Having enjoyed success in the tourism industry, Malta is now hoping to build on that success with a strong MICE product, Christophe Berger, Director of Conventions Malta, told TravelPulse Canada Monday night in Toronto.

Berger says Canada is not a new market, but it’s one of their main targets.

“We just finished a consumer event in Montreal and I was amazed,” he tells TravelPulse Canada. “Canadians are very adventurous when it comes to travelling and therefore they are very interested in Malta.”

It’s a country rich in culture and, rather surprisingly, film. Malta has been the setting for major blockbusters such as Troy, Gladiator, World War Z, Assassin’s Creed, The Count of Monte Cristo and Murder on the Orient Express. The country’s nearly 10,000 year history is also a history buff’s dream, with many ancient castles and forts to explore.

While there’s certainly much to offer the MICE market in terms of accommodations and activities – Berger says they can comfortably host a convention with 3,000 attendees, it’s the actual getting there that might be a hindrance.

“There are no direct flights from Canada, but there are connections in major European cities such as Amsterdam, Paris and London, and we’re a short flight from most of those, about two hours. It’s something we’re working on and we expect to have direct flights from North America in two to three years.”

With 22,000 rooms, 5 star hotels and three convention centres, the island has the capacity to do more MICE travel. Berger says the MICE market for Malta is strong, but hasn’t been a top focus.

“It’s growing and it's where we want to invest, where we want to grow. It's a market where we can grow in our off season, in winter months (October to April) which is typically where the MICE market comes from.”

Berger says total tourism to the country is about 3 million visitors, of which 65,000 travellers are from North America, with about 15,000 of those Canadians. Small numbers for sure, but as Berger points out, “that’s a lot for a country our size.”

The competition is tough – Lisbon currently leads the way, with Istanbul taking second place followed by the South of France. Berger says they’re doing well especially in niche markets of luxury travel, scuba diving, religious travel, special interest groups, and even medical cannabis.

“The sky’s really the limit in what we can create.”