Website on Valletta planned

The Valletta Alive Foundation has commissioned a local communications company to prepare a DVD/video on Valletta and cruise ship operators have shown a willingness to screen it prior to their vessels entering Grand Harbour.

The production is aimed at making cruise passengers better aware of what the capital has to offer and encourage more people to visit.

The project is just one of several embarked upon by the foundation, which has just marked its first year. The foundation was created by the GRTU, the Malta Chamber of Commerce and Enterprise, the MTA, the Merchants' Street and the Republic Street business communities, the Valletta Rehabilitation Committee and Valletta council. Its purpose is to lobby the government and the private sector to improve the capital city, raise awareness and a sense of pride, and encourage further tourism promotion of Valletta.

The foundation in its first year report, prepared by John Ebejer and Claude Zammit Trevisan, secretary and deputy secretary respectively, said it had seen a busy 12 months during which it set up an organisational structure, achieved its first sponsorships, held meetings with various sectors and sought to place a focus on Valletta in the media.

The foundation gave largely positive feedback on the proposed Valletta parking scheme and launched the magazine Valletta, a City for All, distributed in The Times on December 3. The second issue is due in March.

The foundation also produced a flyer, entitled "Six reasons to be proud of Valletta", which is being distributed to all households and businesses. The flyer was sponsored by The Times and is being distributed by Valletta council. It underlines why one should be proud of Valletta for its role as a capital city, its history, architecture, culture, activities and the Grand Harbour.

The VAF participated in an EU-funded project on citizens' urban mobility.

It is also planning to start holding regular two-hour walking tours of the city, twice a week, aimed at individual tourists and interested Maltese.

Preparations are also under way for the setting up of a Website on Valletta.