Meet a Russian for Lm25

Mosta, 15/10/06 – From 20 to 27 October the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) will be hosting a familiarisation trip for Russian tour operators that do not programme the islands in their brochures.

The MTA plans to hold a workshop at the InterContinental in St Julian’s on Tuesday, 24th, from 14:00 to 18:00 for local companies to meet the visiting Russian operators.

Companies wanting to participate at the workshop may do so at a cost of Lm25. The price includes a table and entrance for two people from each participating company.

There is a rider, however. The MTA will only hold the workshop if a minimum of 10 companies participate. And there is only space for 20 companies to take part.

Companies interested in taking part in the workshop should email Ian Cilia at the MTA (ian.cilia@visitmalta.com) or call him on 22915237.

Wanted - good looking wife

Mosta, 09/10/06 - Island Travel Trader Online has been asked by the Malta Tourism Authority to help it find a young couple willing to appear on a Japanese TV show.

The requirements set by the Japanese producers may appear somewhat odd, but this is what they are looking for:

• a couple that is between 20 and 29 years old - the husband does not have to be this age, only the wife
• married for less than two years
• Good looking - only the wife need be.

The main theme of this programme will be to "introduce breakfast and the culture of Malta", consequently the (good looking) "wife has to cook three to four dishes and shooting will takes about six to eight hours for the wife. The wife then wakes up her husband and tells him breakfast is ready..."

The producers say they will need two to three couples to start off with, then the show's director will choose one couple for the actual shoot.

The couple chosen will be "paid around Lm90 for the ingredients and their time".

Any couple interested in taking part should send an email to carlo.micallef@visitmalta.com or call 22915223.

British hacks hold Malta AGM

Mosta, 09/10/06 - The streets of St Paul's Bay will be buzzing with British journalists this week.  The journos will be attending the annual conference and annual general meeting of the Chartered Institute of Journalists.

The institute is returning to Malta after 35 years. It last held its AGM and annual conference on the island in 1971. Its members are mostly senior journalists and experienced media people.

Former president Guido de Marco will officially open the conference, at the Grand Hotel Mercure San Antonio, tomorrow.

De Marco is president of the Strickland Foundation - one of the sponsors of the CIOJ conference.

The Chartered Institute holds it annual general meeting abroad every second year to make it easier for members living outside Britain to attend. The last overseas conference, in October 2004, was in Berlin, Germany.

This year's conference will start today with a series of working meetings of the institute's council, divisions and charities. The main AGM and conference start tomorrow and will continue until midday on Thursday.

In addition to de Marco, guest speakers will include the British high commissioner, Nick Archer, and the minister for tourism and culture Francis Zammit Dimech.

The programme includes debates on the safety of journalists in hazardous situations and on ageism in journalism.

A social programme has been organised for conference participants by the Malta Tourism Authority, which is also a sponsor of the conference.

Riu voted as best leisure hotel chain

Mosta, 06/10/06 - The RIU chain has won the Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) award for Best Leisure Hotel Chain of 2006.

The prize was awarded at a ceremony at Old Billingsgate in London last week in front of more than 1,800 professionals from the tourism sector, including its top representatives.

The award was decided by the votes of British travel agent readers of TTG and a panel of judges made up of some of the most influential and important figures in the industry, who said they were unanimous in their decision to awards this top accolade to Riu Hotels and Resorts.

Paul Bunce, head of UK market development for Riu Hotels and Resorts, accepted the award. "We are thrilled to be chosen as winners of this award not only by the agents but also the judges who have recognised our commitment to quality and service both for our customers and in our continued support of the trade."

RIU Hotels and Resorts is the 28th largest hotel chain in the world. Approximately 12 per cent of Riu customers come from the UK.

The company was founded in Mallorca as a small family business in 1953 and today is a multinational firm that operates 109 hotels in 18 countries, with 36,000 rooms and over 18,000 employees.

