved:seeingtheexecutivechefsfrom the Malta Hilton and Island Hotels Group working contently together in the ITS kitchens was for me one of the highlights of the night.Westartedoffwithaselection

of chicken and pork appetizers, all nice and juicy. Then we had

Joseph Casingena and Victor Gilson both lecturers at ITS together with Oliver Bertermann from Foodworks.

74 June 2011

a chicken kebab salad followed by breast of chicken and cheese ravioli. AminiAngusbeefburgerwasnext.To close the food selection we had somewickedfare:mixeddoughnutsandcremespresso.TheLavazzacoffee was as usual a good energis-ing part of the evening. Many of the food products come ready packed for cooking but unlike some pre-prepared food the Foodworks fare is wholesome and appetizing. Treated

byexperthandstheyarealsoex-tremely enjoyable. The wines were well paired to help the palate and make the evening lighter and greater fun. They were all from the Pasqua range, which is also represented by P.Cutajar.

On a much lighter note an-other highlight of the night for me was the way the asparagus was chopped and presented. And the tastewasexquisite.I’mnotsure

From left: Mario Caruana, Group Executive Chef at Island Hotels, Joe Vella, Executive Chef, Hilton Malta, Denis Zammit Cutajar, Director, P Cutajar & Co Ltd, Hezron Muscat, Brand Executive, P Cutajar & Co Ltd.

From left: Paul Buhagiar, Head Chef, Piccolo Padre Restaurant, Victor Calleja (MHRA), Alain Grech (ITS student), Alex Vella, Chef Patron, Vino Veritas Restaurant, Oliver Bertermann, Foodworks.

ifthespecialeffectofAlexanderArena, Divisional Manager F&B atPCutajar,doingthehardworkof chopping, made the difference. I was then asked to cut up some of the chicken breasts. Nothing seemedsimplerbut,justasAlexan-der found out before me, handling hot food is not as easy as it sounds. As some of the star chefs and cooks later told me, getting your hands burnt or handling very hot food be-comes second nature. The chicken I chopped and the ravioli sauce I helped prepare were all heartily eaten by all and no one seemed to be complaining. If I managed to help prepare food for such stars then I suppose I could do the same for some suffering family members or friends. So maybe I can learn to stand the heat and will don my chef ’s hat slightly more eagerly and confidently.

Foodworks has been repre-sentedbyPCutajarfornearlythree years and they have already managed to stir up a lot of interest in Malta. The main products mar-keted by Foodworks are chicken breasts, chicken strips and Angus burgers. Most of the products imported are for the local cater-ing trade but a few products are now being made available in retail packs. Shelf life of the products varies but is mostly 6 to 12 months. Even where shelf life can be longer Foodworks prefers limiting it to make doubly sure that the products remain of top quality.

Food, as they say, is needed for the body, but when it is chosen from the right sources and ac-companied by the right ingredients and cooked and chopped well, that food becomes a special treat. The treat was to write home about and this is what I ended up doing: writ-ing all about it not because I was fêted but because the products and the event deserve the accolades.

For trade enquiries contactAlexander Arena at P Cutajar & Co Ltd on 21448466.

Matthew Cauchi F&B Manager at Alexandra Hotel and Alexander Arena, Divisional Manager, P Cutajar & Co Ltd

76 June 2011

Malta Incentivises Foreign Investment on a Personal, Corporate LevelMalta’s Finance, Economy and Investment Minister Tonio Fenech this year introduced The Highly QualifiedPersonsRules,2011-at-tractivetaxincentivesavailabletohighly qualified individuals em-ployed with companies licensed or recognised by the Malta Financial Services Authority. These establish that an individual not domiciled in Malta who is employed to fill a senior position within such a com-panymayopttopaytaxattheflatrate of 15% on employment income derived in respect of work or duties carried out in Malta. This can be in respect of any period spent outside Malta in connection with such work or duties. Furthermore, in terms of the rules, no further Malta taxwouldbechargeableinrespectof qualifying employment income exceeding€5,000,000.

Those eligible would hold the followingpositions:ChiefExecu-tiveOfficer;ChiefRiskOfficer;ChiefFinancialOfficer;ChiefOperationsOfficer;ChiefTech-nology Officer; Portfolio Man-ager;ChiefInvestmentOfficer;Senior Trader/Trader; Senior Ana-lyst (including Structuring Profes-sional);ActuarialProfessional;ChiefUnderwritingOfficer;ChiefInsuranceTechnical Officer; Head of Marketing and Head of Investor Relations.

Eligible persons would be required to apply to the MFSA for a formal determination confirm-ing eligibility and would then be required to submit a prescribed form

(endorsed by the MFSA) to the localtaxauthoritiestogetherwithhis/hertaxreturn.Inaddition,theemployee would be entitled to opt to paytaxonMaltasourceemploymentincome at the flat rate of 15% if the senior employee:

• isemployedtofillasenior position (or to perform equivalent activities) and is in possesion of professional qualifications or acceptable professionalexperience;

• isentitledtoremuneration of at least €75,000(exclusive of the annual value of any fringe benefits) in terms of a contract of employment;

• isinreceiptofstableandregular resources which are sufficient to maintain him/herself and his her family members without recourse to domestic social assistance;

• residesinaccommodation regarded as normal for a comparable family in Malta;

• isnotdomiciledinMalta;

• isinpossessionofavalidtravel document;

• isinpossessionofadequate health insurance;

• doesnotbenefitunderalternative

incentives available domestically in favour of investment services andinsuranceexpatriate employees;

• isprotectedasanemployee under applicable Maltese laws

It is important to note that these rules only apply to MFSA licensed companies and that employees of gaming or regular companies would not qualify. They also do not apply in respect of any individual who was employed under a contract of employ-ment requiring the performance of duties in Malta for a period exceeding2yearsprecedingthe 1st January, 2011. Additional restrictions apply in respect of EEA and Swiss nationals, as well as citizens of non-EU Member States. Accordingly, thetaxbenefitsareavailabletoEEA and Swiss nationals for a maximumconsecutiveperiodof5 years and to non-EU citizens for amaximumconsecutiveperiodof4 years (commencing in the year inwhichthetaxpayerisfirstli-abletotaxinMalta).Nomaximumperiod or additional restrictions are prescribed for the application of the rules in favour of nationals of EU member states.

For further information on the rules or your eligibility to benefit from the reduced personal income tax, please contact [email protected].

Burrata MurgellaA typical Apulian fresh cheese speciality stuffed with frayed mozzarella and cream

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Exclusively distributed by PJ Sutters (Marketing) Ltd. For trade enquiries please call 23988000

79June 2011

Maximum Revenue Through Direct Online Bookings

CompanieslikeExpedia,Booking.com and Travelocity supply travel-lers with a wide range of accom-modation options, allowing them to make an informed decision by comparing prices and facilities of a comprehensive list of hotels within a destination. This new breed of travel agents supply pictures of ho-tels, room descriptions, prices and deals, as well as reviews from other travellers, making the whole book-ing process easier for the traveller. Or not?

Direct Hotel Bookings

As the number of OTAs and travel portals keeps increasing, the marketing information sup-plied is practically identical and limited. Once travellers have narrowed down their selection they prefer to research further to verify that the marketing informa-tion provided is correct and to ensure that they have found the best deal before making their final decision. It is here that the online booker visits the hotel’s website and it is here that the real market-ing process begins.

Direct hotel bookings attract frequent, loyal customers, who

focus more on additional value and personal attention. Hotel websites are usually targeted towards this audience, but some still fail to convert their visitors’ interest into a booking. This lack of conversion becomes even more preoccupy-ing in a web 2.0 scenario where hoteliers are now mastering social media to attract higher traffic to their website, but fail to convert.

The answer to this is to balance out the hotel’s reliance on interme-diary sales by making the property directly bookable. Here are some of the major advantages:• Increaseinprofitsbyeliminating

high commissions • Possibilitytoretainrateparity across the online segment whilst increasing added value• Higherchancetoconvert visitors into clients, repeat clients• Opportunitytoup-selland cross-sell

Offering Much More

In a day where the traveller has become more knowledgeable and demanding, offering ‘just’ accom-modationdoesnotalwaysmaximiserevenue potential. An innovative online booking engine like addaJet (www.addajet.com) provides the hotel with such direct sales in real time, by dynamically packaging accommoda-tion with scheduled and low cost flights to Malta, airport transfers and otherinboundservicessuchasexcur-sions and activities. AddaJet brings to the single property a one-stop-shop solution with the technological power of a full-fledged travel portal.“Maximisingrevenueisnot

only about pricing, but also about maximisingthepotentialtosellmore through the least number

Direct business in the hospitality industry in Malta has seen an immense increase over the past few years as more properties are now offering guests the possibility to book direct through their website. Online hotel bookings have become popular as travellers opt to shop and book online rather than rely on traditional brick and mortal channels. There are three main methods for a hotelier to sell online today; either through an Online Travel Agency (OTA), Internet Distribution Systems (IDS), or Direct Booking through their property’s own website.

Continues on page 101

Interested about what is happening in the TourismIndustry?So are we

Why participate?

• Understandthetrendsinthetourismandhospitalityindustry.

• Obtainacopyofdetailedresults.

• Confidentiality-youareassuredofcompletedataconfidentiality.

• SubscribetothedetailedBenchmarkingreportsthatgiveyoutheopportunitytocompareyourhotel’sperformanceagainstotherhotelsinthesector.

• AdditionalinformationfocusingontheregionalareaswithintheMalteseislandsaswellasinternationaldatapertainingtosimilarlocations.

TheBOVMHRASurveybyDeloitterunsasanindustryinitiativebyMHRA,sothereisnochargeforhotelsthattakepart.Allparticipantsareentitledtoreceivecomplimentaryelectroniccopiesofthereportforthequartertheyparticipatein.Benchmarkingreportsarealsoavailableonrequest,atacharge.Toparticipateinthesurveypleasesendanemailtomhrasurvey@deloitte.com.mt.

DeloitteServicesLimitedDeloittePlace,MriehelBypass,MriehelBKR3000-MaltaTel:+35623432000Fax:+35621318196E-mail:[email protected]

©2011DeloitteMalta

Thehotelindustryisfacingchallengingtimes.Morethanever,accesstodeep,currentmarketintelligenceisvitalforstrategicdecisionmaking.

