BoV trains KM in project management

Luqa, 08/12/05 - Air Malta and Bank of Valletta recently organised two project management training courses aimed at KM's top management. All Air Malta's chief officers and general managers took these courses, delivered by BoV's Joseph Camilleri.

Commenting on this programme KM's chief officer HR and corporate services, Adrian Coppini said: "BoV's initiative to support its corporate clients through the sharing of knowledge and expertise is extremely welcome and further enhances the excellent relationship and networking that exists between us. The programme will help Air Malta foster a project management culture in the way projects are handled, enabling more efficiency and results-orientation".

Westin Dragonara wines and dines TUI agents

St Julian's, 08/12/05 - The Westin Dragonara Resort recently accommodated and hosted 80 travel agents from TUI on a familiarisation trip to Malta.

MHRA elects new council

Sliema, 24/11/05 - The newly elected council of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association has re-elected Justin Zammit Tabona (left) as the association's president for the coming year. Commenting on his re-election, Zammit Tabona said that the hotel and restaurant industry had had a hard year marked by slow growth in tourist arrivals and rising operating costs. The MHRA had left no stone unturned to safeguard the interests of the industry, which was one of the main employers in the Maltese islands.

Zammit Tabona said for the coming year, hotels and restaurants should continue to provide the highest quality services and good value for money as this would ensure repeat business, and facilitate the MHRA's strong lobby with the authorities to keep tourism on a growth trend.

He added that the coming year should see the restructuring of the Malta Tourism Authority totally in place and bearing fruit, and the branding exercise well on its way to giving consistency and life to the promotion of the Maltese islands in our source tourism markets. The MHRA would continue to give its contribution and maintain its vigilance to ensure that these objectives are reached, as they were crucial to the well being of the tourism industry. 

Zammit Tabona thanked outgoing council members for their contribution - some of them for many years - to the association and wished a year of successful work for the new council.

The new MHRA council also elected Mario de Celis senior vice president, Josef Formosa Gauci as vice president and Paul Pisani as treasurer.  The other members of the council are Joseph Attard; Ivan Borg, Michael Camilleri Kamsky, Anthony Chircop, Joseph Fenech, Alex Incorvaja, Rosemarie Stagno Navarra, Claire Xuereb, Charles Yeomans and James Perry Zammit.

JBO elected UFTAA chairman

Mosta, 24/11/05 - The United Federation of Travel Agencies' Associations (UFTAA) elected Joe Borg Olivier (left) of Malta's FATAA as its new board chairman during the federation's general assembly held recently in Mauritius.

Among the first tasks that Borg Olivier - or JBO as he is affectionately known - will undertake is the implementation of the three-year-plan voted at the assembly.

Previously UFTAA vice chairman finance, Borg Olivier has been associated with UFTAA for more than 20 years. He has been the longest serving board member of the Malta Tourism Authority formerly the National Tourism Organisation of Malta. He has presided over the Maltese Association of Travel Agents, now the Federated Association of Travel & Tourism Agents, for 23 years. He is now its honorary president. Also well known in Skål International, where he occupies the position of councillor.

Schembri to leave Suncrest

Mosta, 10/11/05 - George Schembri, CEO of Suncrest Hotels, has been appointed chief executive of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA). He replaces Joseph Sammut, who plans to "take up fishing".

The ever-smiling Schembri (55), who has managed the Suncrest in Qawra since May 2003, will leave the four star property on 10 December.

Meanwhile, the new CEO of Suncrest Hotels plc and the hotel's de facto GM will be Philippe Lonfat (41). He will take over on 15 December.

Lonfat is a graduate of the Ecole Hoteliere Vieux-Bois in Geneva and the Hotel Management School of Glion. His career in the hospitality sector spans more than 23 years, and he has held management positions with various hotels in Malta and Tunisia. Between 1992 and 1999 he worked for the Corinthia Group and then moved to the Westin Dragonara Resort. For the past four years he has been Executive Assistant Manager at the Grand Hotel Mercure San Antonio in Qawra.

Mistra Village timeshare club donation to Dar tal-Providenza

New chef and menu at InterContinental's Eastern Breeze

St Julian's, 8/11/05 - Wichai Srichaimoon (left) is the new chef at the InterContinental's Eastern Breeze. Wichai left his home in Thailand eight years ago and worked in hotels and restaurants in the UAE, Singapore and the Philippines before coming to Malta recently.

Wichai brings to the Eastern Breeze a wealth of experience and a genuine passion to prepare and create what comes most natural to him - Asian cuisine. Chef Wichai has put together a "new and exciting menu with a range of Asian dishes, which are a pleasant alternative to the usual Eastern fare".

The new menu at the Eastern Breeze includes an exotic fusion of Asian flavours using the best plain food signature products from the East, featuring refreshing starters such as Yam Talay, which is a seafood salad with shrimps, squid, green mussels, lemongrass and mint with Thai dressing; Pow Pia Tod Vietnamese spring rolls filled with mint, chicken bean sprouts, glass noodles and carrots served with sweet chilli sauce; soups including Tom Kha Kung, a coconut soup with lemongrass galangal and tiger prawns; curries such as Thai Red Curry Kang Dang and  Wichai's favourite - lamb with wasabi.

