Quality and value for money as marketing tools

A quarter of the tourists who visit Malta do so on the positive recommendation of friends or relatives, according to research carried out by the Malta Tourism Authority.

This emerged during a seminar organised by the MTA focusing on continuous professional development, organised by its human resource and support services directorate.

Targeted at people working in the tourism industry, the seminar formed part of the MTA's efforts to encourage tourism managers and employees to foster a mentality of continuous training.

MTA chairman Romwald Lungaro-Mifsud said that the key to the success of the Maltese tourism industry is to offer quality by ensuring value for money. Quality must be the driving force behind the efforts of the MTA, the private sector and the country as a whole, he said.

Mr Lungaro-Mifsud said the tourism industry is a demanding one and one in which high standards are the rule of the day.

"The MTA wants to lead the industry by example. We have embarked on a drive to restructure the way the authority functions and to render it more efficient, more effective and more accountable," he said.

He noted that a culture of continuous change and improvement through the development of people will ensure that the industry can meet tourists' expectations.

This will contribute significantly towards generating high visitor satisfaction ratings and repeat visits.

Information on other training programmes may be obtained from Katya Vella Bamber on 2291 5401/6 or via e-mail training& development@visitmalta.com