TheBOVMHRAHotelSurveybyDeloitteoffersthelatestinformationonhotelperformanceandmarkettrends.

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81June 2011

Head North and Straight to Batubulan

So get on with it, take down this name and go there quickly as it’s only open in summer. This gem of a restaurant is called Batubu-lan, opposite the Dolmen Resort Hotel on the promenade and perched imposingly above the beachatQawra.Itcommandsoh such awe-inspiring vistas of St Paul’s bay and St Paul’s islands that these silly words of mine aren’t going to do justice to it or to the views. The place is worth visiting even if just for

There are so many restaurants in Malta that we should never be at a loss where to go to stuff ourselves. But is it just me or are there others out there like me: when choosing the proper place for the night (or whenever) I am stumped and take ages to decide where I want to go to get my hunger appeased and my senses tickled. WheneverIstumbleonarealgemIwishtoscreamoutthenameandaskeveryoneto write it down or scratch it on a wall at home where it surely won’t get misplaced orfiledintoeternalobscurity.

Victor Calleja

Diners enjoying the food at the Batubulan

the vistas. But take my word for this: the food and the service are also impressive; but go and check it out you won’t regret it.

The smile on those serving us at Batubulan was ever-present and they do not rush you to take your order. That, to me, is all important.WhatifIchoosethewrong pasta or main dish and then have to wail my way home because my neighbour’s plate seemed ever so enticing and I never even had enough time to

study the menu in its entirety to knowofthatdish’sexistence?At Batubulan they ask gently and move on if they see you are still lost. They also pass helpful comments and accommodated all our quirky demands.BugibbaandQawraarenot

the easiest of places to tackle on a Saturday in mid-June, especial-ly regarding parking. The place was teeming, but this, after all, is what makes any place vibrant. Much as parking congestion


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83June 2011

and traffic problems bother me I would rather face them than a ghost town. So hurray for crowds. If you head to Batubu-lan for an evening meal during the weekend make an early start and ensure you are seated at your table before sunset, which, seen from the restaurant against the backdrop of St Paul’s Is-lands, is visual magic.

Four of us went to Batubulan and, as I had suggested the place, I was bombarded with questions about the origin of the name. I had to admit I didn’t have a clue so I discreetly asked one of the staff for its origin and significance. Batubulan forms part of the Ama-zoniacomplexandtheyareallmanaged by the Dolmen Resort Hotel. According to the staff member I had asked, the name Batubulan has an Amazonian con-nection. I wasn’t intrigued enough

Cheers to the food, the company and the beautiful scenery

to find out more and when my wife and our two friends asked for more details I just shrugged my shoulders, politely advised that I am no relation of Mr. Google and insisted that as long as I am well-fed and the company I am in isn’t too demanding, Batubulan could meananything.LaterathomeIdid ask Google for some information about the name. Batubulan means moonstone and is actually connected to Bali. So I’m still intrigued about its connection to Amazonia.

Back to Batubulan: it is sim-ply decorated and relies on the professionalism of the designer who handled the surrounding vista – the sea, the sky and St Paul’s Islands, which is basically all that you can see when you are seated on the comfortable wooden terrace. The menu is not vast though it still took me an age to decide. After some agonising

soul-searching we decided to start off with a small choice of meze which consisted of small refresh-ing nibbles on scrumptious bread. I love sharing but it did help that none of our group was a selfish grabber of grub, wolfing away anything on the common plate.

By the time we got to our first course the sun had really set and the grand colours of vibrant sunset slowly gave way to darkness. A new vista, just as imposing, came on. Sitting at the table at Batubulan you forget you are so close to the heart of Bugibba; you think of romance andofpeaceandyoujustrelax.Youobserve the lights coming on, add-ing a shimmering feel to the sea and to the view all around. The bobbing boats make you think of their catch of the day.Weproceededwithourfood.I

chose spaghetti aglio e olio, my firm pasta favourite. I know some fish

84 June 2011

diehards and some pasta connois-seurs do not approve of my choice, but I am at an age where I take what I like and what seems good and to hellwithwhatisproperorexpected.My wife took a stir-fry of vegetables which looked hearteningly good. The other couple opted for linguini with tuna and rice with chicken. If I like the place and its food I will write about it so I have a marvellous excusetonibblefromeveryone’splate. I am a glutton for good food and love knowing what every plate on my table tastes like. Otherwise how can I write about a place if I do not savour a whole range of foods on offer? So my suffering friends and wife allowed me to taste their food with a few tut-tuts tucked in. The tuna pasta, which had chunks of tastyfreshtuna,wasexceptionallygood. I rarely like pasta which fea-tures any fish in it but this definitely was a good choice. Vegetables do not enthuse me but my wife’s stir-fried ones were certainly done to perfection – crisp and crunchy, just short of being raw with a delightful hint of sesame oil.

For wines we opted for a local white and a foreign red. Being in the North we felt it was fitting to drink wine produced with grapes from the sister island. The Delicata Victoria heights blended well with the tuna pasta and fish main courses. The red was a South African Pinotage smooth on the palate without being too cloying for the warmish night.

Both had a breezy feel and added to the easy-going night.

The main dishes were another treat from the Batubulan. I’m still not convinced the name adds too much flavour to the place or its food. If anyone goes there with thoughts of Amazonian or Balinese food or atmosphere he or she will be disappointed. But then as some knowledgeable bard once said: what’s in a name? For main course I opted for my firm favourite: tuna. I asked for it with a crust on top, which is how I love it - slightly charred at the top then soft and juicy inside. Sometimes waiters gape and think I am barmy when I ask for this but our waitress just nodded and went happily on with herwork.Ihardlyexpectedthetuna to be so close to perfection: the waitress obviously conveyed my instructions to the chef who produced it as desired. The wicked fries and scrumptiously healthy vegetables were good accompani-ments. Around me the rest were eating some gorgeous stuff: lamb, pagell and rigatoni with a pesto and onion sauce for my vegetarian wife. All were up to the standards ofmytuna,infact‘exceptional’was bandied about most of that night. One of my fellow-diners who must have felt bad seeing me having to “suffer” to taste every-one’s food, tried my tuna and her look of absolute approval con-firmed my opinion that Batubulan

is definitely worth a visit.For sweets we all chose differ-

ently, pandering to my sharing in-stinct and sending silly convention to hell. The balmy feel from the fun

of the night, the wine and the food must have changed my wife’s and my friends’ dictum of not dipping intoyourneighbours’food.Wehada baci mousse which almost beat its prototype – my old-established favourite chocolates and the lemon tart was deliciously lemony with a thin crust of the lightest of pastries. All were delicate marvels with tastesthatexplodedinyourmouth.

The name might be a tough one to remember and understand but the food, the service and the views make of Batubulan a joy to be remembered for a long time.

The name might be a tough one to remember and understand but the food, the service and the views make of Batubulan a joy to be remembered for a long time.

28244 Generic J&C Pisani Ad 11/18/10 3:30 PM Page 1

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87June 2011

Relaunch of the Single Market: ‘Lack of Ownership Needs to be Addressed’ - MEP Louis Grech

“There is broad consensus on the need to rethink the European Single Market, so as to ensure that it works for the citizen and for SMEs rather than the other way around. But there is currently a lack of clear leadership and owner-ship of the numerous initiatives that have been adopted to ensure that the Relaunch of the Single Market is a success. It is essential thatboththeEuropeanCom-mission and Member States take ownership of this initiative if it is to be successful,” he stated dur-ing the business session that was chaired by The Times journalist, Joanna Ripard.

Mr John A Huber, President of the MBB, stated in his opening address that the time was ripe for more active discussion on the sub-ject and a deeper understanding of the aims and objectives of the plans contained in the Single Market Act. “The Malta Business Bureau has not shied away from leading the discus-sion related to the Single Market Act in Malta and the original 50 proposals tabled by the European Commissionhaverequiredexten-sive analysis,” he stated.

“EU accession has created a shift in the operating environment of Maltese business, presenting considerable opportunities but also

In the third Business Meets MEPs session, organised by the Malta Business Bureau, MEPLouisGrechstatedthatthereiscurrentlyalackofownershipwhenitcomestooverseeing the Relaunch of the European Single Market and that the European Union is not being aggressive enough to ensure the Union’s competitiveness on a global level.

a number of challenges. The Single Market gives local firms access to a huge market thanks to the reduction of barriers to trade, but the reality is that our businesses are not yet capitalising on the benefits of the Single Market, and this state of af-fairs needs to be addressed immedi-ately,” he stated. “The Relaunch of the Single Market will be the perfect opportunity to address difficulties that the local business community is facing in this regard.”

During the discussion, MEP Grech stated that whilst “a Relaunch of the Single Market is needed, there is a lack of understanding about what the Single Market really is, and how it can work for individual

citizens as well as for businesses.” He continued to state that the Relaunch of the Single Market, through the Single Market Act, will aim to ensure that the Single Market is economically viable, supported politically and socially acceptable.MrGrechexpressedhiswish

to see SMEs as the “prime mov-ers and shakers” within the Single Market, stating that action must be taken to ensure that access to the Single Market must be made easier for these business organisations. “Undeniably, a number of conten-tious issues will be addressed as part of the Re-launch of the Single Market over the coming months, including the proposal to establish a

MEP Louis Grech addressing the audience

89June 2011

Huber,explainedthatthenewBoard would continue to ensure that the organisation takes an increasingly pro-active approach with regards to linking the EU policy-agenda with the local business community whilst striving to develop further the MBB’s services. “The Board of Trustees, alongwiththeMBBExecutiveteam,will seek to provide direct assistance to Maltese enterprises to understand the regulatory challenges emanating from pipeline EU legislation. The organisation will also continue to encourage and support businesses to exploittheopportunitiesofferedbythe EU Single Market,” he said.

Mr. Huber stressed that there is a need for increased support for Mal-tese companies to be able to tap into public procurement opportunities in other EU member states. “This need

CommonFiscalPolicyandaCom-monConsolidatedCorporateTaxBase(CCTB),”hesaid.

