Emirates encourages quality travel coverage

Emirates, the Dubai-based international airline, has announced it is to sponsor the new Travel Journalism category in this year's Malta Journalism Awards, organised by the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM).

Emirates' Malta district manager Paul Fleri Soler, speaking on this initiative which follows a substantial increase in travel coverage by the Maltese media and brings to eight the number of categories in this 14th edition of Malta's national journalistic competition.

The awards finalists will be announced later this month and the winners will be presented in November.

What has encouraged Emirates to sponsor the Malta Journalism Awards?

Emirates wants to help recognise publicly the valuable service that Maltese journalists provide to the public whenever they share their travel impressions with their readers, listeners or viewers, and we'd like to encourage the highest possible travel reporting standard among them.

Travel is among the most significant expenses made by consumers, and they need travel tips that help them to make informed decisions. Emirates is all about good service. It's in our own best interest to help promote a higher awareness of good value in travel and to motivate people to "keep discovering."

What does Emirates consider to be the major benefit/s and/or contribution of The Institute of Maltese Journalists to journalists in particular and to Maltese society?

With these awards the Institute of Maltese Journalists is giving reporters and editors an opportunity to be recognised for their fact-gathering and writing skills, as well as for the service they offer to the public.

Most journalists make an effort to provide information relevant to the daily lives of their readers and many really go out of their way to ensure that the information is accurate, balanced and fair.

They contribute to a better informed citizenry, and the awards organised by the Institute are a way of thanking those who do an exceptionally good job.

Emirates in Malta has been giving the opportunity to Maltese journalists to travel to destinations in the Middle East, India, Australia, Southeast Asia and the Far East. Their articles have helped to fuel interest among their readers in getting to experience foreign lands first hand. Today destinations such as Dubai, the Maldives and Thailand are established holiday and business destinations for many Maltese.

What is the prize for the Travel Journalism Award winner?

The Travel Journalism Award Trophy, which will be presented to the winning journalist in November, comes with two Emirates Business Class return tickets to Dubai, hotel accommodation for three nights and Lm150 in prize money.

Is the Travel Journalism Award a one-time agreement?

No. Emirates has committed to a three-year sponsorship of the Travel awards. This means that it will support the trophy at least until the 2006 edition of the awards.

Has Emirates any say in the judging panel for the winner of this award?

Not at all. Emirates is not represented in the jury and trusts that its members will make the right choice of winner. The panel members are very capable individuals and it's imperative that the jury be completely independent for the awards to be credible and respected.

How do you expect to get value out of this sponsorship, particularly if the winning report does not feature Emirates or its destinations?

The purpose of the Emirates support is not to reward a good story about Emirates or about one of its destinations. The sponsorship is not a sales promotion.

The purpose is to raise the profile and standards of travel journalism and to tell travel writers in general and the winner in particular: "Thank you for a job well done for your readers. Your work is important."

Emirates has been starting a new destination every three months on average since its establishment 19 years ago, and is fast becoming a global airline (77 quarters of existence, 77 destinations today).

The more people fly, the more travel experience they acquire, the more they prefer to fly Emirates. It's a long-term investment for us.

More information about the Malta Journalism Awards may be obtained from the Institute of Maltese Journalists by sending a letter to PO Box 21, Marsa GPO 01, by calling 2131-6958, or from the Website www.maltapressclub.org.mt.