MTAs Achievements

1
MTAs Achievements

• Leslie Vella
• Chief Executive
• Annual Conference 2002

2
Aim

• This years conference will be used to report
  back on MTAs performance in the past 3 years.
• Review of MTAs operations
• MTAs responsibilities and achievements
• MTAs resources
• MTAs results

3
MTAs role

• MTAs role is to translate Government tourism
  policy into an integrated approach which is
  implementable.
• Place tourism high on the national agenda
• Strengthen flows during winter and shoulder
  months
• Achieve market diversification to improve returns
• Improve socio-economic profile
• Achieve a fair distribution of earnings and
  create jobs
• Encourage development of new or improved
  recreational or cultural facilities, with less
  emphasis on accommodation and on increase of bed
  stock

4
MTAs role

• MTAs role is to translate Government tourism
  policy into an integrated approach which is
  implementable.
• Encourage refurbishment of existing accommodation
  establishments to improve standards
• Create a tourist-friendly environment in tourist
  areas major works on roads and public places
  cease in summer
• Improve service and physical standards in all
  sectors of the industry and regulate the industry
  accordingly
• Ensure maximum exposure to the Malta brand image
  on the international market
• Ensure close synergies between Maltas tourism
  and cultural offer to ensure they are promoted in
  tandem

5
MTAs role

• For MTA to implement these policies and ensure
  proper direction, a co-ordinatory role is
  important
• between Ministry and MTA,
• within MTA,
• MTA and the trade
• MTA and other authorities.
• Board Committees Chairman Chief
  Executive

Ministry of Tourism
Chief Executives Office
6
MTAs role

• For MTA to undertake the specific
  responsibilities and develop appropriate actions
  in line with the overall direction set by the MTA
  Board, Chairman and Chief Executive, a series of
  Directorates are in place
• Marketing Promotion Directorate
• Product Planning Development Directorate
• Human Resource Support Services Directorate
• Enforcement Directorate
• Each of these Directorates has a Board composed
  of representatives of the private sector. The
  role of each of these Boards is to direct the
  specific operations of that Directorate within
  the overall direction set by the MTA Board

7
MTAs role

• Other functions grouped under Chief Executives
  Office include
• Corporate Administration Human Resources
• Corporate Communications Business Development
• Digital Media IT
• Finance
• International Division
• Strategic Planning Research

8
MTAs role
Responsibility
Actions delivered

• Overall responsibility for managing Maltas
  tourism activities
• Inputs to governments tourism policy and
  national plans
• International arena and national scene

• Strategic Plan to identify direction, mode of
  operation, objectives, monitoring through
  research
• Research programmes to obtain information about
  markets, tourism product, human resources,
  tourisms impacts
• Carrying Capacity Assessment
• National Development Plan
• Single Programming Document for EUs Structural
  Funds
• Participation in WTO, ETC, PAP
• Representation on national boards (e.g. Heritage
  Malta, NCSD)
• MTA co-ordinated committees (e.g. Transport
  Issues, Paceville)

9
MTAs role
Responsibility
Actions delivered

• Corporate Governance exercise to establish the
  different roles of Boards and the relationship
  between Boards Management
• Recruitment of specific skills, training
  programmes for MTAs human resources, improved
  working conditions
• Finance Committee, Audit Committee, Internal
  Auditor, monthly management accounts

• Manage the public private partnership inherent
  in MTAs setup
• Be in a position to professionally manage Maltas
  tourism activities
• Management of and accountability for MTAs
  resources

10
MTAs role
Actions delivered
Responsibility

• Marketing programmes aimed at increasing
  awareness about Malta as a tourism destination
  through advertising on different media, website,
  public relations, fairs, working with tour
  operators
• Product related actions
• Human resource development programmes for the
  industry
• Links with support services
• Advisory service through enforcement
• Monitoring of tourism service providers to ensure
  facilities are in accordance with legislation and
  regulations

• Marketing and promotion of Malta overseas as a
  tourism destination
• Improvement of Maltas offer through tourism
  product enhancement and human resources
  development
• Ensuring and advising the trade to deliver in a
  law abiding manner

11
Marketing Promotion

• MTAs approach for marketing and promotion
• Consolidate Maltas major source markets
• Develop Maltas emerging source markets
• Increase awareness about Malta as a tourism
  destination
• Limitations in terms of huge costs of advertising
  and Maltas proportionately minute resources
  within the international resources allocated by
  other destinations to promoting their countries
  need trades support and partners