MBB Announces New Board of Trustees

The Malta Business Bureau has an-nounced the composition of its new Board of Trustees, with two new Board Members, Mr Charles Brincat and Mr Sergio Vella, joining the team. Mr John A. Huber was nominated to serve as President for a second consecu-tive year, while Mr George Micallef, Mr Anthony Zahra and Mr Anton Borg have all been re-confirmed as Board Members.

WhilewelcomingitsnewBoardMembers, the Malta Business Bu-reau also thanked outgoing Board Members Mr Tancred Tabone and Mr Mario Spiteri for their service and their contribution in helping to shape the recent restructuring and the business-development growth of the organisation.

The Board of Trustees is now made of the following members:• MrJohnA.Huber(President) –MaltaChamberOfficer, Board of Management and CEOofJohnHuber&Associates• MrGeorgeMicallef–President MHRA and Managing Director SunrouteHotelsLtd.• MrAnthonyZahra– Vice President MHRA and CEOofAlpineHoldingsLtd• MrAntonBorg–Malta ChamberOfficer,Boardof Management and Joint Managing Director JBPlasticsLtd• MrCharlesBrincat–Malta ChamberCouncilMemberand General Manager of CarloGavazzi• MrSergioVella–Malta ChamberCouncilMemberand Managing Director of Actavis Malta

MBB President, Mr John A.

has prompted the MBB to launch a new service to alert Maltese busi-nesses of procurement opportunities within the EU. The EU Tenders Alert service contains procurement tender information for projects of a certain market value for which competitive bidding is allowed by economic operators irrespective of their operational location within the EU-27 member states. The feedback by Maltese business on the launch of the new service has been very encouraging. They clearly see this service as being of value-added to their business,” Mr Huber stated.

The new Board will also con-tinue to oversee the organisation’s work in identifying and submitting EU-funded project proposals that could benefit its parent organisa-tions with a positive roll-on impact on the member firms. Recently, the MBBwasinformedthatitsLIFE+project proposal has been recom-mended for co-financing by the EuropeanCommission. The project’s main objective will be to encourage behavioral change in businesses that will lead to increased adoption of best practices for water conservation.

Besides the launch of new services and the development of focused EU projects-bids, the Malta Business Bureau remains commit-ted to carry out a series of impact assessment studies over the com-ing years. “The MBB is committed to conduct a number of economic studies on draft EU legislations proposedbytheEuropeanCom-mission. The MBB believes that through such studies, it will be safe-guarding Maltese business interests by drawing the attention of both EU and national public authorities to certain decisions that may hinder the competitiveness of particular sectors,” Mr Huber concluded.

Sergio Vella

Charles Brincat

91June 2011

SME Finance: Room for ImprovementMany SMEs encounter difficulties when trying to get a bank loan as they might not have enough collat-eral, or too weak a balance sheet, or otherwise do not meet the standards of the banks. These problems are common in many EU countries and the European Union has launched several initiatives to help small firms to access financing.

SMEs are the backbone of the EU’s economy and in many cases are the drivers of innovation, competitiveness and growth. The EuropeanCommissionadoptedin 2008 the Small Business Act, which places SMEs at the centre of policy makers’ attention at national and European levels. The progress achieved was reviewed in early 2011.WiththeSmallBusinessAct,the EU has shortened payment times, reduced the regulatory bur-den facing small firms, and facilitat-ed access to public procurement.

However, to build on these achievements and encourage growth,theCommissionandna-tional governments must continue cooperate closely to improve SMEs’ access to finance and markets.

The European Union supports SMEs with grants, loans, equity investments and guarantees. Some of the programmes are managed di-rectly from Brussels whereas others are managed by regions, Member States and local banks.

There are several different types of funding opportunities for SMEs. First, we have those that are linked to European policy themes and objectives such as the environment, research, and education. SMEs or other organisations can usu-

ally apply directly for grants from these programmes , generally on condition that they present high-quality projects. Depending on the programme, applicants can also include industrial groupings, busi-ness associations, business support providers or consultants. European grants only cover part of the costs of a project. TheCommissionhasexpressed

its commitment to make it easier for SMEs’ to access EU funding programmes and making them more user-friendly.Forthenextgenerationof EU programmes, a higher degree of SME participation in funding and governance should be aimed for.

Second, we have the regional funds. The European Regional Development Fund and European Social Fund benefit large numbers of SMEs under various programmes and initiatives that are specific to each Member State. The projects are selected by the regions and Member States and the funding can take the shape of grants, loans, equity, or guarantees, depending on the region and the programme. There are cer-tain common tools that are available for Member States that wish to use them.Forexample,manycountrieshave decided to participate in the JEREMIE scheme that helps them to use regional funds for financing SMEs,forexampletoguaranteeloansorinvestinequity.TheCom-mission is considering ways to sim-plify the Structural Fund rules so that their use to improve the competitive-ness of SMEs would be easier.

Third, there are the financial instrumentsoftheCompetitive-ness Programme that help SMEs

through professional investors and lenders: banks, venture capital funds and public financing institutions. This is an effective way of increasing the provision of finance in situa-tions of market failure. Over 300 000 European SMEs will have benefited from better access to loans and equity investments by the end of the programme in 2013. These financial instruments have proven to be highly effective in helping the target firms – over 90% of beneficiary SMEs are micro-enterprises. TheCommissioniscurrently

designingthenextprogrammeperiod after 2013. The new pro-grammeswillbuildontheexperi-ence and results of the current programmes, taking into account changes in the markets and the tight budgets of the Member States. Atthesametime,theCommissionseeks to facilitate access to venture capital by creating a true single market that facilitates cross-border investment and fundraising. TheCommissionwillcontinueto

help SMEs through integrated (“one-stop-shop”) business support services by the Enterprise Europe Network. The Network brings together 600 partners(ChambersofCommerce,Innovation Agencies, Regional Development Agencies, etc) that are close to SMEs and able to help them with internationalisation, technology transfer, information and advice on legislation and access to finance.

Finally, the European Invest-ment Bank (EIB) has greatly expandeditslendingtosmallbusi-nesses across Europe. About €30 billion has been made available for banks in 2008-2010.

93June 2011

ments of the wines are descriptive and include comments on the visual aspect, olfactory aspect, palate impression, overall impression and characteristics. The Silver medal winningGranCavalierismadefrom100% late-picked Maltese Syrah grapes from the 2009 harvest, soft-ened and matured for 10-12 months in 225-litre French oak barrels.

In April, Delicata’s popular Rose Gellewza Frizzante was awarded a Bronze Medal (for the third time) at the prestigious French wine competition, the ChallengeInternationalduVin,heldinBordeaux.Duringthecompetition, 4,624 wines from 35 countries were judged. Of these, 3,319 were eliminated, while only 1,305 wines (28.22%) received awards.TheChallengeInternationaldu Vin, where wines are judged by the entire wine industry, from pro-ducers to consumers, deserved its international reputation more than ever, with 192 panels tasting the wines. To evaluate the wines there were 768 tasting judges, 90% of which were French and 10% from

In March, Delicata’s flagship premium red wine, 2009 Gran CavalierLateHarvestBarrelMatured Syrah D.O.K. Superior Malta, was awarded a Silver medal at the prestigious international wine competition Vinalies Internationales held in Paris. Vinalies Internationales is an international wine competition organised by the Union des Oeno-logues de France. Vinalies Inter-nationales goal is to “emphasise the maturation capability of the wines and to honour those wines that at-tain a high quality level close to the optimaltastingexpressionoftheir“appellation of origin”. The medals awarded are limited to only 30% of all participating wines according to the OIV rules.

The 2011 competition brought together almost 3,500 wines from the majority of the world’s wine regions. Each panel must include two French judges and three judges from other countries, whilst the allotted President of each panel must be a French oenologist. Winesaregroupedaccordingtotheir origin and type. The assess-

Silver in Paris, Second in Piedmont, Bronze in Burgundy & Commendations in London for Delicata D.O.K. Wines

Gran Cavalier Rose Gellewza Frizzante

other countries. In addition, there were 133 Volunteer commissioners.

In May Delicata picked up another two awards for their wines in two separate wine competi-tionsheldinLondon.Oneofthecommendations awarded was again forthe2009vintageGranCavalierbarrel-matured, late-harvest Syrah D.O.K. Superior Malta, which was won at the prestigious Decanter WorldWineAwards.Theothercommendation was given to the 2010 vintage Medina Girgentina ChardonnayD.O.K.Maltaatthelong-establishedLondonInterna-tionalWineChallenge.

Finally in Monferrato, in the Italian province of Alessandria, Delicata’s D.O.K. Gozo wine 2009 Victoria Heights Merlot was invited to participate in an annual competi-tion of Piemonte red wines and was subsequently positioned in second place. The wines were judged by three leading sommeliers from the Piedmont region. This brings the Delicata international ‘medal count’ for its wines up to an im-pressive 80 awards.

Medina Girgentina Chardonnay Victoria Heights Merlot

Environmental Landscapes Consortium Limited

Wied Incita Nurseries, Mdina Road, AttardTel: 2141 5488, Fax: 2141 9125

www.elcmalta.com

95June 2011

Tourism Career Awareness for our Secondary School StudentsWith the aimof increasing tourismcareer awareness amongst secondary schoolstudents, theMalta TourismAuthority has once again organised the CHOICEprogramme as well as a Job Shadowing Programme for Form 4 students.

CHOICEhasbeenrunningforthepast ten years and is held in collabo-ration with the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS). The programme involves talks in schools, visits to a tourism-related establishment and/or visits to the ITS. Talks in schools are delivered by industry stakehold-ers, who talk about the many opportunities available to these youths within the sector while also sharingtheirpersonalexperiences.

During the last scholastic year 40 schools participated in the CHOICEprogrammetotallingaround 3000 students. Participating students can also take part in the CHOICEQuizwhichteststheirknowledge on different jobs in tourism as well as giving them the opportunity to propose a creative idea for the tourism industry. This year students were asked to focus oneitherEco-TourismorCultural

Tourism and the MTA received some very original essays. A record number of entries were submitted from various schools. The winning pair, who attend Sacred Heart College,focusedonthevariousways a hotel can be more eco-friendly. The winners will spend a week at a Hilton hotel in Istanbul, Turkey, with the 1st prize being sponsored by Hilton Malta.

