Malta is a small archipelago in the middle of the Mediterranean. It has all the beauty that the Mediterranean is known for, as well as the blessing to have been touched by many other countries through various takeovers, giving it a true blend of cultures and historic backgrounds.
The cultural heritage is preserved and respected and the islands live strongly with the traditional values that are attributed to the journey they have been through, and this shines through in their family run feel.
It is easy to access local and traditional artisans and activities to give clients a true feel for the social aspects of sustainability that operate here. Funneling business into these local artisans rather than choosing other alternatives means you are doing your bit to keep this cultural heritage alive.
Being a set of islands, they have kept this entrenched way of operating and the culture intact and it runs throughout the now modern facilities and operations that run on the islands. With some of the largest international brands being represented on Malta, the level of sustainability has also massively increased within these, creating a surge forward of international standards in the national market, making both a culturally solid and environmentally minded operation possible, no matter your group size.
Malta itself, being a small set of islands, creates a unique opportunity for visitors to experience a range of activities in a small distance. Travel times and therefore transport impacts are reduced dramatically. You can move from a speedboat treasure hunt to a heritage visit to a gala dinner all within one day with ease.
Activities vary from cultural and heritage rich visits and local traditional artisanal experiences to hands-on environmental immersions and ways to contribute to the local needs on the islands with CSR activities and charitable philanthropic projects and events.
Food wise, local farmers still work the lands, often with the same processing techniques and equipment they used many years ago and offer an abundance of high quality local seasonal produce. Some restaurants and hospitality outlets even offer organic or farm-to-table on site, giving a truly authentic local rustic flavor to your client’s culinary experiences.
Although the islands are low on their water sourcing, they have become innovative in how water is used; reverse osmosis systems are widespread throughout the islands as well as options for larger dispensers that operate a centralized system of empty and replace, meaning that good quality drinking water remains available throughout the islands. Combining this with some branded water bottles straight off the plane give a sustainably minded tailored feel-good experience for the duration of your clients stay and saves thousands of single use plastic bottles.
In terms of the nuts and bolts of your programmes, options are available now in Malta for alternative solutions for almost all aspects of material and operations. It is wise to utilize local suppliers, vendors and operators with an established experience and network in sustainability. These suppliers and operators are ahead of the wave and are the ones that are truly interested in doing something that will ensure your programmes are not just ticking boxes but are inspiring your clients to really make a difference and offering them experiences they will remember and talk about for a lifetime.
Everything is possible in Malta, and that’s the magic of it!
Gayle Murphy
CEO Global Green Events Ltd
