USTOA Board Members Shine Spotlight on Malta

The United States Tour Operator Association (USTOA) traveled to Malta and Turkey for its 2022 Out of Country Board Meeting.

Originally planned for 2020, Malta had been working for seven years to bring top tour operators to the country and as the pandemic began to wane, the opportunity became a reality.

USTOA president and CEO Terry Dale was enthralled by Malta and called the meeting a success.

“It was gratifying to experience these diverse and fascinating destinations and to learn more about their commitment to sustainability in conjunction with USTOA’s plan to set a more sustainable future for the travel industry,” said Dale.

Michelle Buttigieg, Malta Tourism Authority Representative North America, who worked to bring the meeting to Malta noted that it was really important for the destination.

"This is the right audience," said Buttigieg. "Now I have a bunch of ambassadors who are going to talk about Malta and I can assist them in creating tours and packages."

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For many tour operators, it was their first time in Malta and they raved about the experience.

Scott Wiseman, chairman of USTOA and Senior Vice President & General Manager at Apple Leisure Group, thoroughly enjoyed his time in Malta.

"I can't tell you how amazing and spectacular this country is not only from a historical point of view but from a cultural point, our warm welcome has been overwhelming," said Wiseman during his visit. "So I encourage you, if you haven't been or haven't planned yet to visit Malta, you need to get here immediately and find out what a jewel this destination is in so many different ways.

The USTOA board members were hosted at the Corinthia Palace Hotel in Balzan, which is readying to celebrate its 60th anniversary.

“Malta, in the middle of the beautiful Mediterranean Sea, with its 7,000 years of history and the warm hospitality of the Maltese, offers a unique experience to the discerning American traveler,” said Corinthia Palace General Manager Alexandra Pisani. “As we look forward to the 60th anniversary and relaunch of Corinthia Palace, it has been an honor for us to host the members of USTOA.”

While in Malta, attendees visited the Hagar Qim Temple in Qrendi, took a tour of Valletta, Malta’s capital city, boarded a ferry to Gozo Island, took speedboats to St. Paul's Bay and more.

"We touched base on everything Malta has to offer with our itinerary," said Buttigieg, noting that attendees experienced amazing dining, tours of temples, historical experiences and more.

There was also a tree-planting ceremony at the Tan-Nixxiegha Olive Grove in Bingemma, which honored the 50th anniversary of USTOA.

“Malta was honored to be able to host, for the first time, the USTOA Out of Country Board Meeting in partnership with Turkish Airlines and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism for Turkey,” said Buttigieg. “We understand that for many of the tour operators it was their first time to experience Malta, its rich history, diversity, gastronomy and most importantly, the warmth of the Maltese people. We hope that they have come away with a new understanding of why Malta as a destination has been trending in the U.S. and Canada and will be inspired to include programs for Malta in their offerings.”

In addition to Malta, the group also visited Istanbul, Turkey, where they stopped at the Hippodrome, Topkapi Palace, Hagia Sofia, the Grand Bazaar and more as well as took a private Bosphorus Cruise Tour and toured the new Galataport.

“This was the first time that the recently established Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency (TGA), a new member of USTOA, hosted the esteemed tour operators and board members of USTOA in Istanbul, and we were so happy to see how much everyone enjoyed their time," said General Manager of Türkiye Tourism Promotion and Development Agency Yalcin Lokmanhekim. "We were proud to have hosted the out-of-the-country event in our historic city, which has always been an important meeting point for civilizations throughout history. We hope that the memories from this trip will last a lifetime and this visit will inspire the group to come back soon.”