Valletta – October 12, 2026 -- The Malta Tourism Authority and Trip.com Group signed a 2026–2029 Strategic Cooperation Memorandum of Understanding, as Malta plans to lift the share of arrivals from outside the EU to 40% within the next decade.
The signing took place on the sidelines of the 2026 WTTC Global Summit, held 7 to 9 October at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. Malta's Minister for Tourism, Jo Etienne Abela, witnessed the agreement. Carlo Micallef, CEO of the Malta Tourism Authority, and Edison Chen, Vice President of Trip.com Group, led the talks.
Three-year deal covers promotion, product diversification and sustainability
Over the three-year term, the partners will cooperate on destination promotion, tourism product diversification and sustainable tourism. Trip.com Group will contribute its global platform technology and data insights. The Malta Tourism Authority will contribute its integration of local tourism resources to refine promotional strategies.
Trip.com cites 60% growth in inbound bookings to Malta
Chen said Trip.com Group's data shows 60% growth in inbound travel bookings to Malta. The source gives no baseline period for the figure.
Micallef described China as "the most important emerging market in our strategic plans." He said Malta is also advancing tourism cooperation talks with several other Asian countries.
Schengen visa rules remain a near-term hurdle
Micallef acknowledged that Schengen visa requirements remain a short-term challenge for Asian arrivals, though he described the market potential as immense. Malta is targeting high-value travelers in China and globally, using Trip.com Group's big-data and AI-supported capabilities across its major source markets.
The summit drew tourism CEOs and senior government leaders from more than 100 countries.