Malta in the Spotlight at World Tourism Cities Federation (WTCF) Conference, Beijing

Everyone was marvelling at the large and beautifully decorated Reception Hall, and the air was full of excitement from the buzz of diplomats, representing more than forty countries, and the hundreds of agents from a formidable number of the largest and most reputable travel agencies in China.

Centre stage in all this, and very much in the spotlight as the hottest new destination for outbound Chinese tourists, was Malta.

“The Fifth World Tourism Cities Federation Annual Conference on Outbound Tourism, held at the Beijing International Hotel, provided an ideal venue to promote Malta as a vital new-found destination for Chinese tourists”, said John Aquilina, Malta’s ambassador to China.

Although Malta and its beautiful assets are largely unknown in China, slowly the veil of obscurity is being lifted, and many tens of thousands of prospective Chinese tourists are being exposed to Malta’s fascinating landscape, history and climate.

“I was greatly honoured”, said John Aquilina, “to have been selected from among the vast number of persons in the Diplomatic Corps of China to give the Speech as the Conference’s Guest of Honour, alongside Dr Cheng Hong, the Vice Mayor of Beijing”.

“Time did not permit for me to go into a detailed explanation of Malta’s wonderful assets. However, I was able to point people in the right direction,” Mr Aquilina said.

“Besides advising the attentive audience of Malta’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union, I also extolled Valletta’s virtues as the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2018.

Valletta is the 47th of 181 of the world’s major cities which have become members of China’s WTCF.

Mr Aquilina informed the impressed gathering about the major article in the October 21, 2016 edition of the New York Times highlighting Malta’s outstanding tourist assets.

He went on to advise the gathering of the American major broadcaster CNN on December 21, 2016 placing Malta in the second spot of the top 15 places in the world to celebrate Christmas.

And as for the future, Mr Aquilina referred to the Bloomberg Pursuits article of January 4, 2017 which placed Malta in the fifth position of the top 20 places in the world as tourist destinations for 2017.

“At the conclusion of the speech I was mobbed by travel agents hungry for more information”, Mr Aquilina said.

“All indications are that we have only just slightly exposed the tip of the iceberg of potential for Chinese tourists to Malta,” Mr Aquilina said.