Petition for voucher scheme for people with food intolerances

Oct 30 2022

A petition kickstarted by Sarah Micallef Muscat is calling on the government to introduce a voucher scheme to help people with food intolerances to help them deal with sky-high food prices.

Micallef Muscat stated that people with food intolerances should be able to benefit from a similar theme as coeliac patients, who are entitled to monthly food vouches of around €45 and €50.

The petition states that this isn’t comparing coeliac disease with food intolerance. It is merely pointing out that both are facing similar issues when it comes to food product buying.

‘I would like to petition the government to change its policies regarding Food Intolerance. We are currently not eligible for government food vouchers, even though some of us seek the same alternatives as people with Coeliac disease.’

‘I am petitioning that food intolerances should be added to the government’s list of qualifying conditions for food vouchers, due to how similar they are to coeliac disease.’

As of the writing of this article, 115 people out of the target 200 have signed the petition. You can support the cause by signing here.

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Restaurants should not abuse in their prices says Tourism Minister

Oct 30 2022

Speaking during The Interview with Fabian Demicoli, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said that the majority of restaurant owners don’t abuse in their price range.

However, those who do risk giving a bad name to other restaurant owners who play fair said the Minister.

Bartolo went on to incentivise against this as Malta has the opportunity to create an excellent quality in the field of gastronomy and thus attract more tourists through it.

This is because Malta’s mediterranean cuisine can attract tourists who are looking for a novel experience when it comes to their dining throughout their travels. Thus, restaurant owners and their establishments have an important role as some of Malta’s best ambassadors through their catering.

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Tourism is not just a summer job says Minister Clayton Bartolo

Oct 30 2022

During a sit-down interview with Fabian Demicoli, Minister Clayton Bartolo urged more youth to move towards the tourism sector and industry and take it up as a professional career option.

‘Tourism is not just there as a summer job’ said the Minister, saying that the sector needs more workers who push it further towards becoming a thriving industry.

The tourism industry can be a very fulfilling career as well as open various doors and create connections with various people from all around the world, he said.

Bartolo shared the testimony of various workers in the industry who started out by working in restaurants or trained in Malta and went on to open their own business or seek professional careers abroad respectively.

‘This is probably the only industry wherein wherever you go, you have a guaranteed job’ said Bartolo. ‘The standards are practically the same everywhere and you can therefore find a job anywhere in the world.’

Bartolo finished by encouraging youth to enter the Institute for Tourism Studies (ITS) so that they can find a fulfilling career whilst also stimulating the tourism economy of the islands.

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Minister highlights the importance of Air Malta for tourism

Oct 30 2022

Speaking during an episode of the Interview with Fabian Demicoli by Malta Daily, Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo addressed the past, present and future of national airline AirMalta.

The Minister was asked about whether the future of the airline worries him and how he could see it impact the tourism sector of the island.

‘The problems AirMalta is facing did not start today or yesterday, but had been present for years on end’ replied Bartolo. ‘We are now working on them to solve any problems that can be solved once and for all.’

‘AirMalta has a strategic importance for our islands’ the Minister continued. ‘Whereas other countries have highways and connective roads which connect them to other countries, the only way to connect Malta with another country is via air travel.’

Bartolo also highlighted the role AirMalta played during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it provided safe transportation for people, equipment and vaccines whenever and from wherever it was needed.

‘No one is debating the importance of Air Malta’ said Bartolo. Pointing to the importance of the airline in the tourism industry, Bartolo said that we have tourists who look for legacy couriers, as they do not opt for low cost airlines.

Air Malta has a valuable role here, said the Minister, especially for people coming from Germany and the UK. The Minister acknowledged that the future of Air Malta is unsure, but the government, he said, is working very closely to keep a national airline active for Malta and thus keep the tourism industry blooming.

#MaltaDaily