Another initiative aimed at attracting youths towards the tour-ism industry is the Job Shadowing Programme. This programme is now in its second consecutive year and aims to better inform students about the various careers they may pursue within the tourism industry by means of a one-week place-ment. The initiative is supported by MHRA and this year a total of 24 hotels participated as host organisations, together with Heri-

tage Malta and Malta International Airport. Students therefore had the opportunity to observe a variety of tourism-related careers.

The Job Shadowing Programme was held between March and April and over 200 students benefited fromthisexperience.Thepartici-pating colleges were Maria Regina, St.Theresa&St.Clare,aswellasagoodnumberofChurchSchools.

All the students were acknowl-edged during an official ceremony heldonWednesday18thMayatthe Dolmen Hotel. Addressing the audience, the Hon. Mario de Marco, Parliamentary Secretary for Tourism, the Environment andCulture,maintainedthatthesestudents have a real opportunity to work in tourism as it has a work-force of roughly 18,000 people. He stressed that government and MTA are working together to enhance the skills of the future workforce through such programmes, while also training people who are already working in the industry through ini-tiatives such as the EU co-financed ADVANCEprogramme.

During the ceremony each student was presented with a cer-tificate of participation, while some students shared their views about theirexperienceduringtheshad-owing period. Short presentations were also given by hotel represen-tatives as well as one of the college principals, all of whom felt that the programme had been very success-ful both for students as well as for the host establishments.

Job Shadowing & Choice Presentation Ceremony

96 June 2011

GO Mobile’s World-ClassInternational Roaming Service GO, Malta’s leading communica-tions and entertainment provider, offers the best level of international roaming service compared to local competition and at par with inter-national operators, with far-reaching worldwide coverage spanning all continents. GO’s mobile roaming coverage is now available in over 200 countries thanks to roaming agreements with over 450 leading operators worldwide. In each EU country GO has roaming agree-ments with a minimum of two 3G networks, thus ensuring fast internet and data throughout for its custom-ers – even when they travel abroad.

GO has made sure that, when travelling abroad, its mobile cus-tomers get to enjoy all the mobile features they are normally used to (voice, SMS, MMS, internet brows-ing, video calling - and much more!). Family, friends and work colleagues can stay in touch with them via GO mobile’s top-notch international roamingservice.Whenplanningtogo abroad, the first thing customers should do is to get updated with GO mobile’s roaming info service by simply calling 79900400 from their GO mobile and following the voice prompts in order to access

information about GO mobile roaming tariffs and services. This service is offered for free to both Pay Monthly and Pay As You GO subscribers both when calling from Malta and when roaming.

GO’s SMS info service is also easilyavailable.Customerscansendan SMS to 50700700 with the name of the country they intend to roam in - if using the service while still in Malta. If already abroad, all they need to do is send a blank SMS to the same number and they will receive the applicable tariff in Euro by return SMS. Terms and condi-tions apply with regards to both GO mobile’s roaming info service and SMS info service.

Speaking about GO mobile’s international roaming service, GO’s ExecutiveforInternationalRoam-ing, Anthony Slater said: “Thanks to GO’sextensiveInternationalRoam-ing footprint, our mobile customers can stay in touch across 5 conti-nents.Wehavemadeitpossibleforthem to roam with over 450 leading telecom operators spread over more than 200 countries.”

“GO mobile customers can enjoy a full range of services such as mak-ing and receiving calls, sending and

receiving SMS, accessing high speed mobile internet and much more – at very attractive rates – while overseas. In addition to international roaming, GO also provides in-flight roaming for the benefit of customers who are very much into travelling abroad,” he said.

GO is the only Maltese network that offers an international in-flight roaming service. In-flight roaming via the network AeroMobile is now offered on certain flights operated by various leading airlines. These includeEmiratesAirlines,Lufthan-saGermanAirlines,QantasAir-ways and Saudi Arabian Airlines.

Furthermore, for the greater convenience of its mobile custom-ers, GO has roaming agreements with various maritime opera-tors offering mobile services on various cruise and ferry services. TheseincludeCarnival,Celebrity,Costa,RoyalCaribbean,Grimaldiand P&O.

For further details – including tariffs and FAQS – on GO’s international roaming, an updated list of GO’s roaming partners, In-flight roaming and maritime roaming, customers can visit www.go.com.mt

GO Lands Prestigious World Finance Corporate Governance Award 2011GOhaswontheprestigiousWorldFinanceCorporateGovernanceAward 2011. GO was identified byWorldFinanceastheMaltesecompany which achieved high

levelsofexcellenceinCorporateGovernance,exceedingformalrequirements for international list-ings and regulatory frameworks, fully transparent in its disclosure

and showing best practice when interacting with its shareholders and stakeholders.AninterviewwithChiefExecu-

tive Officer David Kay featured in the

March/AprileditionoftheWorldFinance magazine while a video in-terview on the same lines was posted in the magazine’s online version.

The award puts GO on the same footing as other winners including high profile companies such as Pirelli (Italy), Group Danone (France), NestléSA(Switzerland),VolvoGroup (Sweden) Telecom Egypt, CiscoSystems(USA),SamsungElectronics (South Korea).Commentingontherecognition

duringtheWorldFinanceinterview,GOCEO,DavidKay,said:“Itgivesus satisfaction to have landed this award that underpins our ongoing endeavours to operate in a way that isinlinewiththeCompany’sstatu-tory and legal obligations.”

“Good corporate governance has been – and will remain – a top prior-ity for the company and we con-sider it to be a responsibility which starts with the Board of Directors and permeates down throughout

GO CEO David Kay during the World Finance Video Interview at the London Stock Exchange

GO CEO David Kay (2nd from left) receiving the World Finance Corporate Governance Award 2011

the company. GO reports about CorporateGovernanceinitsannualreport sent out to our shareholders. Weareproudofthefactthatwehave appropriate mechanisms and structures to ensure that there is an independent view of the governance in place,” he added.Createdin2007,TheWorld

Finance Awards aim to identify in-dustry leaders, individuals, teams and organisations in the global market-place that represent the benchmark of achievement and best practice in the financial and business world.WorldFinanceMagazine-

precisely where the awards are published - acknowledges compa-nieswhoseexcellentcorporategovernance, transparency in their ideals and actions as well as strong internal structures have ensured sustainable, ethical growth through tough times. The maga-zine boasts a readership of 120,000 key decision-makers worldwide.

Azzopardi Fisheries - St Paul’s BayTel: (+356) 2157 2449, 2158 1109

Attard Fish Shop - AttardTel: (+356) 2142 1796, 7905 4787

Silvia Fish Shop - IbraggTel: (+356) 2138 2448, 9944 7740

Gzira Fish Shop - GziraTel: (+356) 2131 1145, 9947 5519

Email: [email protected] Web: www.azzopardifisheries.net

Pesceria San Gwann - San GwannTel: (+356) 2138 5633, 9929 3300

From the President

but the appointed consultants took another 5 months to complete it, which did not help the situation. Not even now do we have a full pic-ture, and we are fed bits and pieces through unofficial sources.Ascanbeexpected,thislong

and winding process created a lot of anxietywithallAirMaltastaff,butalso with the thousands more that work within the tourism industry. The communication process was poor since day one, and some of the decisions taken since then were sometimes erratic, like that taken in October last year to cut 38,000 seats from the UK, only to reinstate most of them 3 months later.

Despite Air Malta’s strategic

importance and massive relevance to the tourism industry there has been very little interaction with the main tourism players, including the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), and important decisions taken by the national carrier were at times learnt from third parties. The situation to date remains more or less unchanged and one hopes that this will improve with the appointment of the new CEOandnewChairman,whountilrecentlywasChairmanoftheMTA,and consequently can appreciate the frustration and the risks involved by the lack of communication between the two organisations.

The threat of industrial action by the Association of the Air Malta pilots can have devastating results during what is considered to be a peak period for the tourism indus-

try. It will put at risk the company itself, the entire Air Malta employees and the employment of thousands more who work within the tourism industry. It will also hurt a number of Maltese who have booked their trips and planned holidays with Air Malta. Industrial action in the prevailing circumstances carries a huge respon-sibility and as such should not be taken lightly. Weareallwaitinganxiouslyto

see what will happen. On the fore-front there are the 1,300 Air Malta staff, but there are also the thousands more who are employed with the tourism industry and other service providers. There are millions of euro of investment at risk. The stakes are very high, and we need to work together to see how best we can put Air Malta back on its feet soonest.

Continues from page 11

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99

BulletinNews

June 2011

Appointments at Island Hotels

Island Hotels Group Holdings plc, one of Malta’s largest hospi-tality organisations, a few months ago announced the appointment ofRaphaelCauchiandErnestBarrytothepositionofChiefOperating Officers for specific business units within the group and Adrian Attard to Hotel Man-ager at the Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julian’s.

Ernest Barry takes the reins at the Group’s Golden Sands devel-opments which include the Radis-son Blu Resort & Spa, Golden Sands, as well as the Hal-Ferh De-velopment which is currently go-ing through the planning process with MEPA. Ernest has worked for the group for the last 22 years, having joined as a receptionist at theBugibbaHolidayComplexinearly 1990. Amongst other posi-tions within the Group, Ernest previously held General Manager positionsattheCoastlineHotelas well as at The Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julian’s. RaphaelCauchi,whowas

previously General Manager at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Golden Sands, since its opening, nowtakesoverasChiefOperat-ing Officer for the rest of the Group’s portfolio, which includes The Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julian’s,TheCoastlineHoteland

IslandCaterersLtd.Raphaelhasbeen with the group since 1997 when he joined as Food & Bever-age Manager at the Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julians.

Adrian Attard has taken on the position of Hotel Manager at the Radisson Blu Resort, St. Julian’s. Adrian was previously Group Director of Revenue Man-agement, a role which he will be retaining. Adrian joined the group in 2005 as Food & Beverage Man-ager at the Radisson Blu Resort & Spa, Golden Sands, where he also held the position of Assistant General Manager.GroupChiefExecutiveOfficer,

WinstonJ.Zahrahighlightedthat“It is a pleasure to announce these new positions within the group. Our commitment to maintain our growth momentum and develop further within the hospitality seg-ment has led us to develop our operating structures and maintain solid succession plans. Growing people from within the organisa-tion has always been key to our development and a cornerstone of our philosophy. Ernest, Raphael and Adrian have been with the Group for a number of years and having worked across the groups portfolio, their invaluable knowl-edge will undoubtedly continue to strengthen the group.”

