Conference fund leaving its mark on tourism – de Marco

A yearly €250,000 fund aimed at encouraging government entities to attract conferences to Malta has pumped over €11 million into the local economy since 2009, Tourism Minister Mario de Marco said yesterday.

The fund has drawn more than 15,000 delegates spread across 75 different conferences to Malta over the past four years, with 25 of those conferences set to be held this year alone.

Dr de Marco was speaking following a tour of Xara Lodge, a new conference and reception centre built on the outskirts of Rabat. The venue can host over 400 seated delegates, with multiple halls and outdoor areas and an 80-car underground car park.

Finance minister Tonio Fenech, who was also given a tour of the venue, spoke briefly about the growing importance of conference tourism to Malta.

The €250,000-a-year conference fund had arisen out of the need to continue attracting conference tourism to Malta at the height of the financial crisis in 2009, Mr Fenech explained.

“At the time, many companies were reluctant to organise conferences abroad. But we realised that international organisations and NGOs would continue to do so, and the fund is aimed at attracting these organisations to Malta.”

The fund can be tapped by government entities, parastatal companies and NGOs seeking to attract foreign counterparts to Maltese shores.

Conference tourism, Dr de Marco argued, was especially important as conferences tended to be held in off-peak months, with delegates typically spending longer in Malta than the average tourist.