What do Manchester United and the Maltese islands have in common?
As it turns out, quite a lot, as this beloved English football team has, once again, chosen VisitMalta as its official destination partner.
This means that Manchester United will keep on promoting Malta as a tourist destination to its 1.1 billion followers worldwide.
News of the renewal was announced at a special press event at Manchester United’s stadium – Old Trafford – earlier this summer. This was attended by Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo, Permanent Secretary within the Tourism Ministry Anthony Gatt, and Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) CEO Carlo Micallef, amongst others.
“Reaffirming VisitMalta as the Official Destination Partner of Manchester United will lead to an increase in visibility and marketing coordination on an unprecedented level for the Maltese Islands; not just in Europe, but in other long-haul markets such as America, Asia, and the Middle East,” Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo said.
“I am optimistic that this partnership agreement will cement Malta’s prospects in establishing itself as a central hub for sports tourism excellence in the years to come,” he added.
Our islands’ relationship with this top team goes way back, with Malta proudly hosting the oldest international Manchester United supporters’ club.
Through this partnership, the VisitMalta brand will keep benefitting from strong exposure during the club’s home matches and through its digital marketing channels, social media, and print media worldwide.
“During the months of the pandemic, the MTA had to think outside of the box to maximise the potential of this partnership, in a time when sport worldwide was at a standstill,” Mr Micallef said.
“This was done through various initiatives of a digital nature aimed at giving visibility, engagement, and exposure to the beauty of the Maltese islands across Manchester United’s fanbase around the world – especially in the Asian region, where Manchester United is recognised as one of the strongest sporting clubs,” he continued.
The MTA CEO went on to express his excitement at entering this five-year agreement and exploring previously untapped opportunities.
“Manchester United and Malta share such a rich history and we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with Visit Malta,” Manchester United’s director of alliances and partnerships, Ali Edge, said.
“We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved during the first years of the partnership, especially during a time where international travel was restricted, and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership for many years to come,” he concluded.