Medina Restaurant Ranked Amongst Top 10 ‘Hidden Gems’ by Trip Advisor

Malta’s very own Medina Restau-rant in Mdina has been ranked amongst the Top 10 Hidden GemsforWiningandDiningby popular international holiday

website, TripAdvisor. The res-taurant was ranked Number 8 intheexclusivelist,flankedbyLaLocandadelCastelloinItaly,which was awarded 7th place and theTamadaRestaurantinLondon,which was awarded 9th place. The number 1 spot went to Enoteca de Belem,inLisbon,whileLaVineriaBollicineinItalyandChezMarcelin Paris achieved second and third ranking respectively.

Mr Noel Debono, Director of the successful eatery, commented thathewasextremelypleasedtoberanked amongst the Top 10 restau-rants on TripAdvisor. “This is quite an impressive ranking not only for Medina Restaurant but also for Malta. I can only attribute this to my dedicated team and the enor-mous commitment they always givetotheirwork.Wealwaysstriveto give our very best to each and every client who walks through our doors, and it’s a pleasure to see that our efforts have not gone unno-ticed,” he said.“Weaimtoofferatopquality

andenjoyablediningexperiencethrough a selection of innovative dishes, attention to detail in our presentation and service and, of course, good value for money,” he continued.

TripAdvisor is amongst the leading international travel websites where travellers can publicly voice theiropinionsandexperiencesfol-lowing a trip abroad. The credibil-ity and popularity of the site makes itanexcellentformofadvertising,with millions of people referring to advice posted by other travellers before making a decision on which destination to travel to and where to go once they get there.

News

New General Manager

Reuben Mifsud was recently ap-pointed general manager of the MarinaHotelattheCorinthiaBeach Resort in St Julians.

Reuben, who has been with CHIsince2000,bringsawealthofexperiencetohisnewrole,having honed his management

skills as Director of Operations at theCorinthiaHotelTripoli, Libya,wherehewasresponsiblefor all sales & marketing activities. Prior to that, Reuben held various senior management roles, including those of Director of Hu-manResourcesattheCorinthia

Tripoli and Acting General Manager oftheCHI-operatedPanoramaHotelinPrague,CzechRepublic.He has also spearheaded a number of hotel pre-openings. CongratulatingReuben,CHIchiefexecutiveofficerandmanagingdi-rector Tony Potter said “Reuben has done a terrific job for us in Tripoli andotherCHIhotelsoverthepastten years and his new appointment is therefore a natural progression to our top management team. He is experiencedandmulti-talentedandwe are fully confident that he will relish his challenging new role.” In the photo Reuben is seen (centre) with his team.

Bulletin

Continues from page 79

of intermediaries,” claims Mr. Frankie Spiteri, local representa-tive for addaJet.com.

Increased Revenues for Hotels in Malta using Addajet

‘WiththeimplementationofaddaJet to our website we have seen an increase of bookings by an aver-age of 30%. This has increased our room rate and contributed to our cash flow. Guests have the option

to book Hotel or Hotel with Flight. Theextranet(backofhouse)isveryuser-friendly, rates and special offers can be implemented in matter of minutes. A variety of reports is avail-able to help you monitor bookings’.Stefan M. Fenech, Director of Paradise Bay Resort Hotel

HospitalityWebSystemsinte-grated the addaJet booking system on our website 2 months ago, and in this short period our online rev-enues have increased considerably

compared to the online revenues we achieved during the same period last year using a different booking engine’.Martin Farrugia Randon, Sales & Mar-keting Manager of Ramla Bay Resort

Information Sessions Information sessions specific to Hotels/Accommodation Establishments on how to increase online revenues will be organised in July. Places are limited so contact Hospitality Web Systems (HWS) today to reserve your place on Tel (+356) 21386768 / 27386768

VenuesEntertainment & Culture

102 June 2011

Blue CreekThe Restaurant on the Water’s Edge

The family-run Blue Creek Restaurant, overlooking Ghar Lapsi bay, opened its doors and began offering culinary delights eight years ago. The restaurant boasts unique breathtaking views of the islet of Filfla and the cliffs stretching to Wied iż-Żurrieq.

Whilst admiring the breathtaking views from the restaurant terrace remember to order the signature dish - a thick fish soup. Fans of this scenic and elegant restaurantrefer to the speciality as the essence of the Mediterranean Sea on a plate. The fish dis-play reflects the daily catch, Maltese delicacies are all sourced from artisanal produc-ers and the vast majority of the vegetables used by Blue Creek are grown organically. The menu ranges from fresh salads to mouth-watering pasta, and from meat to veg-etarian specialties. The Blue Creek restaurant also stocks a vast selection of international wines to accompany the fan-tastic food. The philosophy of Blue Creek is the belief that service is of paramount im-portance. Thus, your dining experience will be enhanced by the unobtrusive but excep-tionally friendly staff. Busi-ness lunches are ideal at Blue Creek if you want to impress a

client and close that deal. On a weekday the atmosphere is more relaxed, with the added bonus of enjoying the awe-some views from the terrace.

Blue Creek is open every day except Tuesday all day and Thursday evenings. Lunch is served from 12.00 until 15.00 (last order). Dinner Friday and Saturday from 19.00 until 23.00 (last order)

Blue Creek Bar & Restaurant, Ghar Lapsi, lo Siggiewi.Tel: 2146 2800, 2146 2786 Fax: 2168 2366Email: [email protected]

Mdina Dungeons

The Mdina Dungeons - Malta’s only Dark Walk Crime and Punishment Museum attraction is located beneath the Magisterial Vilhena Palace just inside the main entrance gate to Mdina. Here, in a series of secret underground passageways, chambers and cells, a number of events and the often mysterious circum-stances surrounding them, have been recreated to portray historic events from the dark and turbulent side of Maltese history. From Roman times to the Arabs, the Knights and even Napoleon, one will find episodes and characters from

the ancient past portrayed in startling realism, revealing stories sometimes too dramatic to be believed. The attraction contains full-size figures in period costume supported by display text panels in various languages. Whilst you wander at your own pace, you will discover at every turn, Drama, Mystery and even Horror from dark forgotten days, in an atmosphere of authentic Medieval Dungeons.

Location: St. Publius Square, Mdina Opening Hours: Mon – Sun: 9:30am to 4:00pm. Last Admission 3:45pm Tel: 2145 0267; Fax: 2132 2931; E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.dungeonsmalta.com - Languages English, French, German, Italian and Maltese Stopping Time: Average stopping time 15 minutes to 20 min-utes Groups, Conference and Incentives: There are special rates and benefits for groups of all kinds. By special arrangements, the premises can be opened during evenings subject to a minimum pre-determined number.

Fat Harry’s Pub

Fat Harry’s pub has a unique British pub theme décor – walls cluttered with pictures of bygone days, wooden beams, old plank flooring and shelves full of memorabilia for a walk through time. A relaxed atmosphere is always in the air at Fat Harry’s, which also has outdoor seating for summer or for the lovely Maltese winter days. Every night Fat Harry’s boasts some of Malta’s top entertainers besides a Big Screen showing various sports. One can also enjoy a game of darts, domi-noes or cards. The Pub always has a fully stocked bar of local and world renowned beers on draught, wines, cocktails and shooters besides a very good selection of imported spirits competitively priced as house specials. Food prepared in house by our team of chefs using fine local produce and ingredients, is served all day. Fat Harry’s favourite is the Traditional Fish n’ Chips and Mushy Peas followed closely by the famous 200g Harry burger and some very tasty rice dishes. Open every day from 12:00 - 02:00 at Bay Square, Bugibba.Tel: 2157 2163, 2158 1298

103June 2011

Mirabelle Restaurant

The Mirabelle restaurant has been operated by the Debat-tista family since 1980. In 1999 the restaurant was completely renovated and themed with a cottage style interior, giving you a warm and relaxed feeling the minute you walk in. It is perfect for lunch with friends, a special celebration, or a romantic dinner for two. One can also dine alfresco, with St. Paul’s Islands just across the bay. One of the family, Godwin, is the head chef and he always uses fresh ingre-dients for the good selection of pizza, pasta, salads and succulent steaks. His Spe-cials of the Day have become very popular with our guests. Quality of service is very im-portant at the Mirabelle, and another member of the family is always around, helping out and making sure that all are enjoying their food.

Open every day from 9:30 - 23:30 at Bay Square, Bugibba. Tel: 2157 2163, 2158 1298

Blue Elephant

Enter the Blue Elephant Restaurant and experience Thailand! The Blue Elephant

is themed on the setting of a traditional Thai village, lush greenery complete with a fast flowing stream. Add to this the renowned hospitality of our Thai staff and the famous-ly fresh, healthy and finely spiced flavours created by our master Thai chef, and without doubt you will be transported to the Orient. Open for dinner all week. The Blue Elephant – A whole new authentic din-ing experience.

Location: Hilton Malta, Portomaso, St Julian’s; Tel: 2138 3383

Mink

Embark on a new adventure, boosted by innovation, brim-ming with bagloads of ideas and bolstered by one of the coolest venues on the rock. Mink is staring you in eye – andexpectsafriendlywinkback. Dress to kill, let dust settle on your desk, dust off your dance moves and create new curves, booty shakin’ to the best of what our resident DJshavetooffer.Décor,style,fabulous drinks offers – they’re all there for the taking. Now all that’s needed is you to add a bit more glimmer to this diamond.

Opening Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 11pm till very lateLevel 2, Baystreet Complex, St Julian’sTel: 23722055

The Avenue

Right in the heart of Paceville is one of the busiest and best-known restaurants in the area, The Avenue.

The menu is varied and offers Pasta, Pizza, Burgers, Salads, Fish and Meat dishes. There is a choice of Grills andChickendishesaswellas a good selection of large, genuine, mouth-watering Pizzas. The Avenue also offers vegetarian Pasta and Pizza. A choice of Italian Desserts is the perfect way to finish off your meal.

