Amitex travel fair the biggest yet

The 10th edition of Air Malta's International Travel Exhibition (Amitex) is to be held at the Trade Fair Grounds, in Naxxar between March 28 - 30.

Amitex 2003 - 10 years of Travel Opportunities, will form a climax to the airline's 10 years of service to the local travelling industry and travellers in general, particularly the outgoing market, group head marketing and PR John Saliba yesterday told a news conference.

Bigger than ever before, this year's Amitex has 39 local exhibitors and 42 foreign participants.

As in previous editions the fair will be displaying a wide range of travel-related services, offering the public a wide array of opportunities under one roof.

Since its inception in 1994, the fair has served to improve incoming and outgoing tourism and to enhance and further develop tourism products, Mr Saliba said.

Group head commercial Martin Rossignaud said that Air Malta's 46 destinations this summer include the new routes of St Petersburg, Madrid, Helsinki, Bucharest and Porto.

To stimulate outgoing tourism, Air Malta would be making available a number of special offers and would issue special Flyaway Tours packages for the summer, he said.

As usual, Amitex will be enriched with a programme of local and foreign entertainment, the latter brought over to Malta from various Flyaway Tours destinations.

There will be the second edition of the International Folk Festival in which eight foreign animation groups will be taking part in a competition judged by local and foreign judges.

Participants this year hail from Turkey, Russia, Czech Republic, Nigeria, Italy, Bulgaria, Greece and Cyprus.

Visitors to the fair will also be able to meet Malta's Song for Europe winner Lynn Chircop, who will be performing at the fair on March 29. Mike Spiteri and Friends will perform on March 30 for the Amitex 2003 Grand Finale.

Fair ticket buyers can win one a one-week holiday for two to Malaysia, including air tickets and accommodation; two Air Malta tickets to Milan including transfers and bed and breakfast accommodation for two in Livigno for seven nights; and one Air Malta ticket to Rome including bed and breakfast accommodation for seven nights in Tuscany.

Other prizes include a weekend break for two on half board basis at the Grand Hotel Mercure Coralia Selmun Palace, two nights' accommodation for two in a double sea-view executive room on bed and breakfast basis at the Hilton Malta, two return tickets to Sicily by catamaran and a Sunday buffet lunch for two at the Grand Hotel Mercure Coralia Selmun Palace.

The fair was last year visited by 40,000 people.