FTI Germany promotes party life in Malta

Mosta, 27/07/05 - Occasionally the traditional approach to marketing a country as a tourist destination requires a twist, and German tour operator FTI Touristik "are at the forefront of such ventures".

Recently FTI brought over 100 German, Austrian and Swiss agents for a fun weekend in Malta. The point of the trip was to promote party life on the islands (as featured in FTI's Malta, Gozo and Comino brochures) and as a follow up to the advertisement inserts placed in the travel agency magazine Travel One.

Some of the activities organised FTI to wow the German-speaking agents included arrival transfers by speedboat, visits to leading nightclubs, tours to cultural, fun and leisure venues and a sunset cruise with plenty of food and music.

Superbrand title for Corinthia hotels

Floriana, 27/07/05 - Corinthia Hotels International (CHI) was named one of the Czech Republic's first superbrands by the country's newly set up Superbrand Council. The superbrand programme, one of 30 worldwide, evaluates the best global and local brands in a selected destination and produces a high-calibre publication profiling each of the chosen brands. The honour, together with the Superbrands publication, were announced recently at a gala launch attended by Czechia's deputy premier Martin Jahn (pictured centre) at CHI's five star Corinthia Towers Hotel in Prague.

Accepting a copy of the book from Bill Colegrave, (pictured left) director of Superbrands worldwide, Corinthia Hotels International chairman Karmenu Vella (pictured right) said, "we are extremely proud that the CHI brand has been recognised by this prestigious group, along with such famous American brands as Coca Cola, Microsoft and McDonalds, and it was an especially great honour for us that the Corinthia Towers Hotel, designated the World's Best Hotel 2004 by Worldhotels, was chosen to host the Superbrand launch in the Czech Republic. This in itself demonstrates that Corinthia Hotels International is rightfully earning its reputation as one of the leading world class hotel brands".

Malta recognised as group-friendly destination

Valletta, 25/07/05 - Malta placed second in the Most Group-Friendly Overseas Destination category at the 2005 Group Travel Awards held in London last month. Other countries nominated in this category were Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands, with the first prize going to Ireland, which was also last year's winner.

This was the ninth annual edition of this event, which is organised by the specialist Group Travel Organiser magazine.

The director of the Malta Tourism Authority's London office, Michael Piscopo said: "This is a particularly meaningful honour as it is based on the votes of people who are specialised in the field. It is a recognition for all the hard work carried out by Maltese travel trade, particularly those who are directly involved in servicing group business. The fact that we came second is an incentive to do even better in the future".

InterContinental opens beach club

St George's Bay, 19/07/05 - The InterContinental has opened its new beach club at St George's Bay; the centrepiece is the stylish Paranga, the new restaurant set on a teak deck at the water's edge. The concept for this restaurant is innovative and chic, "culminating in a seamless blend of comfort and custom-designed environment for one's relaxation".

Executive chef Max Grenard has prepared a menu that offers a mix of Mediterranean elements and his own creations to accommodate all tastes. Dishes at Paranga include a selection of Mediterranean cuisine; grilled marinated meats, fish and vegetables, salads, pasta dishes and more. Adjacent is the Lido Terrace, a casual restaurant serving snacks in a relaxed environment. (Paranga is open for lunch and dinner daily, whilst the Lido Terrace is open 24 hours a day.)

"The InterContinental Hotel group is honoured to have been given the opportunity to add the InterContinental Beach Club in St George's Bay to its portfolio. The service and ambience is what is expected in a five star resort and the Paranga and Lido Terrace are our latest gems", says hotel general manager Christophe Laure.

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Third Bugibba Arts Festival starts Wednesday

Valletta, 19/07/05 - The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, in collaboration with the Malta Tourism Authority and the St Paul's Bay local council, is organising the third annual Bugibba Arts Festival. The festival starts tomorrow, Wednesday, and ends on Sunday.

The Bugibba Arts Festival promotes Maltese talent in the arts, crafts, artisan skills, music, drama and dance, as well as creating a unique experience and an enjoyable event for all the family.

During the festival artists, animators and entertainers will be performing and exhibiting their work along the promenade in Bugibba and in Bay Square.

