A new drive to coordinate the way in which Malta is promoted to the world is launched today by top public and private organisations across the country.

Against a backdrop of global recession and increased competition between countries, Malta is taking a unified approach to position itself as one of the world’s most unique and attractive destinations for inward investment, tourism and talent.

The worldwide economic downturn means that increasingly mobile global investors, businesses and job creators, with the power to make or break countries and destinations, are now considering a far broader range of locations.

The initiative, “Creating the Malta Story”, is led by Dr Michael Refalo, Malta’s former Minister for Tourism, Culture and the Arts and member of the UN World Tourism Organisation Strategic Committee. This unique exercise, backed by 18 leading business, financial and tourism organisations, aims to create a compelling identity based on Malta’s unique characteristics.

London based destination specialists, The Communication Group plc, were appointed to undertake the initiative and have spent several months researching and evaluating the Malta story including interviews with Malta’s business, finance and tourism chiefs. The findings of the research are being unveiled at a meeting with key stakeholders today.

The Communication Group plc has authored a number of reports investigating new trends in destination development. Their research suggests that intangible “soft” factors such as quality of life have become more important in influencing business and tourism decisions.   These intangible assets are increasingly being effectively exploited by developing nations throughout the world and challenging the more traditional destinations.

Dr Michael Refalo said, “A unified, authentic identity for Malta will help us to stand out in an increasingly competitive market. The Malta Story capitalizes on our rich and diverse 7000 year history, passionate, well educated people, internationally recognised centres of excellence and its position at the most southerly point of Europe. With this initiative, we are securing Malta’s place as a destination where people want to live, work, and invest. All participants are in agreement that Malta needs a collective message to promote itself in the future, to complement the Government of Malta’s vision for 2015 and further develop Malta’s competitive position in the world.”

Emma Johnson, Head of the Destination Practice at The Communication Group plc, who has led the assignment said, “Malta has a unique combination of assets that can and should be harnessed to create emotional connections in the minds’ of both investors and tourists alike. For instance, it is a sophisticated, stable, well run island nation, it has established and successful institutions which punch above their weight, and it has a quality of life that is hard to beat.”