Germany's foremost tour operator FTI (Frosch Touristik International) is organising a 'Mega Fam Trip', or familiarisation visit to Malta for 1,000 German travel agents from all over the country.
The initiative is being taken in association with the Malta Tourism Authority and Air Malta with strong support being offered by Malta's hotels and various tourism service providers including Malta international Airport.
Registration for the trip among German travel agents was opened on March 30 and within 48 hours most of the places were taken up.
The MTA's director, international marketing, Joseph Galea, said that the German travel agents' response to this initiative had been nothing short of overwhelming and had surpassed expectations by leaps and bounds.
"This sort of feedback also indicates that the Maltese islands are being considered as a very desirable destination by German travel agents, something that FTI was very quick to pick up on".
The 'Mega Fam Trip' initiative is intended to give the German travel agents an insight on what Malta and Gozo may offer. The key emphasis of the trip is to promote Malta's Mediterranean lifestyle, including gastronomy, entertainment and relaxation.
Malta and Gozo's historical and cultural attractions will also be promoted extensively. Through their first hand experience of Malta, travel agents will be in a better-informed position to recommend our islands to their clients.
Brian Bartolo, Air Malta's General Manager Marketing and Product, commented that: "The Mega Fam Trip is the ideal opportunity to display at first hand the Malta product to travel agents' front liners. This will enable them to share the Malta Break Escape experience with their clients who are seeking a Truly Mediterranean holiday. Air Malta is the Number 1 Carrier from Germany to Malta operating Frankfurt, Munich, Berlin, Leipzig, Dusseldorf, Hamburg and our newest addition Stuttgart, and has embarked on aggressive sales and marketing initiatives to stimulate more traffic to Malta."
The travel agents' groups will be led by Dietmar Gunz, CEO of FTI. He said that: "All efforts that are being made by both MTA and Air Malta should ultimately result into passenger numbers. Malta is a short flight away from all German airports, a safe destination and offers a collection of lifestyle quality experiences. With a little creativity, the product can be modified to suit the current market's need. It is a great opportunity for us to show a new generation of travel sales agents what Product Malta really is - we have been and will remain leaders in promoting this destination, one that I personally feel so close to!"
This initiative is part of a massive promotion that the Malta Tourism Authority is undertaking in Germany this year. FTI is Malta's largest tour operator in Germany and the company is determined to consolidate it's position while significantly improving their passenger numbers to Malta, even in a year that sees the tourism industry struggling worldwide.
The Mega Fam Trip starts on April 22 and will go on for four weeks.