1. Public Authority
- Malta Tourism Authority (MTA)
Entities Covered:
2. Description of the Entity's Structure
3. Description of the Entity's Functions and Responsibilities
The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) has a diverse role, but one which in essence is all about creating and fostering relationships. The MTA is the tourism industry's regulator and motivator, its business partner, the country's brand promoter, and is here to form, maintain and manage meaningful partnerships with all tourism stakeholders.
Primarily, this means talking to visitors to the Islands, but also to work closely alongside the private sector partners. Importantly, the MTA is also here to help strengthen the industry's human resources, ensure the highest standards and quality of the Islands' tourism product, and foster relations with local and international media.
The Authority was formally set up by the Malta Travel and Tourism Service Act (1999). This clearly defines its role - extending it beyond that of international marketing to include a domestic, motivating, directional, co-ordinating and regulatory role.
The Act strengthens the public and private partnership in tourism through greater and more direct participation by the private sector in national planning and development of the industry.
The Role of the MTA is:
- To promote and advance Malta as a tourism destination
- To advise Government on tourism operations and to issue licences under the Act
- To contribute toward the improvement of the level of human resources in the tourism industry
- To advise government on the planning and development of the tourism industry as well as on the infrastructure supporting the industry.
The Malta Tourism Authority is here to assist and advise on any tourism-related issues and to undertake activities and projects to fulfil our role.
The Malta Tourism Authority falls under the responsibility of the Ministry for Tourism.
Conventions Malta within the Malta Tourism Authority focuses on C & I Travel and Association business to the Maltese Islands. The role of Conventions Malta is that of promoting Malta, Gozo & Comino as a M.I.C.E. destination focusing on research and planning, marketing and promotion, product development and quality assurance.
4. General description of the categories of documents the MTA holds
(including exempt documents)
- Legislations
- files related to inspections carried out at tourism operations
- files related to complaint investigations
- files related to new applications
- Keeping of records as regards to court cases in relation to MTA.
- Each tourism and travel operation has a file with all the necessary documentation. File references are given according to the category.
- The Licencing Directorate has a software system that contains the main information of all in/active licences.
- Personal files
- Vacancy files
- Internal Memos
- Other documents for administrative purposes.
- Sales and purchase invoices
- Payment vouchers
- Journals
- Contracts
- Agreements
- Statements
- Internal correspondence
- Tourism Accommodation applications received for the issue of Tourism Compliance Certificates required for further processing for project to proceed for a PA application
- PA e applications received for our approval (Tourism Compliance Certificates or no objections)
- Misc requests received by the tourism industry or other government entities for our comments
- Legislation and policies under the jurisdiction of the MTA
- Legislation and policies pertaining to PA, GPD, TM, Food Safety and local council jurisdiction which directly or indirectly affect the Tourism Product.
- Contractual Agreements
- Advertising & Marketing Campaign documents
- Joint marketing agreements with tour operators
- Segment specialists and airlines
- Correspondence with international media and tourism trade operators.
- documentation that is available online on visitmalta.com, mta.com.mt, viewingmalta.com or other websites.
5. Description of all manuals and similar types of documents
(which contain policies, principles, rules or guidelines in accordance with which decisions or recommendations are made in respect of members of the public (including bodies corporate and employees of the public authority in their personal capacity)
- CAP. 409 and its Subsidiary Legislation.
- Internally the staff are guided by checklists to confirm that the necessary documentation has been filled.
- Collective Agreement
- PSMC.
- International Accounting and Auditing Standards.
- Malta's National Tourism Plan
- Master Plan to Support a Sustainable Diving Industry in Malta
- Accommodation Development - Hotels Height Limitation Policy
- Guidelines for the Submission of Events on the Visitmalta Calendar. This will be available soon.
6. Statement of the information
(that needs to be available to members of the public who wish to obtain access to official documents from the MTA, which statement shall include particulars of the officer/s to whom the requests for such access should be sent.)
7. Details of Internal Complaints Procedure
An applicant whose request for information is refused, or who is otherwise not satisfied with the information provided, its format or the extension of the deadline for the submission of the notification indicating whether a request would be met or not, may address a complaint to the Authority.
The complaint should be addressed to the Authority's FOI Officer, who shall bring the complaint to the attention of the officer responsible1. The officer responsible shall reply to the applicant within 10 working days from the receipt of the complaint. The applicant shall also be informed that he or she may appeal the decision or otherwise address a complaint to the Information and Data Protection Commissioner in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act (Cap. 496 of the Laws of Malta).
The officer responsible shall inform the applicant of the decision taken with respect to his or her complaint, and in the event of confirmation of a decision not to release the pertinent information, shall explain the reasons thereof. Whenever the applicant's complaint is related to the format of the information provided or to an extension of the deadline for the submission of the notification indicating whether a request would be met or not by the Authority, and the original decision is upheld, the applicant shall be given an explanation as to why his or her complaint cannot be positively addressed.
An applicant may also make use of the Internal Complaints Procedure to report failure to meet deadlines or to send notifications. In those cases where the request for information can be met, but has not been met within the deadlines specified by the Act, the officer responsible shall waive any applicable fees for the submission of information.
8. Other Information
Working Hours:
October - June
Monday - Friday: 08:30 - 17:00 hours
July and September
Monday and Wednesday: Full day from 08:00 to 17:00
Tuesday, Thursday and Friday: Half day from 08:00 to 14:00 hours
August
Monday - Friday: Half days from 08:00 to 14:00 hours
Payments of applicable fees can be made by cheque only, payable to the ‘Malta Tourism Authority'.
Cheque should be posted as per below details
MALTA TOURISM AUTHORITY
Building SCM 01, Suites 301-306, SmartCity Malta, Ricasoli, SCM 1001, Kalkara
Complaints may be submitted by e-mail to foi.mta@visitmalta.com, through the FOI Portal www.foi.gov.mt via the e-ID or through the online form.
9. MTA's Contact details
- Address: Building SCM 01, Suites 301-306, SmartCity Malta, Ricasoli, SCM 1001, Kalkara
- General telephone number: 22915000
- Generic e-mail address: info@visitmalta.com