12
Marketing Promotion

• MTAs approach for marketing and promotion
• Building Maltas image as a tourism destination
• Additional reasons for visiting from sun sea
  to culture, business, education, special
  interest, ecotourism, walking, diving,
  conferences incentives
• Safeguard accessibility work with KM other
  operators
• Increased emphasis on reaching the consumer
  directly removal of TOSS and additional funding
  for advertising and tour operator support
• Website development direct bookings
• 11th September actions to combat the short- to
  medium-term effects

13
Product Planning Development

• MTAs approach for product planning
  development
• General aim is to enhance the tourism product
• Link with marketing
• Implementation of CCA limited growth scenario
  through product planning development permission,
  support improvements and interpretation of
  historical sites together with responsible
  authorities, areas visited by tourists
• Responsibility for direct tourism product
• Development of standards to improve physical
  tourism plant
• Licensing based on standards

14
Product Planning Development

• MTAs approach for product planning
  development
• Indirect responsibility for aspects which have
  wider implications than just tourism through
  building links with and supporting players with
  some influence on tourism product e.g. local
  councils, authorities and ministries
• Local events/tourist activities are organised to
  add value to the tourists stay in Malta
  throughout the year
• Limitations in terms of jurisdiction over aspects
  of the overall tourism product

15
Human Resource Support Services

• MTAs approach for human resource support
  services
• General aim is to improve the tourism experience
  in Malta through raising the manner and level of
  service provided
• Why? As a result of the added value provided to
  the tourist, there will be increased
  possibilities of repeat business and more
  positive recommendations.
• Information provision and the customer are
  the aims of tourist information offices, customer
  service unit, tourist guides
• Customer orientation is the focus of the training
  and development programmes of MTA intended for
  the trade, employees in the industry and support
  services and future employees

16
Human Resource Support Services

• MTAs approach for human resource support
  services
• Education programmes introducing the tourism
  industry as a possible career for youths and
  children
• Why support services sensitise providers of
  support services towards the tourism sector by
  building links and delivering together
• Limitations in terms of direct jurisdiction over
  industrys human resources and service levels
• Given new area emphasis on research to know
  issues and their extent

17
Enforcement

• MTAs approach for enforcement
• General aim is to enhance the tourism experience
  in Malta through ensuring tourism service
  providers provide what is expected as stipulated
  by Maltese legislation and regulations
• Combined approach of Educating and advising
  about good practices and Penalising offenders
  
• Links with other regulation authorities (e.g.
  Consumer Affairs, Police, Health and Safety
  Authorities) for dealing with tourists
  complaints
• Limitations in terms of volume of facilities and
  establishments, legislation details

18
MTAs responsibilities

• How do we deliver all these responsibilities?
• Resources
• financial resources
• internal human resources
• links with the trade, national authorities,
  international experiences
• Strategic planning process
• Direction and priorities identified and outlined
• Co-ordination of MTAs programmes

19
Financial resources

• Government has committed a subvention of Lm8.5
  million per annum to MTA for the period
  2001-2004.
• Following 11/9 events Government allocated an
  extraordinary Lm1 million to MTA during 2002.
• Private sector contributions amount to 7 of
  MTAs total budget for 2002
• MTA Budget Govt 93 Private 7
• Tourism earnings Govt 9 Private 91

20
Financial resources

• In 2002, MTA took over responsibilities from the
  HCEB and the Police to manage and collect license
  fees.
• Revenue generated from such activities, estimated
  at Lm 0.85 million per annum, will be refunded to
  MOF Consolidated Fund.
• MTA proposes the retention of this revenue as of
  2005.

21
Internal human resources

• Throughout the past three years MTA has invested
  heavily in its human resources with the result
  that MTA has now
• almost reached a full complement of staff
• a team of young and qualified personnel
• a wide skill base
• a continuous system of training development
• a positive employer profile in the labour market

22
Interlinkages

• MTA has taken a leading role in establishing
  ongoing working relationships in the following
  areas
• MTA provides a platform for the tourism trade to
  create synergies
• Driver for creating synergies with other
  authorities and organisations
• Further acknowledgement and recognition of MTAs
  work even internationally not only through active
  participation but also given a leading role

23
Conclusion

• This has been a brief overview of the MTAs
  achievements over the past three years.
• The next presentation will focus on the role of
  the MTAs strategic plan in ensuring that the
  different functions of the organisation point to
  the same direction.
• It will also show how through strategic planning
  the MTA is devising ways of assessing its
  performance.