President of Malta George Vella stated that tourism is that economic and social ‘raw material’ and ‘resources’ capable of emphasising the potential of strength through diversity. In all of this, the President said, Malta has a “key role” to play as it is a model of how economic and social growth can be fuelled despite limited resources.
During the Mediterranean Tourism Awards, President Vella remarked that Malta enjoys excellent relations with all Mediterranean countries and their surrounding regions and is significantly a member of the European Union, therefore, it has an important say in this critical economic bloc which plays a vital role in the Mediterranean. Above all, the President said that Malta, despite its size, has the right drive to act as a catalyst for the realisation of this vision.
President Vella added that the foundations for tourism are already strong across the Mediterranean region. Thus, tourism presents itself as a feasible and pertinent long-term solution. “When managed correctly, tourism is not only sustainable but also easily adaptable and flexible to specific economic and social realities”, the President added. Yet, he noted that the road to achieve common quality tourism goals across the Mare Nostrum region still has a long way to go. Despite political, economic, and cultural differences, President Vella said that we now need to rediscover the fact that our destiny lies in solidarity and that joint action is imperative to improve the environment in which we live through tourism.
As the Patron of the Mediterranean Tourism Forum, President Vella stated that he shares the vision of the MTF Founders and Senators that “our great story is the Mediterranean solution for a better future: Tourism is our edge for a better tomorrow for all the people. Tourism is indeed a powerful motor and when managed well, can oil economies, sustain environmental conservation, and leverage the development of societies. Tourism has the potential to overcome instability and can do away with warlords and power mongers. Because income from tourism quickly trickles down to the pockets and creates opportunities of hope for a better future.”
President Vella commended and thanked the private sector, its workers, the community as a whole, the public administrations, and the Mediterranean Tourism Forum family for being resilient after two challenging years due to the pandemic.