RIU has hotels in Malta - the four star Riu Seabank at Mellieha - Spain, Portugal, the Dominican Republic, Cuba, the US, Mexico, Jamaica, the Bahamas, Aruba, Tunisia, Morocco, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Romania and Cape Verde.

Yesteryear comes alive at Historic Cities festival

Vittoriosa, 06/10/06 - The Malta Historic Cities Festival, which started yesterday, is an 11 days extravaganza of cultural entertainment focusing on the islands' most historic towns - Valletta, Mdina, Victoria in Gozo, Vittoriosa, Cospicua and Senglea.

A number of reenactments and concerts will be held outdoors and in historic buildings and churches.

The festival will present Maltese as well as international talent. The highlight of the festival will be the Valletta Military Tattoo, to be held on Saturday, 14 October.

Belleair Holidays misses top prize, but aims to win in 2007

Mosta, 06/10/06 - Readers of the Travel Trade Gazette (TTG) nominated Belleair Holidays as one of the travel industry's finest suppliers.

Air Malta-owned Belleair Holidays was nominated for the Tour Operator of the Year - Western Mediterranean award and was narrowly beaten by Airtours. Other nominees included Cosmos and Thomas Cook.

Commenting on the nomination, Martin Zahra, CEO of Holiday Malta, said: "clearly we are disappointed that we did not win our category outright, but to be nominated in an award ceremony of this calibre is a tremendous achievement and our staff in the UK should be justly proud of getting this far.  We will continue to work hard with the British travel trade over the coming year to ensure that victory is ours in 2007".

Corinthia Palace organises Beyond the Moon fund raiser

Floriana, 06/10/06 - The sports and welfare committee of the Corinthia Palace Hotel will be organising a fund raising activity weekend, starting on 14 October, in aid of Beyond the Moon, an international non-profit charity that helps seriously ill children by giving them the opportunity of spending valuable quality time with their loved ones, in what could well be their last real holiday together.

The fair will take place at the Chameleon Hall of the Corinthia Palace Hotel, from 09:00 to 18:00 on Saturday and Sunday. The event is guaranteed to be a fun outing for all members of the family, with a children's play area and games for the young and not so young. For the bargain-seeker there will be stalls with items including plants, books, toys, homemade cakes and preserves, as well as various displays. Visitors can also try their luck at winning one of the many prizes.

The Corinthia Palace management and staff are hoping to collect enough funds from this and other such activities to be able to give a Christmas present to a Maltese child suffering from a life-threatening disease, so that the child can enjoy a completely cost-free and care-free holiday in a child-friendly holiday destinations, far away from hospitals and daily treatments, together with its family.

Beyond the Moon is a Belgium-based charity that has been adopted by Corinthia Hotels.

Further details of the weekend's programme may be obtained from the Corinthia Palace by calling 21440301.

Thomas Cook chooses Malta for its annual conference

Mosta, 29/09/06 - Thomas Cook will be holdings its annual conference in Malta, the Ministry for Tourism and Culture has announced.

With Malta facing strong competition from popular holiday destinations Turkey, Egypt, Tunisia and Spain, Thomas Cook made its final decision "based on the high standard of accommodation and facilities; the established tourism infrastructure, convenience of location and the enthusiasm and professionalism demonstrated by everyone involved in the negotiation process".

December's event will see up to 2,000 senior management and customer-facing staff from across Thomas Cook's retail travel agencies, call centres, airline, tour operators and head office converge on the islands for the two, three-night back-to-back events - from to 2 to 5 December and from 5 to 8 December.

"The Thomas Cook conference is a fantastic opportunity to showcase Malta to some of the most influential members of the UK travel industry.  Securing this deal ahead of such strong competition is a credit to everyone involved at the MTA and is also thanks to the high level of support we have received from local hoteliers and service providers," said minister for tourism and culture Francis Zammit Dimech.

