A business partner of Michelle Muscat – the Prime Minister’s wife – has been appointed by the Malta Tourism Authority as its representative in New York.
A memo issued to all MTA employees announced the appointment of Michelle Buttigieg, owner and designer of a jewellery collection marketed as ‘Buttardi’, as the MTA’s representative in the US, according to sources close to the Tourism Ministry.
The sources said no internal or external call for applications for this post was issued by the MTA, as is normal practice, and Ms Buttigieg was selected directly for the job by Tourism Ministry officials.
Prior to Ms Buttigieg’s appointment, the MTA has not have a representative office in the US since it was closed 10 years ago after it was deemed financially unfeasible.
The US is considered as a relatively small market for Maltese tourism, amounting to under three per cent of all the tourists that arrive in Malta.
According to the website marketing the jewellery collection, Ms Muscat has been conducting business with Ms Buttigieg since 2003 when she took over the sales and marketing of the jewellery collection for Europe.
The website still lists the Prime Minister’s wife as responsible for Buttardi jewellery in Europe and gives contact details, including the Muscats’ home address.
The website states that “during summer of 2003, Buttardi was launched in Europe and Michelle Muscat Tanti took over the European sales and promotion management of Buttardi.”
“Michelle Tanti (the Prime Minister’s wife’s maiden surname) works in public relations and is an ultimate jewellery lover herself,” the site states.
“Through private viewing and social events, she has created an exclusive way of buying these original handmade pieces with a Mediterranean touch.”
A ministry spokesman said Ms Buttigieg, “an individual with experience of the market” was identified following a number of interviews. She is paid €60,000 per year. The ministry said this was in line with government employees abroad.
The MTA will not be opening an office in New York but will be making use of an existing agreement with the Foreign Affairs Ministry to use a desk within Malta’s embassy in New York.
During the past few years the MTA has concentrated its efforts on markets close to home.
“Now that these markets have developed, the next step in line with the tourism policy and in line with this year’s budget, MTA is to ensure these markets remain strong but also to look at new potential markets further afield,” the spokesman said.
He said the MTA believed the American market offered potential for conference and higher-end leisure tourists.