A must-visit restaurant where you will certainly not be disappointed. Ideal for parties. Mostly popular with locals.

Open daily from noon to 2:30pm and 6:00pm to 11:30pm. (Closed for Sun-day lunch).Gort Street, Paceville.Phone: (+356) 2135 1753, (+356) 2137 8731 Fax: (+356) 2138 2407 E-mail: [email protected]

The Carriage

TheCarriageisnotanewname to the discerning diner. Situated on the fifth floor of a typical Valletta apartment build-ing and overlooking spectacu-lar views of the city, Manoel Island and Sliema, you will be welcomed by the interior’s comfortableandstylishdécorand the romantic atmosphere of the outdoor terrace. AtTheCarriage,newdishes

are introduced regularly and the menu is innovated twice a year. Your taste buds will be tantal-ised immediately with starters such as different types of home-made ravioli, fresh seafood salad or a heart-warming soup of the day. The main courses are predominantly French and Mediterranean, with an occa-sional Oriental twist, and can be sampled in the form of freshest fish recipes and a variety of meat dishes. Finally, end your mealwithoneoftheCarriage’simpossible-to-resist desserts.TheCarriageisasuitable

venue for any dining occasion - perfect for a discreet business lunch and a wonderful ambi-ence for a romantic dinner.

Valletta Buildings/5, South Street,Valletta VLT 1103Opening times: Mon – Fri 12.00 – 14.30Fri – Sat 19.00 – 23.00Tel No: 2124 7828Fax No: 2122 3048Email: [email protected]

104 June 2011

La Rive

Just a few steps away from the hustle and bustle of the Sliemashops,LaRiveoffersitsclientele a chillout lounge serv-ingexquisitefoodandwine.Its chic ambience presents a clean design with beautiful views of the high, well-lit bas-tions of Valletta and Manoel Island. This tranquil wine bar is wonderfully lit up by candles at night, perfect for enjoying a glass of wine and nibbles, and suitable for a quick getaway for a bite at lunch. An appetising selection of dishes varies from Ravioli Asparagi to crispy beef saladorChickenCaesartoadelicious ciabatta. One may alsochoosefromtheextensivedaily specials and vegetarian alternativesareavailable.LaRiveoffersanextensivewinelist of 100 local and foreign wines as well a fully equipped bar and comfy seating, either on the melt-into leather sofas or thebucketchairs.LaRivealsocaters for private functions.

Opening hours:Monday to Sunday From 10.00 a.m. to 01.00 a.mLa Rive 33-34, Tigné Sea-front, Sliema. Tel: 2131 8323, 9944 5102 email: [email protected]

Tal-Familja

If you are looking for the fresh-est seafood, fresh fish and tasty Irish beef steak and you want to spoil yourself, Tal-Familja Restaurant is the place to dine.Weserveavarietyof

seafood and shellfish that is brought in daily from local seafood markets.

The restaurant’s most popular starter is the antipasti of shellfish and this is usually followed up with a grilled or poached fresh fish or a mouth-watering prime cut Irish beef steak accompanied with side dishes of roast potatoes, grilled fresh vegetables and freshly- made salad.

Our home made desserts include panna cotta, crème bruléeandhotchocolatepud-ding served with a scoop of ice-cream.

Guests can choose to sit outside on the terrace enjoying country views or inside in cool air-conditioned comfort. Early bookings are recommended!!Wearenowacceptingres-

ervations for staff parties...have a look at our staff parties set menus on our website. You can also join us on Facebook.

Open Tuesday - Sunday 11.00 - 23.30Mondays closed all dayTriq il-Gardiel

MarsascalaTel: 2163 2161 - 9947 3081Website: www.talfamiljar-estaurant.com

KuDéTa Lounge Bar

KuDéTa Lounge, at Le Méridien, offers a chic venue to meet up with friends. The pleasant smoking area is an asset for all, as it is also per-fectly separated from the non-smoking main bar. KuDéTa terrace offers stunning views over Balluta Bay. The Lounge, sprinkled with contemporary art, provides a fashionably fun atmosphere for all. Browse through a healthy menu of salads, sandwiches and whole-some snacks; or indulge in a comforting moment with a sumptuous selection of wraps and cakes. Happy hours and other treats are available.

(Call 2311 2254 for more info). Open daily from 9am till 1am.39, Main Street, Balluta Bay, St Julian’s STJ1017Tel: 2311 0000Email:[email protected]

The Sun in Splendour

The Sun in Splendour Pub is well known with the British, especially with the long-stays or ‘the golden oldies’ and the expatriateswhoservedinMalta during the war.Withtheyounggenera-

tion of students (Maltese and foreigners) it is widely known as ‘The Beer Garden’.Weofferreasonable

prices on all drinks as well as happy hours on beer and spirits, nearly all day. The Pub is open from 11:00am till late evening, with live entertainment every Monday, Thursday and Friday – offer-ing good music from the 60’s and 70’s and today’s music in a friendly atmosphere. Meet our local and foreign regulars who are part of the furniture likeMr.Magoo,Lilly(can’tcook won’t cook), Betty with twot’s,Peggy,taxiforAngieand Alice…

‘The Sun in Splendour Pub with The Beer Garden’

Ross Street, St Julian’s.Tel: 2138 1959 / 2137 3387Email: [email protected] Open every day from 11.00am till late

105June 2011

La Pappa

A newly opened family res-taurantinQui-si-sana,Sliema,serving Pasta, Pizza, Salads and Grills accompanied by localandforeignwines.LaPappa is situated just off the Sliema front, overlooking the sea and offering a friendly atmosphere.

The restaurant is split on 2 levels and can cater for 120 diners. It is open 7 days a week for Dinner from 17.00-23.30 andalsoforLunchonFriday,Saturday and Sunday from noon till late. For bookings please contact Desmond on:

Qui-si-Sana,Sliema SLM 3110Tel: 2722 1122Mob: 9983 1607Email: [email protected]

Bottega del Vino

Situated within the Oceana Restaurant at the Hilton Malta, the Bottega del Vino offers a rustic and informal ambience where tasty Mediterranean mealscomplementtheexten-sive selection of wines, special-ising (as the name suggests), in a variety of labels from the finest vineyards worldwide.

Whenitcomestochoosinga wining and dining venue, the Bottega del Vino makes for a greatchoice,givenitsextensiveworld wines, tempting food menuandthedécor,whichis reminiscent of all one can desire from a five-star hotel wine bar.

Opening Hours:Monday to Sunday12:30 till 23:00

Hilton MaltaPortomaso, St. JuliansTel: 2138 3383

TL Open AirRestaurant

TLopenairrestaurantattheCorinthiaBeachResort,StGeorge’s Bay, is the idyllic setting for dining under the stars and enjoying stunning views of the Mediterranean. Offering delicious seafood and meat platters, charcoal barbecues and divine desserts complementedbyanexten-siveinternationalwinelist,TLprovides a fresh and unique diningexperience.Forarealtreat, try our traditional Med-iterranean-style lamb and beef kebabs cooked on charcoal grill, and savour the array of flavours of the Mediterranean Mezes that accompany all our main courses whilst sipping one of our special cocktails.Ample parking available.

Opening Hours:Daily for dinner from 7pm (May to September). St George’s Bay, St Julian’s. Tel: 2370 2691 / 9999 3232 Email: [email protected]

Da Nicole Restaurant

Da Nicole Restaurant is situated in Bugibba Main Square. You can dine al fresco with a nice sea view or in the restaurant which is fully air-conditioned.

Da Nicole caters to all tastes - you can have breakfast, lunchorfulldinner.Wepecialise in fresh fish and Maltese dishes, prices are reasonable and you can be served any time from 9am till late at night 7 days a week.

Da Nicole RestaurantBugibba Square, BugibbaTel: 2720 7005

Pavilion & Pavillon Palace

A great discovery for anyone who loves Oriental food – ThePavilioninTa’XbiexandThe Pavillon Palace in St. An-drews are two fantastic res-taurants with a super reputa-tionforChinesecuisine.Themenus in both eateries are extensive,intypicalChinesefashion. An à la carte menu and a variety of set menus are also available for you to mixandmatch,idealifyouare dining with a big group of friends. For the really big eaters there is also the grand buffet every Saturday evening and Sunday lunch at The Pavillon Palace in St Andrews, and every Friday evening and Sunday lunchtime at the PavilioninTa’Xbiex.Thebuffet offers a choice of soup, starters and a quarter duck for every 2 people, several main courses (including rice and noodles) and dessert. Priced at €17.70 per person (children be-tween 6 and 10 pay half price), this is definitely a good deal. Booking is recommended.

If you are in the mood for dining from the comfort of your couch, both restaurants offer FREE home delivery at a 10% discount and a FREE bottle of wine with every €70 spent on take-away. Business lunches are available at €5.12 per person and also include free delivery.

Pavillon PalaceSt. Andrews RoadSt. AndrewsTel: 2137 0403

106 June 2011

Mob: 9949 3580

Opening Hours: Monday – Saturday Dinner 18:30 – 23:30 (Except Tuesdays)Sunday Lunch 11:30 – 14:30 (Winter only)

PavilionAbate Rigord StreetTa’ XbiexTel: 2131 7342Mob: 7930 9880

Opening hours: Tuesday – SundayDinner 18:30 – 23:30Sunday Lunch 11:30 – 14:30 (Winter only)

Fontanella Tea Gardens

Fontanella Tea Gardens has been famous for the last 30 years for delicious teas and coffees, together with mouth-watering delights and delec-table home made cakes.

One can sit back and enjoy scrumptious treats while enjoying spectacular, panoramic views. Cosy indoor seating is also available for colder weather. Come and pay us a visit, we are open all day including Sundays.

Also open in the evenings is our new wine bar which is open everyday from 8pm except Sundays.

Opening Hours :Summer: Mon to Sun 10.00-23.00Winter: Mon to Sat 10.00-18.30Sun 10.00-20.00Tel: 2145 4264Fax: 2145 0208

Browns

With its unbeatable location in Malta’s capital city, on the Valletta Waterfront, Browns Malta boasts stunning views of the Grand Harbour.

