Conference and Incentive Travel Malta

Fast track to Special Interest Travel Ltd

At the crossroads of the Mediterranean, with Sicily to the north and the coastline of North Africa to the south, lies a destination with a difference. Malta is not just sea and sun, but a tangible history book of landmark events that unfolds at every corner. Prehistoric temples, exquisite palaces, impressive fortifications and unique architecture form the exclusive back drop to the events and programmes, designed to create the ultimate conference and incentive. There are three populated islands in the Maltese Archipelago all of which have their own characteristics making each one unique and special in its own right. Once here the Maltese people will not only welcome you with open arms but their friendly and sociable attitude will leave you with a warm sense of being home away from home.

Incentives for Getting to Malta
Being at the heart of the Mediterranean, Malta has flights in from most main European cities many of which are only a couple of hours long. All flights arrive at the international airport making it easy to co-ordinate different arrivals within a short time span. The Malta International Airport is close to the major 5 and 4 star hotels, all of which are around a 20-minute drive away.

Ease of Arrival
Below is a list of airlines that fly to and from the Malta International airport:

Land and Climate
The largest of the islands is Malta followed by Gozo and then Comino, area 67 sq kilometres and 3 sq kilometres respectively. Malta has neither mountains nor rivers and the islands are characterised by a series of low hills with terraced fields. The shoreline, which is 137 kilometres long, has many bays and harbours, with a good selection of small sandy beaches and rocky coves, one of Malta’s most valued incentives.  Malta is comparatively low lying, the highest point being about 239 m (785 ft) above sea level.
Another incentive is that, with temperatures averaging 14C in winter and 32C in the summer months, Malta offers a warm and mild climate throughout most of the year. The hottest months are from the mid July to mid September, but the high temperatures are generally tempered by the cool sea breezes.

The People
The Maltese nation reflects the many nationalities that have settled here over the centuries and many family names reflect their origins – particularly Italian, British and French, but almost all would consider themselves to be truly Maltese. Due to this mix of cultures, the Maltese are a boisterous nation, with a flair for style and class, who enjoy life through hard work and plenty of leisure time amongst friends and family.

Food and Drink
A personal incentive is Maltese cooking. This mostly Mediterranean in style and is the result of centuries of different influences which have been fused together to create the symphony of flavours making up the Maltese cuisine.  While many restaurants are famed for their fresh fish dishes, the kind of cooking found in Maltese homes is simple and distinctive with all making use of fresh produce available daily.
Maltese wines have grown in popularity and quality over the past couple of years especially those from the three major wineries: Marsovin, Meridiana and Delicata. Beer has been brewed with great success locally for many decades and Cisk Lager, HopLeaf and Blue Label, all produced by Farsons Brewery, match any brewed beer in Europe.

Language and Religion
There are two official languages in Malta: English, which is widely spoken and Maltese, which is Semitic although its alphabet and grammatical structure are derived from Latin.
The Maltese are predominantly Roman Catholic, the tangible evidence of which are the magnificent cathedrals and churches that are the hubs and pride of every town and village.

Time
Malta follows Central European Time, which is one hour ahead of GMT.

Currency
The currency in Malta is the Maltese Lira (LM). However in January 2008 the Euro (€) will then be the official currency.

Electrical Current
The voltage is 240 Volts AC with most properties having 3-pin plugs.

Opening Hours
Shops are generally open Monday to Saturday 09.00am to 07.00pm with most having a closed lunch period between 01.00pm and 04.00pm. Many supermarkets in towns and villages remain open over this lunch period.

VAT and Tax Refund
With reference to VAT refunds, the Government considers refunds on VAT paid out on Conference Business on the following as incentives: accommodation; transfers airport/hotel/airport; food and drink in hotels which form part of an accommodation package; food and drink during a conference like coffee breaks, mineral water, lunches; technical equipment used during a conference; security services in hotel and use of technicians; services of hostesses at the airport and/or at conference venue; telephone services or services/use of internet; hire of conference/syndicate rooms for conferences; electricity supply.

The company abroad has to send in an application which they can receive after having sent an email to vat@gov.mt. The company in question will then receive a form entitled: "Application for refund of value added tax by a business person not registered in Malta". This will have to be sent to the VAT department with copies of all invoices including proforma invoices, credit notes, final invoice etc. also attaching the payments sent to the local DMC. The VAT department will contact the local DMC, visit him to verify amounts of invoice and the payments sent. It is only after they are satisfied that the group in question was a bone fide conference that they will consider a refund. The refund is then calculated as a percentage on the sector pertaining to the accommodation of the conference and services taken in the hotel.
 
Cities/destinations offered
We can organize a venue for you in every part of Malta, Gozo or Comino. Being a small archipelago of islands, no where is too far which adds to the advantages of holding an event in Malta.

Conference venues
Malta has invested heavily in its social incentive infrastructure to attract more business tourism and continue its long-standing and quality tradition of welcoming and hosting foreigners. It is hard to beat 6000 years of innate experience in the meeting business. At present Malta can offer the following venues: