Malta’s hospitality sector urged to embrace change

Malta’s leading hoteliers, investors, and policymakers gathered today to discuss the future of the island’s hospitality industry, highlighting urgent workforce integration, strategic investment, and technological innovation as key drivers for resilience and growth.

The event, ‘Leading Change: People, Technology & Strategy in Malta’s Evolving Hospitality Industry’, organised by Zampa Partners and VB Advocates, provided a platform for industry leaders to examine the sector’s transformation and the strategies required to thrive in a rapidly evolving environment.

The conference opened with a panel that explored the latest workforce trends, talent retention, and integration strategies in Malta’s hospitality sector.

The panel featured Annika Galea, director at Hilton Malta; Karl Schranz, general manager at Recruitment & Quality Talent Ltd; Eric Zahra, CEO of Identità; Pierre Fenech, CEO of ITS; and Michelle Buhagiar, HR senior team leader at Zampa Partners, with Julia Darmanin, associate at VB Advocates, serving as moderator.

A central theme was the urgent need to integrate non-EU workers that now dominate the Maltese hospitality workforce.

Panellists noted that while Malta has traditionally relied on local and EU labour, recent shortages have created critical gaps.

Third-country nationals (TCNs) are increasingly filling this gap, and their successful integration is essential for maintaining service quality, ensuring workforce retention, and supporting long-term sector growth. Discussions also highlighted Malta’s evolving labour migration policy, which encourages employers to prioritise local and EU staff while recognising the value of skilled non-EU workers.

Beyond workforce issues, the conference explored capital, ownership, and financial structures shaping the hospitality landscape. Panellists Paul Pisani (president, Verdi Hotels), Albert Bonello (MD, AX Group), Daniel Grima (MD, G3 Group), and Karl Briffa (partner, VB Advocates) discussed trends in mergers and acquisitions, succession planning, ownership models, and the growing impact of ESG criteria on investor decisions.

“Malta’s hospitality sector must embrace strategic investment and governance if we want to remain competitive in a global market,” said Pisani, president of Verdi Hotels.

“This is about building resilient businesses that can adapt to workforce changes and evolving investor expectations.”

A subsequent hospitality finance panel featuring Luca Vella (VB Advocates), Tonio Fenech (Von der Heyden Group), Justin Mizzi (QP), and Mark Bajada (Bajada Lyons Group) explored debt management, ESG considerations, and investor priorities, underscoring the need for operators to adopt innovative financing strategies while meeting evolving stakeholder expectations.

The event also featured keynote presentations on Malta’s tourism strategy and economic outlook. Dr Gordon Cordina, chairperson of Bank of Valletta, provided a strategic outlook for the hospitality and tourism economy, while Dr Marthese Portelli, CEO of the Malta Chamber, outlined growth opportunities and competitiveness strategies for the sector.

Finally, Dr Gege Gatt, CEO of EBO.AI, presented on the role of artificial intelligence and digital transformation as tools to drive operational efficiency and innovation, highlighting how technology will continue to reshape hospitality services in Malta and beyond.

The conference concluded with closing remarks by Matthew Zampa, managing partner at Zampa Partners, who emphasised the importance of holistic approaches to workforce management, financial strategy, and technological adoption in navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead.

“The integration of diverse talent, strategic investment, and adoption of technology are not optional, they are critical for long-term success and sustainability,” Zampa said.