There is no doubt that tourism has been going through a very positive phase lately and may this trend continue for many years to come. I would be among the first to acknowledge the efforts and good work done by Minister of Truism and his team over the last couple of years. However, I must admit that I have never heard the minister mentioning anything about sports tourism.

Sports as a niche market has a lot to contribute towards tourism if tackled carefully and professionally and there is a lot the Ministry of Tourism can do to improve this sector.

There are over 50 sports associations/federations in Malta and each one of them has the potential of attracting conventions, seminars and international sportive events. Indeed, both the European and world governing bodies of the various sports associations hold various conferences, seminars and workshops throughout the year apart from the annual conventions. So, yes, the opportunities are there.

However, as things stand, only those sports associations with full-time and experienced employees would take the risk of attracting such events to Malta.

Organising an international sports conference or a sporting event cannot be considered as a ‘sport’ but must be seen and perceived as a ‘business venture’ with all the inherent business risks attached to the event and sports associations are well aware of this.

The objective of this article is not to dishearten those associations that have been aspirating to bring an international event to Malta. On the contrary, my intention is to highlight the fact that something needs to be done to encourage more and more sports associations to start bidding to attract such events to our shores and that the tourism authorities can help to increase the flow of such tourism to Malta. After all, the hosting of internal events will not only enhance the position of the local association among its peers but would also enable it to make some financial gain.

Proposing Malta as a venue is already half way towards succeeding in the bid

An association thinking of bidding to host an international event in Malta needs, first of all, to consider the financial aspects. This means carefully estimating the income and expenditure involved, prepare a bidding proposal, promoting such proposal among voters and/or decision-makers at an annual congress or convention and then, having succeeded in its bid, set up an organising committee or team to handle the accommodation of visiting athletes or delegates and putting the whole event together. Having had direct contract with local sports associations, I do know that some are not at all confident with budgeting, are lost when it gets down to put together the bidding package or have little or no idea at all as to how best to promote Malta as the ideal destination for a conference or a sports event.

This is exactly where the Ministry of Tourism should come in.

The government has a lot to gain from the hosting of such an event and should be prepared to invest in it, if not financially at least by training sports associations on how to deal with the various stages leading to the successful bidding to host an event on the island. Whenever we compete with other countries to attract an event to our shores, we start off with an advantage.

I know, through experience, that proposing Malta as a venue is already half way towards succeeding in the bid.

I am therefore proposing that, perhaps in collaboration with the Malta Sports Council, the Ministry of Tourism would prepare and conduct a short course/seminar for sports association to help them understand better how to make a bid for, plan, finance, negotiate contracts (especially for accommodation) and host an international conference or sporting event.

Anthony Chircop is a former president of the Malta Amateur Athletic Association.