19 win STAR awards
Nineteen people were awarded for excellence in service or products in the annual STAR Awards organised by the Malta Tourism Authority. The Special Thanks and Recognition (STAR) scheme is an initiative through which the MTA gives public recognition to...
Nineteen people were awarded for excellence in service or products in the annual STAR Awards organised by the Malta Tourism Authority.The Special Thanks and Recognition (STAR) scheme is an initiative through which the MTA gives public recognition to those who work in the tourism industry.
The service award is totally consumer-driven and this year 14 people were awarded, the result of almost 6,000 nominations from tourists for over 700 different individuals.
The 14 STAR performers each received a certificate, an 18ct gold lapel-pin and an €800 cash prize, whereas the remaining three finalists in each category received a certificate and a cash prize of €150.
The STAR winners in the service categories:
• Boatmen - Stuart Burke, Captain Morgan;
• Bus drivers - Paul Farrugia;
• Coach and minibus drivers - Michael Butti?ie?, Zarb Coaches;
• General - Alfred Galea, Society of St Mary, Mqabba;
• Heritage sites, museums and places of interest - Ronnie Said, Classic Car Museum;
• Horse-drawn cab drivers - David Debattista;
• Hotels (food and beverage) - Rita Buttigieg, Cavalieri;
• Hotels (front office and housekeeping) - John Bamber, 115 The Strand;
• Restaurants - Antonio Pané, Sottovoce;
• Shop assistants/owners - Sylvia Grech, M?arr Tourist Services;
• Sports instructors - Martin Hall, Paradise Bay Diving Centre;
• Taxis and chauffeur-driven vehicles - Michael Camilleri, Belmont Garage;
• Tourist guides - Patricia Flores Martin;
• Travel representatives - Fredric Pourrut, Voyage FRAM;
Six of these people were also past STAR winners: Mr Farrugia; Ms Buttigieg; Mr Pané; Ms Grech; Mr Hall; and Mr Camilleri.
As an incentive for tourists to participate, there is a prize consisting of a complimentary flight (courtesy of Air Malta) and accommodation for two persons. The lucky tourist for 2007 is a 14-year-old boy from the UK who will be coming over with his parents in June.
The STAR scheme also awards good quality tourism products. Five awards were given, selected by an adjudicating panel made up of people from various related entities. The prize for these categories was a certificate, a wooden plaque and €800. The runners-up received a certificate and a cash prize of €150.
The STAR winners in the product categories are:
• Best festa stall - I?-?ebbu?i Hawn (Robert Caruana)
• Best fixed kiosk - Tony's Ice-Cream, Bu?ibba (Anthony Catania)
• Best tourist shop - Limestone Heritage, Si??iewi (Manuel Baldacchino)
• Most attractive public garden - Garden of Serenity, Sta Lu?ija (managed by a local council)
• Most attractive square - Misra? il-Knisja, Safi
From these categories covering the best product, there was also a repeat winner, Mr Caruana.
The STAR Scheme 2008 has already begun. Tourists may nominate anyone working in tourism or related industries. Nomination forms are available at various points including hotels, restaurants, the airport, taxis, coaches and many others. STAR performers of 2007 will not be eligible for the 2008 awards.
For further information, contact the MTA quality assurance unit on 2291 5272 or starscheme@visitmalta.com.
Being a cab driver is in David Debattista's family. He inherited the job from his grandfather and father, as well as from his mother's side of the family, which has an even longer history in the trade.This may explain why he got 211 nominations from tourists.
"It is a shame that all cab drivers get a bad name because of a few bad apples. I have driven a karrozzin for 22 years, since I was 18, and I have never had a single complaint. I am really proud of my island and I really love to take people around," he said.
He lives in Pembroke, so finds St Julians and St George's Bay to be the best place for him to pick up business, noting with a chuckle that he was within reach of home if it started to rain. This means that he serves everyone from five-star tourists to English-language students.
"I speak fairly good English and can get by in Italian. I can speak a few words of French and German too. I wish I knew more," he lamented. Mr Debattista would love to see hotels affiliate themselves with cab drivers the way they did with taxi drivers. He believes that this would raise their credibility - as well as giving them a base.
"I have been fined a number of times by the police because I was waiting by a hotel. But if there is no cab stand, where are we supposed to stay? I have tried so often to persuade hotels to let us be their official karrozzin, reassuring them that I would keep the place clean... I think I have just about given up," he said.
Mr Debattista poses with pride in front of his cab. He estimates that it costs around €14,000.
"After all, making a cab is an old, traditional skill. It is like a piece of antique furniture. I try to keep it up to scratch myself because you can save money that way. But I let experts do the rest," he laughed again.
The father of two daughters, aged 11 and 13, he knew what he would be spending his prize money on.
"I can spruce up the cab, get some things for the house for my wife and I want to buy gifts for my girls to reward them because they did well in their school exams."
Rita Buttigieg did not plan to be a bartender. Although she worked with tourists for decades, helping people who had holiday homes in Bu?ibba, she never worked as a bartender. But when she joined the newly reopened Cavalieri Hotel as a part-timer in 2005, she was willing to try anything."I never studied for this job but if I see someone doing a task, it fascinates me and I want to try it out," she said.
"I don't mind helping out wherever they need me, whether it is waiting tables or in the kitchen."
The mother of two and grandmother of one spent two years at the main bar and is now at the pool bar. She believes it is important to be open and friendly with people.
"I may have only been speaking to you for a few minutes but I feel as though I have known you for a long time. That is important because it makes people comfortable with you. Of course, I also smile a lot! We have a lot of repeat guests and they always seek me out. I always make a special effort to make time for them, especially the elderly ones. You know, if you treat people with respect, they treat you with respect in return," she said.