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Malta is investing considerable resources to upgrade its tourist product
Let me start by thanking the organisers of this Conference for inviting me to address you but more importantly for taking the initiative to organise this event in Malta. This is a very appropriate initiative taking place at a very timely moment. It comes at a time when Malta is investing considerable resources to support this flourishing sector, but before elaborating on this I believe a few thoughts are justified on today’s meeting.
I have read with interest the set up of this meeting which combines with it not only the General Assembly but also a marketing opportunity in itself, through the invitation of various market conference organisers and corporate clients who will be joining you for this afternoon’s meeting and the social occasions over the two days that follow. An alliance of 25 Historic Conference Centres from all over Europe, striving to provide a different alternative to the run of the mill environment for conferences by putting their resources together, is an initiative which is laudable.
It is always of concern to governments to put to their best use its cultural patrimony and at times simply investing in their upkeep is not the solution: It does preserve them for the future, but it definitely does not maximise their potential.
Conference and incentive travel business in Malta has steadily increased over the last few years. Year after year this segment has increased in importance and my Government, fully aware of this growing sector has supported and encouraged it and its players. 2006 saw an increase of over 7% on 2005 figures. It also brought about new facilities for conferences and new initiatives some of which I am sure you will experience. I am pleasantly surprised with the creativeness of our country in providing such opportunities which are surely unique if not to Malta, within the Mediterranean basin.
The Mediterranean Conference Centre was surely the entry point of this country into this segment. It was back in 1979 when the decision was taken to host the former Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, in Malta in this historic building. The Sacra Infermeria, built in 1574 on the instructions of Grand Master La Cassiere, which was the former Hospital of the Knights of the Order of Saint John, was identified as the location where the Conference would be held. Incidentally, I know that one of your Centres in Austria, today houses the OSCE on a permanent basis. Ever since, the Centre served our society on multiple occasions and in different situations, most notably the George Bush – Mikael Gorbachev summit which our country hosted in 1989 and which ended the cold war between America and the former Soviet Union. The Mediterranean Conference Centre backed up for the summit held out at sea and was also the press centre for the summit and the recent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting more popularly known as CHOGM. This was the first time that Malta hosted 53 Heads of Government and the Queen of England precisely in this very same hall with the opening ceremony in the main auditorium of this building.
In 1998 the strategic decision was taken by the present Board of Management of the Mediterranean Conference Centre to pursue the CIT sector and the Centre embarked on a restoration and conversion process to facilitate and back up this strategic decision – a decision that was backed and fully supported by my Government. Standing here today in this magnificent building shows us how right we were.
In today’s globalised world there are no limits to expansion and cooperation. Malta’s membership of the European Union in 2004 has further brought down any frontiers which could have existed. My Government strongly encourages all participants in this sector to seize the opportunities that lay ahead and to capitalise on them. To do so we must all work together and this alliance should open many doors. I fully endorse that these opportunities be exploited, to cooperate and build European bridges in order to provide our citizens with the best working environment. These are opportunities where the potential should be maximised, which in turn would yield better results and thus strengthen European economies.
My vision for this country is a vision of a modern country that boasts of a very high standard of living reflecting a society that benefits from high political, social and economic standards. It is a vision of a country that is enterprising and that achieves strong economic growth. It is a vision of a country that is respected in the regional and the international arena. But it is also a vision of a country that, at the same time, pursues the European social model. It is in this scenario that we look to these initiatives and to our European background. My country although in infancy as regards membership of the European Union, has already proved that it is and will be a pro active member, taking the initiative to promote various ideas, participating not only through its Ministers but also through its MEPs and NGOs in matters of general interest not restricted solely to the Maltese shores.
Malta has the potential for more growth in the CIT sector. Government has and is at present investing hundreds of millions of Euros in various projects of national interest both in Malta and in Gozo, where I believe you will be spending a large part of your day tomorrow. They are projects intended to back up the efforts being made by the industry players. Gozo itself will have a new harbour inaugurated in the coming weeks. We shall inaugurate a new hospital in July, and numerous roads are at present being upgraded. In turn, the hospitality industry has not lost track of development and we boast today of the major international chains in the industry - in the last 12 months we saw the opening of a number of five star properties which will certainly contribute further to our vision of Malta as a centre of excellence in conference tourism.
As a result of our history, which saw the Maltese play host to various dominions, our hospitality is second to none. The fact that many Maltese speak a minimum of three languages evinces this truth.
Our patrimony witnesses the hallmarks of our ancestors and during this brief visit of yours to our beautiful archipelago, one will experience a taste of Norman influence in buildings, Arab traits in our language, the wealth of the palaces inherited from the Knights of the Order of Saint John who left their mark all over the island, and the strong English influence. Malta obtained independence in September 1964 and has never looked back. From early 1970 it has identified Europe as its route ahead with an association agreement which led to culmination in 2004 with membership of the European Union. Our next ambitious goal is the Euro. After entering into the Exchange Rate Mechanism II (ERM II) Malta has identified 1st January 2008 as the date for the adoption of the Euro as its currency. No doubt this milestone will further strengthen Malta’s European identity and cooperation, facilitating alliances like yours and enabling corporate clients to venture with less restrictions.
Opening address by the Hon Lawrence Gonzi, Prime Minister, at the 11th annual general assembly of the historic conference centres of Europe (HCCE) - Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta - Friday, 4th May 2007 |
