The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has long recognised the importance of investing in Malta’s tourism product to continue to remain competitive while addressing new challenges in an everchanging tourism market.

With this in mind, the authority has for the past eight years managed the Quality Assured (QA) seal, a voluntary scheme that promotes and recognises quality. The first companies to be certified were destination management companies (DMCs) and later on, the scheme was also extended to visitor attractions.

In 2014 the MTA embarked on a new QA seal for restaurants. Today, the larger percentage of QA entities are restaurants. The list of over 100 restaurants covers a range of categories, from fine dining to family-oriented outlets.

To achieve this seal, DMCs, attractions and restaurants need to abide by stringent criteria designed with the customer in mind. Participating establishments undergo an extensive assessment, varying from an audit to a mystery guest visit. The latter is used for restaurants and covers various aspects, such as service, hospitality, food and general ambience, which are assessed against a detailed set of criteria. A detailed report is then drawn up and presented to a monitoring committee and a final decision is taken. The participating DMC, restaurant or attraction then offers its feedback.

For more information, visit http://www.qualityassuredmalta.com/ or pick up a copy of the latest edition of the QA guide from any one of the MTA’s tourist information offices.