On the occasion of World Tourism Day, which is celebrated annually on 27 th September, the Ministry for Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority will be organising a series of events to mark this important date.
The theme chosen for this year by the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organisation) is that of ‘Tourism for all –promoting universal accessibility’.
A programme of events, which is being supported by the Ministry for Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority, will commence on Saturday 24 th September with free guided tours of the Neolithic Temples of Tarxien, held exclusively for persons with disabilities, and will end on Friday 30 th September with a seminar ‘Competence andits Relevance in Tourism with Accessibility’ organised by the Malta Hotels & Restaurants Association. An artisan
fair will also be held in Marsascala on Sunday 25 th September.
On the actual World Tourism Day, namely Tuesday 27 th September, a number of events are being organised around the island. Staff from the Malta Tourism Authority will be greeting tourists with flowers as they disembark from their cruise liners at the Valletta Cruise Port as well as those tourists arriving at the MaltaInternational Airport.
In the late afternoon, the Malta Wheelchair Dance Association will be giving a demonstration of wheelchair dancesport at City Gate entrance, Valletta. There will also be a drum beat march as well as free guided tours of Valletta.
Throughout the day, a number of Heritage Malta sites and museums will be opening their doors free of charge.
There will also be tours of the Manoel Theatre Museum at a special reduced price of €2.50, as well as free admission to the PlayMobil Fun Park in Hal Far.
The MTA CEO, Paul Bugeja commented that “the MTA strongly believes in the theme chosen by the UNWTO,namely tourism for all. Throughout 2016, we have striven to make tourism hotspots such as beaches, accessible to all, through initiatives such as the installation of special walkways leading from ramps located at street level right down to the sea, beach wheelchairs as well as hoists to aid entry at rocky shores or jetties. We intend to continue adding more facilities of this kind in the coming years.”
Mr Bugeja pointed out that “Such facilities are not only of benefit to persons with disabilities, but also to senior citizens, families with young children, and people suffering from mobility issues of a temporary nature.”
