Malta FA extends partnership agreement with Malta Tourism Authority

The Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta FA signed a new four-year deal enables Visit Malta to be the official partner of the association and the Maltese national teams.

The deal was signed by Malta FA president Bjorn Vassallo, Malta Tourism Authority CEO Carlo Micallef, and Minister for Tourism and Public Cleanliness, Clayton Bartolo.

This agreement between the Malta FA and the Malta Tourism Authority will enable the Visit Malta brand to be visible on the official national teams attire through this €1 million investment over the next four years, which amount will be divided and handed €250,000 each year to the association.

This new agreement also covers the U19’s male and U17’s female, thus it is an upgrade from the previous three-year deal which then covered the senior men and women selections as well as the U-21 Team.

In his reaction to the four-year term partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority, the Malta FA president Bjorn Vassallo said that the association is proud that the MTA is once again linking up and extending its collaboration with the local governing body of football and the national teams.

“We are extremely delighted with this collaboration, this is our ultimate objective having the entire country behind us backing us and fully contributing to our national pride,” he said.

Vassallo said that the senior national teams, men and women, play a minimum of 20 matches every calendar year – at home and abroad, apart from other national selections with tens of other international encounters, including the youth teams, futsal, and beach soccer.

Therefore, he added, there is huge visibility for our partners on a global scale.

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“Football has today become an entertainment event with thousands of followers from the football stadiums, through broadcast viewership and also online,” he added.

The Malta FA president thanked Minister Clayton Bartolo and everyone at the Malta Tourism Authority for the excellent relationship nurtured over the years through the various projects delivered together, with the most recent being the UEFA U-19 finals organized in Malta last summer which left an impeccable sporting legacy but which has also showcased tremendous exposure of our culture, heritage, and traditions through football.

On his part, Bartolo outlined the fact that our geographical size does not preclude us from seizing the opportunity and demonstrating what our Maltese national football teams can do when faced with competing with teams that are ranked much higher in European football and beyond.

“Visit Malta is doing its part to strengthen the country’s exposure abroad through sports tourism while serving as a supportive platform to the Malta Football Association to further enhance its investment in the athletes of today and tomorrow,” he said.

MTA CEO Carlo Micallef stressed that through its widespread activity, both locally and within our shores, the Authority can commend a strong visibility that through the years resulted in a successful return to our tourism industry that is fundamental for Malta’s local economy.

“Sports Tourism is one key niche market that we highly depend on through tournaments, events, and training camps, all essential for our visibility and what Malta has to offer in terms of our tourism product which is sought by and compliant to what foreigners seek in their holiday destination,” he said.

Micallef added that through prominent and influential agreements and sponsorships with high-profile international brands, the Visit Malta brand will be more visible leading to attracting more visitors to Malta and more quality tourism.

“All this makes it easier for us as an entity to extend this contract agreement with the Malta FA in sustaining all our National Teams both Men and Women, also our contribution to the development of local athletes and their efforts to pull out more favorable results on behalf of Malta when competing at the international stage,” MTA CEO Carlo Micallef concluded.