The MTA is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr Joséf Bonello as the first
ambassador for the promotion of the wines of Malta and Gozo. In this new role, Mr. Bonello
shall be aiming to raise the profile and knowledge of Maltese wines, both locally and more
importantly internationally.
The Malta Tourism Authority is confident that Mr Bonello will succeed in his mission to establish a brand identity for The Maltese Islands’ wines and also Mediterranean wines through his great experience and love of wine sector.
Mr. Bonello’s own wine journey began more than thirty years ago when a local winery
presented him with an opportunity to market its range of Maltese wines. Throughout his
career, he gained valuable experience with local winemakers and wine importers who gave
him the opportunity to represent wines from around the world. In the meantime, the Wine & Spirit Education Trust provided him with the academic foundations that fuelled his infectious enthusiasm for wine.
Over the last forty years, the Maltese wine scene has experienced a tremendous growth as
more and more wine drinkers are appreciating Maltese wine for its quality, and
understanding how important it is to our culture, our agriculture, and our tourism product.
Quality tourism is often the result of travellers seeking meaningful and unique experiences at their destination. The combination of wine and gastronomy is a niche that appeals to a wide audience and fortunately the Maltese Islands have an exciting story to tell in this niche.
“After successfully achieving the goals of the recovery phase for Malta’s tourism industry,
with a record tourism performance in 2023, MTA has now moved into the second phase of
the 2021 – 2030 tourism strategy, which calls for the rethinking of the tourism experience
that the Islands are to offer to prospective visitors. The wine and gastronomy segment are a strong motivator of quality tourism that seeks a memorable experience, sustainable tourism operations and is also willing to spend more for the right product. I strongly believe that Josef’s extensive knowledge and experience in the wine industry will help us develop this tourism product in cooperation with Malta and Gozo’s wine industry. Our objective is to
provide our guests with an unforgettable experience and at the same time establish Malta
and Gozo on the international wine scene,” said MTA’s CEO, Carlo Micallef.
