Four international festivals that were cancelled due to COVID-19 fears had been classified as “low risk” by a World Health Organisation matrix, the tourism minister has said.

Julia Farrugia Portelli was speaking to Times of Malta amid calls for her resignation following a spike in the number of coronavirus cases in recent weeks.

In a wide-ranging interview, she defended her decision to stay on, insisting she needed to ensure that the country moved forward in its fight against the pandemic, while protecting the livelihoods of thousands who depended on tourism.

“Should all tourism, health and prime ministers across the world resign? The WHO had said that the way Malta fought COVID-19 in the first four months was exemplary for the rest of the world – this same successful team is the same team of people taking decisions right now,” she said.

Farrugia Portelli said that the tourism authority allowed marketing support to the four cancelled festivals after a WHO matrix classifed these events as "low risk".

Anyone who was to attend the festivals would have had to present a certificate showing they were COVID19-free, and they would have also been traced through an electronic ID, she said.

The decision to cancel them following “the furore about parties” was a collective one, Farrugia Portelli said. 

However, she would not say how much money will go into covering the marketing efforts of the organisers. 

Scroll down for the Q&A

According to the government everything is under control. Yet, Malta has had travel restrictions placed on it by over a dozen European countries, and our amber list has only three European countries. How do you explain this?

Every decision about this list is based on the advice of the Superintendence of Public Health, and is taken collectively by Prof. Charmaine Gauci, Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and Prime Minister Robert Abela. Malta has also imposed restrictions on other destinations such as the US, despite it being an emerging market for Malta. 

During discussions at cabinet level, have you, in your capacity as a minister, demanded that every incoming traveller is tested?

I raised this issue during various meetings. I follow the health authorities’ advice and we will now be asking for negative tests from those arriving from countries on the amber list. If they don’t have this certification, they will be tested at the airport. When airports initially opened, several countries were not carrying out any tests while others used tests that according to our local doctors are unreliable. 

Are you worried about the impact of these travel restrictions on our economy?

At this stage, it is important that we give the maximum attention to the public’s health. There have been countries who questioned our decision to put them on the red list. I can understand their sentiment: when countries started reopening their airports there were some that put Malta on their red list because of our high number of testing.

The WHO has always insisted that the secret to the COVID-19 fight is testing. Had we not carried out so many tests, we would not have been able to identify so many cases and isolate them. That principle will remain: when it comes to health and the economy, we will not give in an inch to allow the economy to win over health. It does not matter if a country says it will ban travelling from Malta because of the number of cases. What is important is that we have control of the situation and continue putting people’s minds at rest. 

More than a dozen EU countries have slapped restrictions on Malta over the surge in COVID-19 cases. Map: Christian Busuttil

When airports reopened you encouraged tourists to visit Malta as we had mechanisms in place. Do you still believe these mechanisms worked?

The restaurants and hotels mechanisms worked excellently. We had a set of clear protocols and the absolute majority of the public and those who work in the industry followed our direction. The airport protocols also worked. The mechanisms of the public health – where we were and still are among the countries with the highest rate of testing – also worked. 

There are countries, like New Zealand, whose airports remained closed but still experienced a spike. This is something that the world over is experiencing: does this mean that the system adopted by different countries failed?  It is the same question that every country asks itself all the time in order to adapt where necessary. 

In our case, however, we experienced a substantial increase when we opened the airport. 

During the first two weeks and a half there were no cases linked to the opening of our airport. 

There were clusters linked to parties and mass events. In hindsight, do you regret pushing for parties and mass events?

Mass events are not just parties, but could be weddings and feasts, holy communion, and confirmation celebrations. Did this fall under the responsibility of the Tourism Ministry? No. 

But the ministry and the MTA promoted mass events such as parties. 

The MTA was not responsible for any party held in Malta. The party that was discussed by the public was held by a private person in a private hotel. At that point in time, the organiser did not legally need any permission from the tourism or the police authorities to hold the party. A cluster of 20 people who tested positive was eventually traced to this party. There were much larger clusters linked to events such as the Santa Venera feast. 

MTA decided to provide marketing support for four parties (that were eventually cancelled), after the WHO’s standard matrix, approved by the health authorities, classified these events as ‘low risk’. Every partygoer would have had to present a certificate showing they were COVID19-free, and would have had an electronic ID so that they could be traced.

The tourism authority was also informed about the transport these people would have used to get to the party venue. Despite the fact that these events were up until last week still allowed and would have injected €25 million into the economy, we decided to cancel the events.

Why were they cancelled if they were low risk?

That is a collective decision we took following the furore about parties.

So the decision was taken because of people’s reaction to previous parties?

It would still not have been possible for them to be held because of new regulations.

Many expressed disappointment that their marketing costs would be covered by the MTA and therefore taxpayers’ money. How much money has been claimed so far?

MTA has a yearly budget to market Malta abroad… MTA’s main source is not parties. God forbid Malta, as a destination, relied solely on parties. Malta has a diversified product as reflected in the marketing strategy.

Some of the main markets we invest in are diving, culture and art, short city breaks, weddings and adventure travel. The fraction allocated to such events is a small one when compared to the rest.

But is there a maximum budget? 

There is a maximum budget. I feel that if it is revealed during this interview it would put our country at a disadvantage when, once this phase is over, we enter into marketing negotiations. However, the amount doesn’t run in the millions. 

Former Prime Minister Alfred Sant recently criticised Malta’s tourism policy, saying it lacked coherence: we are after upmarket tourism while at the same time pushing for parties. 

The perception that was built around mass events does not reflect reality. Pre-COVID-19 we were looking at a more upmarket tourism tied to relaxation, family and adventure trips. The idea that Malta will be another Ibiza certainly does not fall in line with the philosophy of the tourism authority.

What is your reaction to claims by Medical Association Malta that the Tourism Ministry caused the spread of the pandemic in Malta?

The Tourism Minister does not wake up in the morning and take decisions. Decisions are exclusively signed by three people [Gauci, Fearne and Abela]. The Tourism Ministry works within the limit of the law.

What about calls for your resignation?

I took note of PD’s call for resignation and will not enter into political arguments to score political points… in my capacity as tourism minister I need to ensure the country moves forward in its fight against COVID-19 and protect the livelihood of thousands of people who depend on tourism.

If you ask me whether I should resign because of the spike in cases, I ask: should all tourism, health and prime ministers across the world resign? The WHO said that the way Malta fought COVID-19 in the first four months was exemplary for the rest of the world – this same successful team is the same team of people taking decisions right now.

Looking forward: what is the plan for the rest of summer?
As the UNWTO declared, tourism is facing the biggest challenge in recent years. Malta is no exception. Before reopening our airport, we set the target for incoming passengers until the end of the year at 700,000. We are now at 692,000 incoming passenger movements. 

This interview has been edited and condensed for length.