PHOTO: Popeye Village, Malta and Gozo

Malta will begin to receive international visitors with the resumption of commercial flights to its airport beginning July 1, 2020.

Visitors from Germany, Austria, Sicily, Cyprus, Switzerland, Sardegna, Iceland, Slovakia, Norway, Denmark, Hungary, Finland, Ireland, Lithuania, Israel, Latvia, Estonia, Luxembourg, and the Czech Republic will be able to travel to the country, and more destinations will be announced as they are approved by the health authorities.

Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli noted that the decision to allow visitors will give Malta a summer travel season and was carefully considered with input from health authorities.

“The announcement that Malta International Airport-our primary gateway to the world-is reopening is of fundamental importance to all of us in the tourism sector, and we welcome it with enthusiasm,” said MTA chief executive Johann Buttigieg. “The difficulties we have managed to overcome together in the past weeks are a testament to the resilience of the industry. New challenges lie ahead, but with them come new opportunities. MTA believes that Malta has all it takes to rebuild a profitable industry that provides a livelihood for thousands and is so important to the Maltese economy.”

THERE IS CAUTIOUS OPTIMISM FOR THE RETURN OF TRAVEL.

DR. GAVINGULIA, MTA Chairman

“Over the past two and a half months, the travel and hospitality industry across the globe has faced an unprecedented challenge,” said Gulia. “Members of the travel trade, from airlines to tour operators and travel agents, as well as hoteliers and restauranteurs, and the many others who earn a living directly or indirectly from tourism, had to endure the impact of an international travel ban. Now that the situation is improving in many countries, and we can finally reopen our borders, we look forward with cautious optimism to the weeks and months ahead. Whilst taking all necessary safety precautions, we can proceed to this important next phase with confidence.”

“Throughout the peak of the pandemic, when international travel was at a standstill, we made sure that the Maltese Islands remained top-of- kind for prospective travelers in our core markets by means of a campaign called ‘Dream Malta Now… Visit Later,’” said Micallef. “With the opening of our airport, we can now start to inform our overseas partners and customers, that the time to simply dream is over, and the actual visiting can begin once again. It will not happen all at once, and not from everywhere from day one. But it is an important first step, one that the industry and the public have been eagerly waiting for.”