On offer is a variety of tantalising dishes, and every Monday, Tuesday and Sunday evenings you pay only 50% of your total food bill. Browns also caters for all types of activities at very reasonable prices. The right venue for an unforgettable wedding, with the sun setting over the stunning Mediter-ranean Sea.

Open: 7 days a week 9.00 till late (kitchen open all day)After midnight Browns turns into the hottest club on the island.Bookings recommended.

Tel: 2122 7410Mob: 9949 2510Web: www.browns.com.mt

The Tudor Inn Bar and Restaurant, Marsascala

The Tudor Inn is a seafront bar overlooking Marsascala Bay. It is a friendly English-style bar serving wines, spirits & cocktails. A selec-tion of home-made food is also served from 12 till 6pm Wednesday to Sunday. A tra-ditional Sunday Roast with Yorkshire pudding, roast po-tatoes and fresh vegetables @ 7.95 is served from 12 till 4pm. Booking is advisable on tel 27636301. Parties of up to 24 are catered for and Thurs-day is Quiz Night at 8.30pm. Live football matches are also screened.

Opening Hours:Monday 5pm till 1amTuesday 4pm till 1amWednesday – Sunday 12noon till 1am.

52, Salini StreetM’Scala

Tel: 2763 6301Mob: 9952 0844

Heat Bar/Diner

When one mentions the Valletta Waterfront the first name that comes to mind is HEAT as it was the first restaurant/bar that opened in this picturesque location in the Grand Harbour. HEAT bar & diner since the be-ginning of its operation has offered tasty food in casual surroundings at a price to suit all pockets. The selection on offer ranges from pasta to salads, grills etc.

After midnight HEAT changes into a bar/club where one can dance all night long with resident DJs and amaz-ing light effects.

Heat bar/dinerVault 16Valletta Waterfront

Open from 09:30am till 04:00amBreakfast-Lunch-DinnerTel: 2124 2400Email: [email protected],mtWeb: www.heat.com.mt

107June 2011

Pepe Nero Restaurant

Pepe Nero is not one but two restaurant concepts, closely knit yet distinctly different. A Pizza-Pasta place flanks an à la carte restaurant yet restaurant manager Ottavio Suda quickly underlines that this is no ordi-nary pizza place, or restaurant for that matter. The pizzeria aims at providing fun to its patrons thanks to a selection of truly mouth-watering pizzas that are flared by Luciano, a top pizzaiolo trained in Italy. His tricks lie in the dough he kneads, which is made of five types of flour including soya, as well as his eye-catching rotating log and gas oven, the only one of its kind in Malta, especially shipped from Ve-rona. San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte and bufala mozza-rella also form part of Lu-ciano’s ingredients. His oven bakes no less than 15 pizzas in two and a half minutes and as I browse down the pizza menu I also notice a small selection of gluten-free pizzas as well as white pizzas which, as their name implies, make no use of any red tomatoes.

In steps chef Mark Curmi who stresses that no item on his à la carte menu is pre-prepared. All his dishes are freshly made, including the bread, with different types being baked every day, as well as the desserts. Cooked in real time, and served in the al fresco section or in the striking ambience of the dining hall, the main focus of the cuisine is meat and fish of fine Medi-

terranean quality. The Pepe Nero signature dish would undoubtedly be the Tegamino which takes its name from the earthenware pan that slowly cooks a selection of Scottish shellfish which is then covered with a soft, nicely baked pizza base that one may dip bit by bit inyo the tasty juices of this very attractive fish. Pepe Nero promises and delivers a culi-nary experience together with the promise of a forthcoming Champagne and Oyster bar.

Open hours:11:00 to 16:00 - Lunch19:00 to 00:00 - Dinner7 Days a WeekValletta WaterfrontVallettaTel: 2122 2220 Email: [email protected]: www.pepenero.com.mt

Scirocco Restaurant

The mind awakens with innovative flavours at Le Méridien. Scirocco Restaurant reflects a warm Mediterranean scheme and a subtle contempo-rary touch. This 5-star restau-rant presents an astonishing buffet, orchestrated by Execu-tive Head Chef Ruben Grixti, with a focus on healthy living. Themed evenings include a Maltese Night on Wednesdays, live cooking on Thursdays and an amazing plated Fish Night on Saturday. Sunday lunch remains a classic, revisited with style by Le Méridien culinary team. Bookings are recom-mended for week-end nights

and can be made by calling 2311 0000 or via email at [email protected]. Indulge in the Le Méridien dining experience.

Open daily from 6.30pm till 10.30pm.

39, Main Street, Balluta Bay, St Julian’s STJ1017Tel: 2311 0000Email: [email protected]

Trattoria Fiorino D’Oro

Trattoria Fiorino D’Oro is a family-run restaurant and we pride ourselves on serving a number of typical home-made dishes. We are also very careful with the selection of fresh products which we use daily, especially the fish which is brought in daily by a couple of local fishermen. Our menu features home-made fresh pasta which is unique on the island as well as a selection of freshly-baked desserts made on site as well as by relatives.

Fiorino d’Oro is open Monday to Sunday for lunch and Monday to Sat-urday for dinner. It-Telgha ta’Alla u Ommu (road from Naxxar to Sa-lina) Salina. Tel 79477537, 79406653. email: [email protected]

Pizza, Amore & Fantasia

Having opened its doors to the public on the 4th December 2010, the quaintly named Pizza, Amore e Fantasia has already garnered a reputation for serving one of the very best pizzas in town. Located on the bustling Gzira Strand, just opposite Manoel Island, Pizza, Amore & Fantasia has launched an entirely different concept of what pizza is all about. We speak to the ‘Consulente Tecnico’, Genn-aro, whose passion as a pizzaiolo is evident in his description of the work involved. Gennaro, hailing from Abruzzo in Italy (where else?) is himself a World Champion Pizzaiolo, a Cham-pionship held annually at the SalsoMaggior Terme, where pizzaioli from all over the globe are judged on a strict number of criteria ranging from technique to presentation. We ask Gennaro what makes his pizza so special. “Our pizza is made entirely of natural, fresh ingredients. In fact, that is the first thing our customers, which are increasing by the day, comment on. It is unlike any other pizza that is available locally. We work only with the finest raw ingredients and our dough, which we make inhouse, is leavened naturally in the traditional waY. The quality of the dough marks the difference between a good and an excellent final product.”

206, The Strand Sliema(Opposite Manoel Island

It-Telgћa t’Alla u Ommu (road from Naxxar to Salina), Salina • 7947 7537 or 21 570 999 • Open for lunch daily and for dinner Monday to Saturday.

Welcome to Trattoria Fiorino D’Oro, a typical

trattoria with a fine selection of favourites, and a strong reputation

for fresh fish dishes. Prices are reasonable,

the atmosphere is relaxed and easy-going

and the food is just what you want it to be.

Welcome to the Kingdom

of Good Food.

Bridge)Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 10.00 till 20.00Tel: 2132 4544

The Black Pearl

One of Malta’s most loved venues, The Black Pearl welcomes you on board. Join us for lunch or an intimate dinner on our Upper Deck and enjoy our kitchen team’s specially designed menu complemented by international wines from our extensive wine list. Tourists visiting the Maltese Islands now have the opportunity to book a Maltese Culinary Experience before their lunch or dinner on our terrace, enjoying spectacular views of The Grand Harbour and the beautiful sea breeze. Our team will share the intriguing history of Maltese wines along with a tutored tasting of some wines we are most proud of. We also offer our specially prepared

Maltese platter which includes homemade bread, local olive oil, honey, bigilla, sundried tomatoes, galletti, Gozitan cheese, Maltese sausage and other Maltese classics. A trip to Malta is not complete without a Black Pearl Experience.

The Black Pearl,Ta’ Xbiex Marina,Ta’ Xbiex.Reservations: 21316000

The Pearl Lounge

Situated in the Corinthia Hotel St George’s Bay, Pearl Lounge is the ideal place to start your evening in style with an exciting menu of champagne cocktails, Bellinis and fine imported and Maltese wines.

The Pearl Lounge signa-ture cocktail is called Per-laverda. It is a unique blend of Grey Goose vodka, Midori, Blue Curacao and coconut

and lime juice served in a special take-home hand-made Mdina Glass flute.

Sophisticated and un-abashedly chic, the Pearl Lounge offers discerning guests a unique five-star atmosphere and service.

Pearl LoungeCorinthia Hotel St George’s BaySt JuliansSTJ 3301Phone: 2370 2684Open daily from 6pm-1am

Sensations Wine Bar

Sensations Wine bar is a family-run wine bar on Valley Road, Birkirkara. We welcome you to our place where you

will enjoy a lively, friendly at-mosphere. Start your evening in style with an exciting menu of Maltese and foreign wines. accompanied by a selection of mouth-watering platters, in-cluding our authentic Maltese platter, wraps, salads, Maltese ftiras and baguettes. The serv-ings are generous and reason-ably priced. At Sensations we wish you to enjoy the feeling!

Opening hours: 7pm onwards.

