The Interview


Tolene van der Merwe


Malta Tourism Authority


As Malta prepares to reopen to tourism next week, Juliet Dennis catches up with the tourist board’s UK and Ireland director


T


olene van der Merwe joined the Malta Tourism Authority less than six months


before the UK lockdown. The UK and Ireland director’s


appointment in October came as Malta continued to record strong numbers from the UK, its largest market, which accounted for nearly 650,000 visitors in 2019, and from which arrivals in January and February this year were up 5% year on year. As Malta prepares to open up to


Brits after four months of lockdown, the picture is very different. Van der Merwe, former hub head


for South African Tourism for the UK and Ireland, is pragmatic about the situation. She said: “We’ll be welcoming visitors with open arms but we don’t expect [numbers] to be anywhere near 2019 for the next two to three years. We rely heavily on tourism. During lockdown, money has been put into restoring certain sites and cleaning them ready for everybody’s return.” The destination is lifting


quarantine restrictions for all flight arrivals, including from the UK, from July 15, enabling tourist visits to Malta, Gozo and Comino.


14 9 JULY 2020


to make sure we change that in the trade’s mind too.”


We’ll be welcoming visitors with open arms.


We managed to control [the virus]. We’ve got a high level of repeat arrivals. Valletta will be a lot quieter – it will be an ideal time to go


Malta was among the destinations


removed last weekend from the FCO’s list of countries for which it advises against all but essential travel. The island reacted swiftly to


the Covid-19 crisis, shutting its airport to passenger flights on March 20. Restaurants will have Covid-19 compliance stickers and a similar system will operate in ‘Covid-secure’ hotels. “We managed to control it,” added


Van der Merwe. “The hope is we will gradually grow. We have got a high level of repeaters; they will be our target.”


Trade focus The UK trade is “probably the most important” aspect of Malta’s recovery, Van der Merwe said. The authority’s 2020 trade budget


was increased and now accounts for a third of marketing spend, and 400


agents have taken training modules during the lockdown period. The authority has held themed


webinars and partnered with other organisations to host virtual training events. A further 11 webinars are planned before the end of the year. Van der Merwe added: “We’ve


never really focused on agents specifically, so I’m hoping what we’ve done will get Malta on everybody’s list. “If clients are looking to go to


Spain or Portugal, we want agents to say, ‘don’t forget Malta’. It’s a great opportunity if you want to fly and flop or experience something different, from water sports to culture, and very affordable. “Obviously, we know there are


preconceptions that Malta is for the older generation. “We’ve worked hard to change


that in the customer’s mind. We need


Fam trip The authority’s Malta Academy mega-fam for about 30 agents has been postponed from September until April 2021. Some places are available through


incentives and competitions. Van der Merwe said: “We’ve


always done a lot of media trips but few agent trips. They are on the frontline. They need to know the destination. There will be more agent fams next year.” Investing in the trade would


reap benefits in the longer term, she said, adding that she hoped to create “ambassadors”. “If agents want window displays


or to run customer events, we are totally open to see how we can support and help them,” she added.


Bookings bounce Bookings are coming in for Easter and summer 2021, but Van der Merwe also hopes for a late flurry this summer. Hotels have maintained rates and many have special offers. Van der Merwe said: “For the


foreseeable future, Valletta will be a lot quieter; it will be an ideal time to go.”


travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Andy Huntley


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