together with Carlo Micallef, CEO, Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and Michelle Buttigieg, MTA Representative North America, officially inaugurated the MTA office in North America. MTA’s Arthur Grima, Director, Marketing and Yasmine Scorfna, Marketing Manager, also joined in the Ribbon Cutting ceremony. The new MTA office is located at the Permanent Mission of Malta to the United Nations located 244 East 48th Street in Manhattan. Also present at the official Ribbon Cutting ceremony were H.E. Natasha Meli Demi, Malta’s Permanent Representative to the U.N. as well as H.E Godfrey Xuereb, Malta’s Ambassador to the United States based in Washington D.C.

 

“Today’s ribbon cutting is more than just the opening of an office,” said Hon. Borg, “It is the continuation of a vision set out in Malta’s Tourism Strategy 2050—a vision focused on attracting high-value visitors year-round, ensuring sustainable growth, and reinforcing tourism’s role in the broader economic and cultural development of both Malta and Gozo. These are exactly the kind of travelers we see coming from the United States.”

 

Travel to Malta has become even more accessible to the North America market with Delta Airlines announcement this week of the first non-stop flights to Malta beginning summer 2026. Hon. Borg expressed “This is a landmark development for the Maltese Islands, and for the long-standing ties between Malta and the US.”

 

Carlo Micallef, MTA CEO noted that “MTA’s commitment to the North American market began 11 years ago when Michelle Buttigieg was appointed by MTA to relaunch Malta’s tourism promotion in the US, Canada and Mexico. Thanks to her tireless efforts, Michelle and her team successfully re-established Malta as a major player in the United States Tour Operators Association (USTOA) as well as positioned Malta as a luxury destination through its Virtuoso Membership resulting in remarkable growth and visibility across North America.”

 

“We are very proud to create a special space that symbolizes a bridge between Malta and the North American Market where we can serve as a resource, spearhead strategic campaigns, and strengthen travel industry partnerships,” added Michelle Buttigieg, MTA Representative North America.