The Malta Entertainment Industry and Arts Association (MEIA) welcomes the announcement that the Malta Tourism Authority’s sponsorship system is being reformulated, while stressing that any reform must form part of a wider, coherent national strategy for events, entertainment, cultural tourism and the night-time economy.

The comments by Tourism Minister Jo Etienne Abela follow renewed public debate around the funding and impact of large-scale events. The Minister confirmed that the Government is reformulating the way MTA sponsorships are provided, while also emphasising a tourism direction increasingly focused on higher-value visitors.

MEIA considers this review both timely and necessary.

Over recent years, the Association has held a number of meetings and discussions with the Malta Tourism Authority and other public entities regarding the structure, purpose and governance of event sponsorships. These discussions have repeatedly raised a broader question: what national strategy is this public investment ultimately serving?

MEIA has questioned how individual sponsorship decisions fit within Malta’s wider tourism, cultural and economic objectives; how applications are assessed; what criteria determine the level of support awarded and what governance mechanisms are in place to ensure transparency, consistency, accountability and equitable access.

During these discussions, MEIA was informed that certain lower-value sponsorship decisions could be approved at executive level, while larger requests were subject to a separate evaluation structure. The Association subsequently sought further clarification regarding the composition, expertise, criteria and processes informing such decisions.

The issue, however, goes beyond the internal mechanics of one sponsorship programme.

Malta already has a National Tourism Strategy 2021–2030, which places sustainability, social cohesion, product development and diversification among its objectives. The MTA itself has also stated that its sponsorship and marketing budgets are being realigned towards value-added experiences, cultural and heritage-based events and off-peak tourism.

If this is the direction Malta wishes to pursue, event sponsorship cannot operate primarily as a series of isolated funding decisions.

Public investment in events should be connected to measurable national objectives and should consider economic return alongside cultural value, local industry development, seasonality, employment, audience development, destination positioning, community impact, environmental pressures and the long-term development of Malta’s creative and entertainment ecosystem.

We therefore agree with the principle of reform announced by the Minister. However, reform must not simply mean changing who approves sponsorships, moving budgets between entities or introducing a new application mechanism. It should be an opportunity to reconsider what Malta wants its events economy to achieve.

Public funding must form part of a distribution strategy.

MEIA has consistently argued that major-event investment should not be considered in isolation from the wider cultural and entertainment ecosystem.

Earlier this year, following the announcement of the €10 million Large-Scale Events Support Scheme, MEIA publicly called for greater transparency around evaluation, governance and conflicts of interest, while raising concerns about the concentration of substantial public resources within a relatively narrow segment of the events market.

At the time, MEIA specifically called for national events and cultural tourism strategies capable of aligning public investment with long-term cultural, economic and social objectives.

The Association reiterates that position today.

Large international events can make an important contribution to Malta’s tourism offer, international visibility and entertainment economy. The question should not be whether Malta supports major events but how such investment forms part of a balanced ecosystem.

A sustainable distribution model should recognise different scales and functions within that ecosystem: major international events, established Maltese festivals, independent promoters, cultural organisations, grassroots initiatives, emerging producers, live music venues, clubs, performing arts, community events and experimental programming all contribute differently to Malta’s cultural, entertainment and tourism landscape.

Without an overarching framework, Malta risks evaluating individual events without adequately assessing the cumulative effect of public investment or identifying the gaps that remain elsewhere in the ecosystem.

Malta needs an integrated events and night-time economy strategy.

The current discussion should therefore become the catalyst for something considerably more ambitious.

Work towards a national music and night-time economy strategy has just started taking place. Arts Council Malta commissioned Sound Diplomacy to undertake a comprehensive audit of Malta’s music ecosystem and night-time economy, involving research, mapping and stakeholder engagement intended to inform a Malta Music and Night-Time Economy Strategic Plan.

MEIA believes this work must now be connected to a wider national events strategy and translated into coordinated policy and implementation.

Such a framework should address not only funding, but also venues and infrastructure, licensing and permitting, transport, policing and security, noise management, community relations, accessibility, workforce conditions, fair pay, professional standards, audience development, internationalisation, data collection and the economic contribution of the sector.

Crucially, the people working within these industries must be part of designing that framework.

Promoters, producers, artists, cultural organisations, venues, technical professionals, tourism operators, hospitality businesses, local councils, residents and public authorities each experience different aspects of Malta’s events and night-time ecosystem. Reform developed without this expertise risks addressing the administrative mechanism without addressing the structural problem.

MEIA therefore calls for the reform of MTA sponsorships to include meaningful consultation with the professional sector and relevant stakeholders; publication of clear eligibility and evaluation criteria; appropriate sector expertise within evaluation structures; robust conflict-of-interest procedures; greater transparency regarding public funding decisions; measurable economic, cultural, social and community-impact objectives; and coordination between tourism, culture, local government, transport, economic development and other relevant policy areas.

Public sponsorship should not simply answer the question, “Is this event worth funding?” It should answer the much larger question: “What kind of events, cultural and night-time ecosystem are we trying to build for Malta?”

The current reform presents an opportunity to move away from fragmented decision-making and towards a transparent, evidence-based and long-term framework that recognises events, culture, entertainment and the night-time economy as interconnected parts of Malta’s social and economic infrastructure.

MEIA remains ready to contribute constructively to this process, towards a system that supports tourism objectives while strengthening local professionals, communities and the long-term sustainability of Malta’s cultural and entertainment sectors.

Malta does not simply need a revised sponsorship mechanism. It needs a clear vision for what public investment in events is intended to achieve, who it should benefit and how that investment contributes to the country we want to build.