Mob: +356 79203577Email: [email protected]: www.sensationswine-bar.com

DirectorySuppliers

109June 2011

Bakers

Golden Harvest Mfg Co LtdUB21, Industrial Estate,San Gwann SGN 3000Tel: 21 332 391Fax: 21 310 044Email: [email protected]

Breakfast Coffee

Café Bar (Malta) LtdB8A, Industrial Estate,Bulebel, Zejtun ZTN 3000Tel: 21 692 576/7Fax: 21 695 936Email: [email protected]

Breakfast Juices

Café Bar (Malta) LtdB8A, Industrial Estate,Bulebel, Zejtun ZTN 3000Tel: 21692576/7Fax: 21695936Email: [email protected]

S Sadson Co Ltd54, St Francis Street, Qormi QRM 1805 Tel: 21 487 325 Fax: 27 485 493 Email: [email protected]

Car Hire

Unicar 9, Empire Stadium Street, Gzira GZR 1300Tel: 23458406Fax: 21333171Mobile: 79422421Email: [email protected]: www.unicarmalta.com

Carpet & UpholsteryCleaning

Ozosystem Vira Buildings, N/S off Notabile Road, Mriehel BKR 3000 Tel: 21 472 552 Fax: 21 472 553 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ozosystem-malta.com

Catering Supplies

JMPSikasa, Triq it-Torri, Msida MSD 1825Tel: 2141 3154Fax: 2141 3154

Email: [email protected]: www.jmpmalta.com

Chewing Gum Removal

Gum BustersVira Buildings, N/S off Notabile Road, Mriehel BKR 3000 Tel: 21 472 552 Fax: 21 472 553 Email: [email protected] Website: www.gumbusters-malta.com

Cleaning Material, All Types The Cleaning Centre 27, Garden Street, GziraGZR1411 Tel: 21 322 153, 27 005 678 Mob: 99 430 944Fax:21332938 Email: [email protected]:www.thecleaningcentre.net

Cleaning Products

Spencemed Ltd10/11 Manuel Borg Gauci Str,

Tal-Handaq,QormiTel: 21420849, 99007850Fax: 21442695Email: [email protected]

Coffee Importers

Caffe MolinariCafé Bar (Malta) LtdB8A, Industrial Estate,Bulebel, Zejtun ZTN 3000Tel: 21692576/7Fax: 21695936Email: [email protected]

LavazzaP. Cutajar & Co LtdNotable Road, Mriehel BKR 3000 Tel: 21 448 466 Fax: 21 447 678Email: [email protected] Website: www.pcutajar.com.mt

Disposables & Food Storage

Di Rocco Ltd Prince Albert Street, Albert Town, Marsa MRS 1045 Tel: 21 227 344 Fax:21227345 Mobile: 99 431 051 / 79 478 222 Email: [email protected] Website: www.diroccoltd.com

PREFERRED SUPPLIERS’ LIST

Silver Associate Members

Bronze Associate Members

Gold Associate Members

Platinum Associate Members

Corporate Associate MembersSimonds Farsons Cisk plcE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Beer Bottlers& Catering Operations

Malta International Airport plcE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Airport Operators

VISET Malta plcE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Operators of the Valletta Cruise Terminal & Valletta Waterfront

Bank of Valletta p.l.c.E-mail: [email protected]/Product: Banking & Financial Services

GOE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Communications & Entertainment

DeloitteE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Audit, Tax Advisors, FinancialAdvisory Services, Management Consultants

HSBCE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Bankers

KPMGE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Audit, Tax & AdvisoryServices

Paragon EuropeE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Consultants in EU Funding and Applications

Snowhite LaundryE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Laundry & Linen hire

Azzopardi FisheriesE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Fresh Fish Suppliers

Besthotelinfo.comE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Objective Reviews of Hotels

Camilleri WinesE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Producers of Local Wines

C. & H. Bartoli LimitedE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Catering Equipment & Supplies

MegabyteE-mail: [email protected]/Product: IT System Solutions

Nestlé ProfessionalE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Suppliers of Branded Food & Beverages, Products & Solutions for the HORECA Channel

P. Cutajar & Co. Ltd.E-mail: [email protected]/Product: Importers and suppliers of Horeca food & beverage brands Dewar’s, Martini, Lavazza, Ferrero, Foodworks

The General Soft Drinks Co LtdE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Bottlers & Distrubutorsof Soft Drinks, Water, Beer & Energy Drinks

2M Energy Solutions LtdEmail: [email protected]/Product: Electrical energy saving equipment & services.

Deco GroupE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Manufacturers of Wall Frames& Mirrors. Distributors of Vitality frozen Juicesand Coffee. Supplier of Horeca Concepts.

EORC Group of CompaniesE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Food Importers & wholesalers

E.S.D.LEmail: [email protected]/Product: Room & Building EnergyManagement Systems

Falcom Group Ltd.E-mail: [email protected]/Product: Supply and Installation of TV Networks & TV Sets, Satellite, Head-end, Electronic Card Locks, Pay TV Systems, Safes, CCTV & Mini Bars & EMS

Hospitality Web Systems (HWS)E-mail: [email protected]/Product: Hospitality E-Commerce Solutionsincluding websites, e-marketing, on-line bookingfacilities, search engine optimization and more

Jmp&CE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Kitchen Hygiene, HousekeepingDetergents, Disposables, Trolleys, Safety signs & Colour coded Products

Macpherson Med Ltd.E-mail: [email protected]/Product: Paint Suppliers

Maltatransfer.com LtdE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Transport Services

Sigma Coatings (Malta) Ltd.E-mail: [email protected]/Product: Paint Suppliers

Studio 7 Co. Ltd.E-mail: [email protected]/Product: Audio Visual Services, Sales, Installations, Media Productions

Vivendo GroupE-mail: [email protected]/Product: Furniture - Residential, Office & Commercial, Doors, Project Management

DirectorySuppliers

111June 2011

Finesse Ltd A59C,IndustrialEstate, Marsa MRS 3000 Tel: 21 239 831 Fax:21239811 Email:[email protected]

Flags & Banners

Gauci Borda & Co. Ltd53/54, Msida Road, GziraGZR1400 Tel: 21 334 255, 21 313 748 Fax: 21 343 604 Email: [email protected]

Frozen Foods

Food Works P. Cutajar & Co LtdNotable Road, Mriehel BKR 3000 Tel: 21 448 466 Fax: 21 447 678 Email: [email protected] Website: www.pcutajar.com.mt

Garden Landscaping Maintenance

Calamatta Landscapes Ltd

Triq San Gwann tal-Ghorghar,Ghorghar Valley, San Gwann SGN 2108Tel: 22 018 000Fax: 21 374 181Email: [email protected] Website:www.calamattalandscapes.com

HoReCa Suppliers

PJ Sutters (Marketing) Ltd.Valletta RoadLuqaLQA3000Tel:+35623988000Fax:+35621895927Email: [email protected]:www.pjsutters.com.mt

Hotelware Crockery

C & H Bartoli Ltd 9, Empire Stadium Street, Gzira GZR 1300 Tel: 21 331 000 Fax: 21 342 569 Email: [email protected]

Insurance Services

GasanMamo Insurance LtdHeadOfficeMsidaRoad,Gzira GZR 1405 Tel: 21 345 123 Fax:21345377 Email:[email protected] Website:www.gasanmamo.com

Middlesea Insurance p.l.c Mi-ddle Sea House, Floriana FRN 1442 Tel: 21 246 262 Fax: 21 248 195 Email:[email protected]: www.middlesea.com

Oriental Sauces

J & E Griscti LtdImporters, General Merchants &CommercialAgents.“Minerva”,QuarriesStreet,Msida MSD 1103Tel:+35621233375,21 230 071Fax:+35621236904Mob:+35699476732,9949 9219Email: [email protected], [email protected]

Polishing of Tiles & Marble

OzosystemVira Buildings, N/S off

Notabile Road, Mriehel BKR 3000 Tel: 21 472 552 Fax: 21 472 553 Email: [email protected] Website: www.ozosystem-malta.com

Raw Coffee Importers & Roasters

C & M BORG Co Ltd105, St Joseph High RoadHamrun HMR 1017Tel: 21487954Fax: 21231029Email: [email protected]

Security Systems

Dedicated Micros (Malta) LimitedBLB017, Bulebel Ind. Est., Zejtun ZTN 3000 Tel: 21 483 673 Fax: 21 449 170 Email: [email protected]

Uniforms

Eagle K-wear Co Ltd

DirectorySuppliers

112 June 2011

240 Ltd 92Abraham Supplies 64Anthony Farrugia Co Ltd 40, 44Artech 92Azzopardi Fisheries 97Bacchus 75besthotelinfo.com 75Bits and Bytes 88BOV 66BT Commercials 23Bugeja Fishmarket 84Caravel Ltd 99Catering Centre The 19C & H Bartoli 6Charles Grech 39Coleiro 88Comtec 33Comsec 106Continental Purchasing 42Corinthia Palace Hotel 10Cosecase 13, 17Coverit 72CPC Inside back coverCrown Cold Stores 21Cafebar 72

Delicata Back pageDeloitte 80Dolmen 48ECB Hotel & Catering 14ELC 94Falcom 60Fava Catering 27Fino 4FM Environmental 66Frizoll 94Gauci Borda 100Go 90Good Earth 33Gourmet Foods 42GP Dati 70Grand Hotel Excelsior 2Grima & Grima 64HWS 25Ilink 99Interpower 70Island Hotels 69J & C Pisani 86J & E Griscti 37JMP & Co 51Juanafil 99, 101

Kymono 21Macmed/Tarkett 46Malta Enterprise Inside front coverMTA 12,78,85Nautica 21Nibe 44Ozosystem Ltd 94P Cutajar 36Pizza, Pasta e Basta 56Pace & Mercieca 86PJ Sutters 29, 59, 77Quality Meats 84Scintilla Photographer 32Simonds Farsons Cisk 54Skyparks 45Snowhite Laundry 1Spence Med 31Studio Seven 90Target Safety Solutions 27The Cleaning Centre 82Transpak 100Trattoria Fiorino D’Oro 108Windsor Co Ltd 8WJ Parnis England 82Xara Palace Hotel 53

Notabile Road, Mriehel BKR 3000 Tel: 21 442 329 / 22 581 100 Fax: 21 445 575 Email: [email protected] Web: www.eaglek-wear.com

In Design (Malta) Ltd. Zebbug Road, Attard ATD 9027Tel: 2700 8080 / 2149 8860Fax: 2149 4698Email: [email protected]: www.idmalta.com

Teas (Fresh Leaves)

La Via Del TeCafé Bar (Malta) LtdB8A, Industrial Estate,Bulebel, Zejtun ZTN 3000Tel: 21 692 576/7Fax: 21 695 936Email: [email protected]

Systems

Spencemed Ltd10/11 Manuel Borg Gauci Str,Tal-Handaq,QormiTel: 21420849, 99007850

Fax: 21442695Email: [email protected]

Wines & Spirits

M. Demajo (Wines & Spirits) Ltd ‘Demajo House’, 103, Archbishop Street, Valletta VLT 1446 Tel: 25 520 000 Fax: 25 522 992 Email: [email protected]

Website: demajowinesandspiritscom

NM Arrigo 44/46 Old Bakery Street, Valletta VLT 1454 Tel: 21 223 755 Fax: 21 239 452 Email: [email protected]

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19937-Delicata MHRA Pjazza Regina FP FINAL A4.indd 1 06/07/2011 11:29

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MHRA 34

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