An announcement by ABTA – The Travel Association of the UK, confirming that Malta was the chosen venue for its 2010 travel convention in October has been welcomed by Tourism Parliamentary Secretary Mario de Marco.

This leading convention of the travel trade in the UK will welcome around 800 UK high-profile travel operators as well as around 50 journalists. It is the first time that it is being held outside the UK or Spain for the last 20 years.

Dr de Marco said the Malta Tourism Authority and Air Malta had been working hard to ensure that Malta won the bid to host the convention, which was all the more significant given that the UK accounted for 35 per cent of all incoming tourists.

ABTA earlier this year declared Malta as one of the top 15 travel hotspots for 2010 due to the increased accessibility as well as the regeneration plans for Valletta.

The Parliamentary Secretary also welcomed the statement by ABTA’s chief executive Mark Tanzer that “Malta is a vibrant and developing destination for UK travellers” and that the convention will give its members “a great opportunity to acquaint, or re-acquaint themselves with all that it has to offer”.