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Frankfurt/Main, May 31st 2012 – This year IMEX visitors could once again sample the Maltese Islands’ varied conference and incentive travel offer. Together with 23 Maltese co-exhibitors, the Malta Tourism Authority successfully presented the MICE destination Malta within the framework of IMEX in Frankfurt, Germany, from 22nd to 24th May.

IMEX is an annual award-winning trade show for the worldwide meetings, incentive travel and events industry and celebrated its 10th anniversary this year. Around 4,000 high quality hosted buyers attended this year’s edition from an overall total of nearly 9,000 visitors from around the world.

Malta’s Ambassador to Germany, H.E. Karl Xuereb, as well as the Malta Tourism Authority’s CEO Josef Formosa Gauci also attended the Malta IMEX stand.

Renowned Maltese chef Claude Camilleri attracted numerous visitors to the Malta stand by preparing typical Maltese delicacies during daily show-cooking sessions. Furthermore, the Malta Tourism Authority held a Maltese drinks reception at the Malta stand on the occasion of IMEX’ 10th anniversary and Malta’s 10 years presence as an IMEX exhibitor. Moreover, the Malta Tourism Authority again sponsored the public IMEX Café which was branded “the Maltese way” with photos of Malta’s stunning event locations and thus drew particular attention to Malta as a conference and incentive destination.

The relationship Sheffield United and the Malta Tourism Authority embarked upon in 2008, has continued to evolve and reach beyond the sponsorship it first started out as.  In fact for the past years the team has returned to Malta for its annual summer training camp.  This year will see the team on our shores between the 20th and 27th of July and the ‘Blades’ Manager Danny Wilson says the management team and squad are all looking forward to putting the players through their paces when the team tours Malta.

United will make their annual trip to the Mediterranean Island on Friday 20 July and will play friendly fixtures against BOV Premier League opposition, to be confirmed during the week-long stay at the Fortina Spa Resort.  Other than that the team will also take part in a community program on the islands, as has been done on every United visit.

The Blades boss believes the training camp is vital preparation for United and although the training becomes very challenging in a hotter climate than the players are used to in rainy Sheffield, Wilson sees the bigger picture of the Club’s relationship with the Island:

“It is tougher for the players because of relatively high temperatures throughout the day. I have never done a pre-season in such a different climate to Sheffield, but the players responded brilliantly last year and it is part of the Club, given the excellent relation with the island of Malta.

“It is a trip we all look forward to, even though the training tends to require more energy, in the end the benefits of the sunshine are felt all round and we’re also looking forward to meeting up with the many Sheffield United fans who are also making the trip. Everyone who joined us last year enjoyed the experience and there is no reason why it cannot be the same this time.”

United will play fixtures on the evenings of Monday 23 July and Wednesday 25 July, whilst there will be social events with travelling and Maltese based United supporters on the evenings of Tuesday 24th and Thursday 26th July.

Following reports on the growth in arrivals for May and June 2012, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) once again stressed that hotels should not reduce their rates because summer could promises to have the potential of another record number of arrivals.

“MHRA is working closely with the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA), Air Malta, and the Malta International Airport (MIA) and other stake holders so that accessibility for the November 2012 to April 2013 period returns to at least levels achieved in period November 2010 to April 2011 which was one of the best winter period for tourism to Malta,” the MHRA said.

MHRA said it was also working with MTA to enable MHRA members to be more proactive in marketing jointly Malta for niche tourism markets.

“MHRA notes with satisfaction the focus of the various stakeholders including the Ministry of Tourism, MTA, MIA and Air Malta to ensure that tourism grows in spite of the economic turmoil that is being experienced in a good number of our source markets. It is therefore clear that when all the stakeholders combine their efforts together the results are very positive,” MHRA President Tony Zahra said.

Nature Trust raised €205 through its ‘Kayak against Vandalism’ event in Gozo last month.

The event was organised to raise awareness of repeated acts of vandalism in protected natural areas. Participants paid €30 each for a three-hour kayak trip, with a percentage of the money going towards supporting Nature Trust’s conservation projects.

Another kayaking trip – this time for donations for the Wildllife rehab hospital – will take place in the Dwerja Marine Protected Area in Gozo on August 17 from 5.30 till 8.30 p.m.