%20has%20ever%20held%20this%20important%20event%20there.ABTA%20represents%20over%205,000%20British%20travel%20agencies%20and%20nearly%20a%20thousand%20tour%20operators.%20The%20association%20was%20set%20up%20in%201950%20to%20help%20govern%20the%20travel%20industry...){kind=link}
Travel Agents Converge On Malta For Annual Travel Conference
Earlier this spring ABTA announced that it would hold its annual travel conference on the small island of Malta
. It will be the first time ABTA (the Association of British Travel Agents) has ever held this important event there.ABTA represents over 5,000 British travel agencies and nearly a thousand tour operators. The association was set up in 1950 to help govern the travel industry in the UK.
Its main purpose is to "maintain high standards of trading practice for the benefit of its members". It helps to ensure that travelers receive what they pay for, including excellent service and consumer protection.
ABTA is also a major lobbying force for the travel industry. It represents the needs of both its members and the traveling public to government agencies.
ABTA holds its annual business meeting convention for its members in order to vote on key issues. Members will converge on the island of Malta from October 18-20.
ABTA's conventions are usually held somewhere in Europe. Past hosts include Gran Canaria, Kos, Marbella and Tenerife. The annual meetings usually see around 2,000 travel industry delegates. They create significant cash infusions into the countries in which the meetings are held.
ABTA carefully and deliberately chooses its convention venues. Delegates are able to do more than just participate in the business process. They also get to see firsthand some of the locations for which they arrange travel packages.
Countries throughout Europe and the Mediterranean wait eagerly for ABTA's conference location to be revealed each year. Few events rival the prospect of having hundreds of travel agents visit a tourist destination. The annual convention is a major opportunity for the host nation to showcase its assets to the traveling public.
Malta officials are thrilled with this year's convention choice. Malta, a small island country with just over 400,000 residents, thrives on tourism Euros.
Malta has a rich history. Its earliest settlers likely drifted over from nearby Sicily, as evidenced by the discovery of ancient pottery.
The island itself covers an area of a mere 300 square kilometers, with its inhabitants spread densely throughout. It is the most densely populated country in Europe, despite the fact its people number fewer than most major cities.
Malta is an independent country aside from being an island. It is known as the Republic of Malta, with Maltese and English being its major spoken languages.
The country's language, culture and cuisine are a mix of Italian, Sicilian and Spanish influences. These influences reflect Malta's history and the different powers that have ruled it over the centuries.
Malta began to experience serious economic crisis in the mid 1900's. Prior to this time, the island had been a major port for ships to refuel. It was also a large producer of cotton and tobacco.
Due largely to advances in technology, Malta began to wane as a port. It began to focus on other ways to generate an income, including the production and export of limestone. Limestone is still one of its most lucrative resources.
Tourism became Malta's other major economic force after the mid 1900's. Malta relies heavily on tourism to sustain its economy today.
Tourists to the island come mainly from Europe and the UK. They flock there for the mild weather, sunshine and surf.
The ABTA convention in October will provide a significant opportunity for Malta to shine as a desirable tourist destination. Few better ways exist to showcase a country's travel appeal than to open it up to a group of travel agents. It's hoped that this convention will generate new excitement about this beautiful, inviting Mediterranean island.
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