Libya’s Tourism Minister has chosen Malta for her first official visit to learn from a country where this sector is thriving.

Ikram Bash Imam yesterday held a plenary meeting with her Maltese counterpart at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.

Accompanied by their delegations, they discussed revising the tourism cooperation agreement signed in 1995, educational programmes in the sector and a visit to Libya for tourism operators and businesses.

Tourism Minister Karmenu Vella said the mutual aim was to build on the countries’ good relationship, which he said was strengthened by a bond built between the “people of Libya and the people of Malta”. This cooperation could be translated into economic results, Mr Vella added, as tourism had a 22 to 23 per cent direct contribution to Malta’s GDP.

Bond built between people of both countries

Mr Vella noted Malta regarded its Mediterranean neighbours as potential collaborators, and not competitors, and wanted its cooperation with Libya to be transmitted to the private sector as well.

Ms Bash Imam said the new Libyan government wanted to develop its tourism sector and considered Malta to be one of the successful examples.

This, she said, was her first official visit to a minister to discuss tourism.

She hoped the meeting would help her delegation learn from how Malta had organised its tourism sector.

The Libyan Minister is in Malta until the end of the week and will today meet the Institute of Tourism Studies chairman and board of directors.

Her visit to Malta follows Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s visit to Libya in June.