The festival kicks off tomorrow at 20:00 at the Dolmen Resort Hotel with an art exhibition by Pauleen Micallef, Margaret Farrugia, Monica Spiteri and Charles Farrugia.

Other highlights include performances by Thea and Friends, William's Dance Studio, Ta' Ciangura Folk Group from Gozo, the Mark Spiteri Lucas band, Julie and Ludwig, Leontine, Ivan Spiteri Lucas and Annabel Borg on Friday; Ira Losco and her band, Pauleen Micallef Dance Studio and the Janice Briffa Dancers will be performing on Saturday whilst the St Paul's Bay Brass Band will be on stage on Sunday.

La Vita de la Valette opens its doors

Valletta, 14/07/05 - La Vita de la Valette is a stylish new brasserie offering a stimulating ambiance and excellent choice based on the theme of Valletta's founder, Grand Master Jean Parisot de la Valette.

The brasserie, the brainchild of Victoria Hotel general manager Claire Xuereb and Claude Paris, is located in a 252-year old vault at Pinto Wharf along the Valletta Waterfront.

La Vita's exclusive Italian design achieves a delicate fusion of creativity and comfort reminiscent of Europe's grand cafes. The brasserie has 100 covers indoors plus another 200 on the waterfront, where one can enjoy spectacular views of the Grand Harbour.

Xuereb explained that nowadays people are more appreciative and aware of the food they eat and La Vita de la Valette offers the right choices and selections for different tastes and demands. "We plan to cater for the majority of the market simultaneously, in different ways at different times and on different days and months of the year", says Xuereb.

La Vita is divided into sections offering different settings. There are typical brasserie-style tables with high chairs, an open wood-based grill, booths for those who want privacy, as well as a plush lounge area - for those seeking exclusivity - with glass panelled flooring, sofas and private TV/laptop access.

The brasserie, managed by Claude Paris, features an excellent cuisine that caters admirably for the different times of day be it breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner or at any time in between.

Crowne Plaza recognises top producers

Sliema, 14/07/05 - The five star Crowne Plaza recently hosted a reception for the travel trade and media during which awards were presented to the hotel's top producers.

The awards went to Holiday Malta for being the top producer in the wholesale business segment and Grand Circle Travel for being the top producer in the groups business segment. The Italian Military Mission in Malta was recognised as the top producer in the local corporate business segment.

An upbeat general manager, William Latour, meanwhile, told guests the Crowne Plaza "is performing well and that current business trends are encouraging. Contracts with our current partners are being renewed for well into 2006", he said.

"Moreover, we continue to entice a significant number of new operators to feature the hotel over the coming seasons", Latour added.

He also said the hotel continuously upgrades its products and services and conducts extensive staff training programmes to deliver an enduring experience which meets expectations. Some of the upgrades include a soft renovation of the Pizza Place; the launch of Flavours, which is a new approach to Sunday lunch, featuring some of the best food selections of its kind.

Trek for life 2005  – help the needy

Mosta, 04/07/05 – In less than a week Corinthia Hotels International’s general manager sales, Shawn Pisani, along with friends Gerald Strickland, Patrick Busuttil and Douglas Barbaro Sant plan to raise at least Lm10,000 for three local charities by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro.

The charities are Ir-Razzett tal Hbiberija (the Park of Friendship), an organisation with a long history of providing therapeutic, entertainment and educational services to the disabled. The Step By Step Foundation, which was founded by the mother of a brain-injured child, provides educational and - when necessary and possible - financial support to parents of brain injured children. The third beneficiary is Kane Corradi, a nine-year-old boy born with a very rare and dilapidating condition called Chromosome 13 deletion. This condition affects his body’s immune system and leaves Kane severely handicapped, both mentally and physically. Luana, Kane’s mother, has to support him and his healthy twin sister single-handed, and because of the expensive treatment Kane requires to survive, every cent helps.

The expedition sets off on 10 July and is expected to last about a week. The four ‘mountaineers’ are doing this at their own cost and time.

Says Shawn Pisani: “We are seeking sponsors. All money donated will be placed in a fund that will be distributed to all three charities. To ensure the organisation is completely transparent, Dr Hugh Peralta of Hugh Peralta and Associates in Valletta is auditing every cent raised.

“With your help we can achieve our goal and ultimately support these three entities, very much in need of financial support!”