Incentive travel branch set up

Malta`s success in hosting an international meeting of incentive professionals has spurred local professionals involved in incentive travel to establish a fully-fledged chapter of the Society of Incentive & Travel Executives.

SITE is a worldwide organisation of business professionals dedicated to the recognition and development of motivational and performance improvement strategies of which travel is a key component. The core purpose of SITE is to foster exchange of knowledge among individuals and business entities in the use of motivation, incentives and travel rewards. The society has 2,000 members in 80 countries, of whom almost 600 reside in Europe, including 15 in Malta.

Malta hosted the first European SITE Networking and Educational Programme (ESNEP) last March, a meeting that was attended by more than 100 incentive professionals. The ESNEP, which was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Michael Refalo, was extensively supported by the Malta Tourism Authority.

SITE International board director Lex Granaada from The Netherlands, who was also the co-initiator of the ESNEP event, was recently in Malta to discuss the setting up of the Malta chapter of SITE.

Mr Granaada presented a memento to MTA chairman John Grech in recognition of the MTA`s support for the ESNEP event and for incentive travel to Malta.