{"id":56959,"date":"2026-04-17T16:52:30","date_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:52:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/?p=56959"},"modified":"2026-04-17T16:52:30","modified_gmt":"2026-04-17T15:52:30","slug":"future-of-maltas-tourism-lies-in-long-haul-aviation-growth-deputy-prime-minister-borg","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/2026\/04\/17\/future-of-maltas-tourism-lies-in-long-haul-aviation-growth-deputy-prime-minister-borg\/","title":{"rendered":"Future of Malta\u2019s tourism lies in long-haul aviation growth \u2013 Deputy Prime Minister Borg"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Deloitte Malta Aviation Conference discusses inseparable link between air travel and tourism<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>As Malta realigns its tourism objectives towards resilience, higher value offerings and increased competitiveness, it must continue consolidating its short-haul aviation network, while laying the foundations for long-haul growth in North America and Asia.<\/p>\n<p>On Friday morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism, Ian Borg, opened the fifth edition of the Deloitte Malta Aviation Conference, in Floriana, emphasising the inseparability of air travel and tourism for the Maltese Islands.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur success relies on a healthy airline mix, valuing our partnerships with legacy and low-cost carriers through seamless collaboration between airlines and operators, the Malta International Airport and government and regulatory entities,\u201d Dr Borg said, \u201cand while our short-haul markets are mature, our future lies in long-haul expansion. In this regard the launch of the non-stop Malta-New York service in June is a tangible example of what focused, long-term planning can deliver.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He explained that as an island nation, aviation is essential to Malta\u2019s connectivity and central to its economy. Air connectivity is even more crucial for tourism. \u201cWith over 98% of our visitors reaching us by air, connectivity is the single most decisive factor in our national competitiveness,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n<p>This is why Malta\u2019s Connectivity Strategy, spearheaded by the Malta Tourism Authority, prioritises route development, market diversification, and year-round accessibility, as part of its overarching objectives to support sustainable growth, strengthen economic resilience, and ensure Malta remains a leader in a highly contested international environment.<\/p>\n<p>The Deputy Prime Minister called on the policymakers, industry leaders and aviation experts participating in the Conference to use this forum as an opportunity for collaboration. \u201cTo our policymakers \u2013 your responsibility is to ensure clarity, consistency, and predictability. Aviation thrives on stable frameworks and efficient, timely delivery. To our industry leaders &#8211; I challenge you to invest with confidence. Innovate and align your growth ambitions with Malta\u2019s long-term connectivity goals, and our broader aviation cluster,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n<p><em>Photo (DOI\/ODPM-MFT)<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_56959\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"56959\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Deloitte Malta Aviation Conference discusses inseparable link between air travel and tourism As Malta realigns its tourism objectives towards resilience, higher value offerings and increased competitiveness, it must continue consolidating its short-haul aviation network, while laying the foundations for long-haul growth in North America and Asia. On Friday morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_56959\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"56959\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 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Lynch","author_link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/author\/bernardlynch\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Deloitte Malta Aviation Conference discusses inseparable link between air travel and tourism As Malta realigns its tourism objectives towards resilience, higher value offerings and increased competitiveness, it must continue consolidating its short-haul aviation network, while laying the foundations for long-haul growth in North America and Asia. On Friday morning, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56959","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=56959"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56959\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":56961,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/56959\/revisions\/56961"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/56960"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=56959"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=56959"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=56959"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}