For sushi lovers, Japanese dishes are also on the menu and are prepared at the live sushi station in full view of diners.

"Eastern Breeze is a contemporary, cosmopolitan Asian fusion restaurant and Chef Wichai's creativeness and enthusiasm can only enhance the already well deserved success and popularity that the InterContinental Malta's signature restaurant has earned over the last few years", general manager Christophe Laure says.

Corinthia partners with major charity

Floriana, 8/11/05 - Corinthia Hotels International has adopted the Belgium-based and internationally active Beyond the Moon non-profit association as its 'Corinthia in the Community Partner' at its 20 hotels.

With the funds it collects, Beyond the Moon is able to offer children suffering from a life-threatening disease, together with their immediate families, the opportunity to spend quality time in each other's company and to enjoy a memorable, completely free and carefree vacation in child-friendly holiday destinations, far away from hospitals and daily treatments.

Announcing the partnership, CHI chairman Karmenu Vella says:  "As our company's commercial interests continue to expand internationally, so does our duty to society at large and our commitment to assist, whenever possible, in its general well-being. This is by no means the first time that CHI is offering its services to the community. Indeed, charitable work within the community features prominently among our 'Corinthia Signatures' programme. It is however the first time that CHI is embracing a collective cause that will benefit not any particular society, but hopefully a multitude of 'unknown' children from several countries, for whom this could well mean their last real holiday with their loved ones. We cannot think of a more noble cause for our efforts and hope that others will follow suit."

Eligible children from the community or country in which the funds are collected are nominated either by the hotel or the entity collecting the funds, or else by professional Beyond the Moon contacts in that destination, in consultation with the local medical authorities. This makes the sponsor's support more tangible, gratifying and transparent as they can witness the results of their efforts close to home.

Beyond the Moon general manager Pascale Somers comments: "Our partnership with Corinthia Hotels International highlights their dedication to the communities where they do business. We are grateful for Corinthia Hotels International's corporate commitment to join our mission and help grant cost-free vacations for many families from the local communities where their hotels are located. This partnership is a fantastic opportunity for Beyond the Moon to make people more aware of the important work we do for seriously ill children, and their families, whose time together is so precious and short."

More information on Beyond the Moon can be obtained from the association's website www.beyondthemoon.org

Good food guide launches gastronomic calendar

Vittoriosa, 1/11/05 - Malta's Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants launches the islands' new Gastronomic Calendar on 3 November with a gourmet evening at the Casino Maltese in Valletta.

The calendar, which will be published quarterly, will feature the top survey-rated restaurants in Malta and Gozo presenting unique opportunities to sample the best in food and wine that is available on the islands. The programme will involve local chefs as well as chefs flown in specially to demonstrate different skills.

For the opening event, Island Caterers are collaborating with Meridiana Wine Estate to produce A Night of Maltese Glamour, revolving around the tastiest Maltese cuisine at the Casino Maltese in Republic Street. The best and freshest local ingredients will be presented at the specially designed dinner with wine from one of Malta's foremost producers chosen to complement the food.

At least two unique gourmet evenings will be presented every month on the Gastronomic Calendar.

The second event for November will be a Game and Poultry Night at the Medina Restaurant in Mdina on Wednesday, 16th.

A sumptuous four-course meal has been specially designed for the Definitive(ly) Good Guide to Restaurants by restaurateur Noel Debono at one of Malta's most popular dining venues, a building dating back to the 11th Century which has consistently been highly rated for its food, service and ambience.

December's functions will be a Menage a Trois on the 3rd, when leading chefs from Mèridien hotels in Italy and France fly in to join Andy Gaskin, executive head chef at Le Mèridien Phoenicia (left), in the preparation of the ultimate dining experience based on neighbouring Mediterranean delights; and on 5 December the top-rated restaurants in the 2006 edition of the guide will be presented with awards by the Minister for Tourism at a five-course gala dinner at the InterContinental Malta.

Calendar programmes and tickets for all events are available from the The Definitive(ly) Good Guide Co. For more information log on to www.restaurantsmalta.com. The booking hotline is 21802383 or fax: 21895 492 or email info@restaurantsmalta.com.

Enjoying Gozo's offer at specialist show

Victoria, 1/ 11/05 - The Gozo Tourism Association and the Malta Culinary Association are the main organisers of the first edition of Enjoying it - Travel, Tourism, Food and Drink - Gozo 2005 to be held from 4 to 6 November at the Sports Pavilion in Victoria.

Opening hours are from 18:00 to 21:00 on Friday, 4 November. On Saturday from 10:00 to 14.30 and from 18:30 to 22:00, whilst on Sunday from10:00 to 14:30 and from 16:00 to 21:00.