About VisitMalta
Establishment and Mission
VisitMalta is a body of the Malta Tourism Authority that, through the Malta Travel and Tourism Service Act (1999), has been given duties that extend beyond international marketing to cover areas such as coordination, strategic planning and regulation.The Act strengthened the collaboration between the private and public sector on the topic of tourism and the organisation forms a crucial part of the island’s tourism and services ecosystem.
As a pillar of the island’s economic support network, VisitMalta promotes and advances the islands as centres of sustainable tourism, advises on the strategic planning of tourism operations, handles the licensing and monitoring of firms aligned with the industry and acts as an advocate for the tourism services sector in terms of national priorities.
As can be seen in the Invest in Malta publication that serves to profile the potential the island holds for investors and entrepreneurs, Visit Malta outlines the many areas of potential for several emerging sectors of the global economy.
“Strong economic growth has transformed Malta into a confident nation, which is now seeking to strengthen its position on the global stage. Malta’s economic diversity strategy of recent years has paid off in spades. Analysts and international institutions all agree that the country’s investment appeal has been crucial in unlocking its full potential. Its world-class business environment, cutting-edge technology, competitive labour costs, highly educated workforce and gateway position to European and African markets helped Malta attract companies and capital from Europe, Asia and the US. Investment, across all sectors, will remain a key driver of future growth. When it comes to attracting new businesses, keeping costs in check and maintaining Malta’s competitive tax and regulatory frameworks will be important.”
Visit Malta, innovation and the Maltese economy
Visit Malta has spearheaded the island’s efforts to innovate and develop its economy along global developments, using the island’s legislative flexibility and endless energy to evolve and adapt to turn the island into a pillar for several international industries.
“In spite of its small size, Malta has become a hotbed for manufacturing multinationals, global finance firms, Pharma producers, IT and software developers, games studios, and blockchain start-ups, which have set up operations on the Mediterranean island. Their growth and success has helped Malta emerge as one of Europe’s best-performing economies according to the International Monetary Fund.” This sector-specific strategy has paid off handsomely for the island with its ever-dynamic economy richly benefiting from a constant influx of foreign investment. This is mainly owed to its regulatory flexibility which manifests as an eagerness to allow frontier industries and emerging technological ventures to find a safe, respected and regulated framework from which to operate.
“The country is now setting the conditions for the next generation of FDI. Manufacturing is moving into Industry 4.0, and companies comment favorably on Malta’s ICT infrastructure and connectivity. Research and development, robotics, blockchain technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) solutions are equally gaining in importance in Malta’s economic mix and are attracting companies from Europe, Asia, and beyond. The long-term goal is to reinforce and widen Malta’s economic mix by developing an international standing, not only as a production base but also as a test-bed for innovation. To achieve this, the government is encouraging research, development, and innovation activities, while ensuring that the right skills are in place to keep up with the breakneck pace of change in the development of global manufacturing processes and technologies.”
Visit Malta and SiGMA
Given the fact that the SiGMA Group has always held its Mediterranean origin close to its heart, Visit Malta and SiGMA have made natural allies and have built on a partnership that has stood for several years, cooperating on several fronts to attract investment to Malta and to make the island a hub of commerce and innovation. SiGMA has positioned itself into being one of the main summits for iGaming activity globally and has earned both a global presence and international recognition for the quality of its events and the reach of its media presence. Visit Malta has also referred to the iGaming industry as a pillar of the Maltese economy, providing vital foreign direct investment while also providing gainful employment to thousands of citizens.
“Malta has garnered a reputation as the capital of the global iGaming industry. The presence of over 275 iGaming companies is proving a unique draw for platform providers, game developers, payment services, support firms, start-ups and tech investors, who are joining Malta’s thriving iGaming ecosystem.The island is the birthplace of regulated online gaming being the first EU country to license iGaming in the early 2000s and introducing a dedicated regulatory framework for the industry. Today, Malta serves as the backbone of the industry, attracting the largest gaming operators and suppliers, as well as some of the most innovative start-ups. Some of the most instantly recognisable brands in the gaming world have been set up in Malta: Betsson, Paddy Power Betfair, Interwetten, Unibet, Mr Green, Tipico, LeoVegas and Videoslots are just a few of the companies that have a strong presence on the island.”
The two have cooperated deeply over the years and intend to support each other in branding the isles of Malta as a hub for progress, economic prosperity and innovation. The summits have attracted thought leaders, industry titans, investors and entrepreneurs to the island-nation and intend to support the future of the country moving into a brighter future.