Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo scored a spectacular own goal when he decided to don a Manchester United training jacket to watch a match between the club’s women’s team and that of Birkirkara F.C.
As expected, he was bitterly criticised on social media. And he very well deserved it for, apart from being a Maltese national, he happens to be the tourism minister whose main job is to promote Malta.
His stand contrasts sharply with the historic event immortalised in Rużar Briffa’s poem Jum ir-Rebħ (Day of Triumph) when Maltese football fans sang the national anthem themselves because it was omitted when Malta played Hajduk Split in March 1945.
“A Maltese minister backing a foreign team,” was one of the comments posted on the social media. “At the very least, wear a Birkirkara T-shirt, not a United one,” was another.
His disappointing conduct certainly unbecoming a minister, Bartolo’s failure to fly the Maltese flag – literally and metaphorically – justifiably raises eyebrows. It is not so much the faux pas but what it implies: letting his passion prevail over his official duties brings his overall performance into question and gives rise to doubts about certain decisions he made or will make. Like renewing a sponsorship deal with Manchester United to promote the island as a tourist destination.
Given his blunder, the minister should lose no time in publishing the studies one hopes were conducted to sustain such decision. He should also consider publishing the partnership agreement itself, which remains under wraps on the premise of commercial sensitivity.
It was reported that the original deal, first signed in September 2019, cost Malta about €20 million, though the government had said the actual figure was nowhere near that.
But, as long as the contract remains locked in the minister’s drawer, the public will never know what exactly they are paying for nor the real benefits they should expect in return. They have only been told Malta enjoys extensive sponsorship rights to advertise the VisitMalta brand on a number of channels and platforms.
Neither can they know whether the deal provides for the use of, say, private boxes and hospitality suites at Old Trafford or access to tickets. If it does, the public would have the right to know whether the facility is made use of, how often and by whom.
Also, one cannot be blamed for wondering whether a top-level delegation, led by the minister himself, needed to travel to Manchester to sign the renewal deal.
But, then again, spending money and going over budget does not worry Bartolo.
Official figures show the Malta Tourism Authority overshot its 2021 budget by €19.5 million. The minister considers that an “investment”. However, he seems to forget that, in 2020 – before his time, admittedly – parliament’s public accounts committee was looking into how the MTA dishes out hefty sums to sponsor certain events. It was spared further embarrassment when the PAC turned its sights to the Electrogas deal.
Bartolo is happy with what is happening in the tourism industry, with the number of tourist arrivals, events being hosted and the marketing. He must be either unaware of or ignoring the latest study by Deloitte about Malta’s carrying capacity.
“Improved tourism management and focused investments are required to sustain growth,” Deloitte said. It noted Malta needs to welcome about 4.7 million tourists a year if accommodation occupancy is to reach 80 per cent throughout the whole year.
The prime minister needs to have a word with Bartolo. Or ask him to put on his Manchester United track suit and sit in the dugout.