Malta presented with the best LGBTQ+ destination award in London

Nov 3 2022

Travel Bulletin, the UK’s leading travel trade brand organised the first StarAwards Ceremony in three years, celebrating the ‘shining stars’ of the industry, voted for by Travel Bulletin readers.

Over 30 awards, split into seven different categories, were presented on the 31st of October at a star-studded event in Central London. This included the Best LGBTQ+ Destination award, which was presented to the Malta Tourism Authority team of the UK Office.

“Across the globe, Malta is recognised as a champion when it comes to LGBTIQ+ rights” outlined Minister for Tourism Clayton Bartolo.

“The progressive and liberal programme that the Maltese Government embarked on for the past nine years has shifted the Maltese Islands into a welcoming country to visitors coming from every strata in society all year round. We are looking forward to celebrate this successful story next year by hosting Europride in our capital city Valletta during September 2023.”

CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority Mr Carlo Micallef said that this awards sets up Malta as an ideal destination for various demographics. “It sets the pace for a very exciting 2023 which will see Malta as the host for Europride, which tied with Malta’s consecutive top positioning on the ILGA Rainbow Index makes a perfect combination.”

MTA UK Office Director Tolene van der Merwe said that “throughout our campaigns this year, we have been emphasising on Malta’s inclusivity and diversity, focusing also on the warm welcome that the LGBTQ+ community will receive next year in Valletta during Europride 2023.”

“Almost two-thirds (63%) of British people believe it’s important to choose a holiday destination based on its acceptance of diversity, and we truly feel that there is no better time than 2023 to discover Malta.”

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Hudson raises wages for retail sales assistants, seeking to counteract rising cost of living and attract the best retail talent

Hudson raises sales assistant wages by 11.5% to combat cost of living rise

Nov 3 2022

In an attempt to attract the best talent, and to help its people deal with higher cost of living expenses, Hudson has increased its base salary for shop sales assistants in Malta.

All current sales assistants will be brought up to this new flat rate and will continue to benefit from a uniform allowance, double pay on Sundays and public holidays, as well as the possibility to earn commission based on performance and sales.

In addition to this, Hudson have also added life insurance to the overall benefits package they offer. Besides an attractive renumeration, all Hudson employees benefit from discounts of up to 35% when shopping from the stores represented by the company, a great family and work life balance, cultural diversity as well as the possibility to interact with the world’s best brands in sport and fashion.

Being a trail-blaizer, the company has always been at the forefront of innovation. This philosophy is cascaded throughout its various facets, including in the development and training of its staff. People and talent are Hudson’s utmost priority, and even when hitting challenging times, during COVID-19, when its stores were forced to close down, no employees were made redundant.

The COVID-19 pandemic, rising costs of raw materials, supply chain disruption and the ongoing situation in Ukraine has caused a great increase in inflation. Malta is no exception, especially since it has little natural resources, and is geographically cut off from mainland Europe.

Workers and businesses are struggling to cope with these rising costs, and are being forced to stretch their hard earned cash and in some cases having to consume less than they did before. Hudson employs a total of around 800 people across the group.

“This is an important move in being able to attract and retain employees, allowing us to be competitive in the market. It’s also great that with rising everyday living costs, we’re able to do this for our people and support their wellbeing, considering the vital role they play for our company” explains Hudson Group HR Director Kalani Weerasinghe.

Hudson’s head office is situated in Malta, with supporting offices in Italy, Cyprus, Algeria, Morocco and Nigeria. Hudson Group is a leading distributor and retailer with roots in Southern Europe and a focus on Africa. Hudson are the official NIKE distributor for over 30 countries across Africa and retails and/or distributes a variety of other sport and fashion brands including NIKE, Ted Baker, River Island, New Look, Intersport, Urban Jungle, Blackbox, Urban Bratz, Kiabi, Mango, Tommy Hilfiger, Armani Exchange and Calvin Klein. Hudson currently manages over 60 stores across Africa and Southern Europe apart from their growing online business.

For more information visit www.hudson.com.mt

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A goal to have women in 40% of leadership roles by 2027

Nov 3 2022

Speaking during a press conference, Parliamentary Secretary for Reforms Rebecca Buttigieg said that the government has a goal to have women in 40% of leadership roles by 2027.

This was announced during the announcement of the first Gender Equality and Mainstreaming Strategy and Action Plan.

Buttigieg encouraged everyone to ditch the stereotype of the woman who stays at home or belongs in the kitchen and revealed that the strategy will empower women to achieve financial independence, even in traditionally male-dominated sectors.

The action plan will address everything from period poverty (challenges women face during menstrual cycles) through the pledging of free pads and tampons and VAT-free menstrual products as of next year.

The action plan will call for measures that address social and economic policies, social security systems and taxation. Buttigieg said the government will investigate other gender disparities and suggest new measures to tackle them.

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A 150% increase to art and culture funds announces Minister Bonnici

Nov 3 2022

Minister for National Heritage, the Arts and Local Government Owen Bonnici revealed that there has been a 150% increase in funds allocated to the arts and culture sector in the recent budget.

Bonnici revealed in parliament that, next year, over €60 million will be allocated to the cultural sector. The Minister said that the investment is an important part of the recovery from the pandemic and to boost the economy forward.

There was a big surge in tourists who visited historical sites in the country after the pandemic. Heritage Malta alone was the recipient of an investment of €8,700,000, with another €2 million added after.

The recurrent allocation alone for 2023 – EUR 60 million – is already double the total amount of funds (recurrent and capital) invested by a Nationalist Administration in their last budget.

The allocation for next year (a total of almost EUR 85 million) represents a 7.5% increase over last year.

All this is happening in an immediate post-pandemic period, with a war between Russia and Ukraine affecting the markets and energy prices all over the world. At the same time our public finances are in order and well within the fiscal criteria imposed by the European Commission.

‘This is what taking culture and the arts seriously looks like’.

#MaltaDaily