The chief executive of the Malta Tourism Authority, Josef Formosa Gauci, yesterday expressed his intention to move on after six years in the post.

Mr Formosa Gauci, who is also a former president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, said Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis had offered him the possibility of taking up another role, that he was “willing to consider”.

He did not elaborate.

“I confirm that I communicated to the minister my desire to move on after occupying the post for six years. I assured the minister of my commitment to a smooth transition period,” he said when contacted yesterday.

He said Dr Zammit Lewis asked if he would consider keeping some role “and I confirmed my willingness to explore the possibility”.

Choosing to leave his position in the middle of summer “in no way affects the season”, he said, because the groundwork for a successful season took place in the previous months.

The announcement comes two days after this newspaper broke the news that a new MTA board, with Gavin Gulia as chairman, had been appointed to replace the one whose term expired in May.

Mr Formosa Gauci did not reply to a specific question on whether his decision to quit came about due to friction between himself and Dr Gulia.

Dr Zammit Lewis confirmed it was Mr Formosa Gauci who took the decision to move on and that he had offered him the retention of a post. He refused to specify whether the government was considering a joint CEO/chairman for the authority, as has taken place with the Lotteries and Gaming Authority.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said Mr Formosa Gauci had been instrumental in the achievement of excellent results by the tourism industry in recent years.