Amadeus scoops awards in recognition of its role in the travel industry

Madrid, 29/09/06 -  Amadeus has won two awards including the World's Leading Internet Booking Engine Technology Provider and the World's Leading CRS/GDS System, at the annual 2006 World Travel Awards ceremony, held recently.

It is the third year running that Amadeus e-Travel has picked up the award for the World's Leading Internet Booking Engine Technology Provider.

Now in its 13th year, the World Travel Awards continues to acknowledge and celebrate excellence in the world's travel and tourism industry. As the most comprehensive travel awards ceremony, with trophies awarded in all areas of the industry including travel technology, travel professionals in over 200 countries around the world cast votes.

Meantime, Amadeus Malta - managed by Simon Rossi - has relocated from Sliema to new offices in San Gwann's Birkirkara Road. The new phone number is 21383873 and the fax number is 21383885.

InterContinental guests donate Lm2,500 for preservation

St Julian's, 27/09/06 - The InterContinental Malta is supporting the Malta Hotel Heritage Sponsorship Scheme together with HSBC and the national heritage agency, Heritage Malta, to raise funds for the preservation of the Hagar Qim temple.

Guests staying at the InterContinental are being asked for a voluntary contribution of one Euro per room per night to be added to their hotel bill, which will be deposited into an HSBC account to fund Heritage Malta's Hagar Qim conservation project.  In the two months since the scheme was launched the InterContinental Malta has collected Lm2,500 from its guests.

UNESCO considers Hagar Qim and the other Stone Age temples in Malta as world heritage sites.  "Responsible tourism means doing our bit to put something back for the preservation of sites that we have enjoyed, for future generations to enjoy them too.  Being a world heritage site, Hagar Qim belongs to each one of us, wherever in the world we come from and we are honoured to be given the opportunity to co-sponsor such an important site and be a team player in contributing towards the conservation and enhancement of Malta's great history and heritage", said Christophe Laure, general manager of the InterContinental Malta.

Mario Tabone, chairman of Heritage Malta, thanked Laure for the hotel's cooperation and for having accepted to take part in the project whereby tourists contribute towards the preservation of Malta's national heritage, a project that was promoted by Shaun Wallis, CEO of HSBC Malta.

WiFi on the menu

Ta' Xbiex, 22/09/06 - The Mare Nostrum restaurant aboard the Black Pearl has installed WiFi.

Internet access is now available whilst you eat as well as to users of the yacht marina, the latter via an outdoor antenna covers most pontoons in the area.

Le Méridien Phoenicia raises funds for Flagellation

Valletta, 22/09/06 - In June the five star Le Méridien Phoenicia launched an appeal on behalf of the St John's Co-Cathedral Foundation to raise funds to restore Pieri's The Flagellation, which hangs in the cathedral's sacristy.

Ben Sington, the Phoenicia's general manager, said "we hosted an event with the Voices Choir and were able to raise more than Lm2,100 thanks to the generous support of local business and guests. With a further donation of $5,000 from Sir James Hackett of the Anadarko Petroleum Corporation and individual donations placed in the collection boxes at the cathedral and the hotel, I am delighted to say that sufficient funds have been raised to start the restoration of this important painting". The cheque was recently presented to the president of the foundation Paul Attard.

Florentine artist Stefano Pieri painted The Flagellation in 1572. The painting is considered by art historians to be an outstanding example of his school. The work is in a poor state and with the passage of time and the accumulation of candle grease, the varnish has darkened to such an extent that it is becoming difficult to appreciate.

The restoration will be carried out in three phases. Phase one will start in December. The second phase will consist of cleaning the paint layer from its various layers of varnish, filling in of losses and the application of a protective coating whilst phase three will consist of treating the frame for woodworm.

The restoration is expected to be completed by summer 2007.

Nationalist Party fields 'savage' candidate

Mosta, 22/09/06 - Charles Selvaggi, general manager of the four star Park Hotel in Sliema, is as a candidate at the next general elections. He is standing for the Nationalist Party.

Selvaggi plans to run in his home district of Msida.