Thomas Cook agent Clare Donovan won a trip to Malta courtesy of the Malta Tourism Authority and Travel Weekly. Here she reveals her tips for selling the destination to families.
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Malta is popular with many of our customers, but I’d never been. I travelled with my partner, my 10- year-old and my five-year-old and we all loved it.
We stayed at the Hilton Malta in St Julian’s, which was amazing, with a great indoor pool and lovely views overlooking the sea. St Julian’s is worth recommending as a base, with lots of family-friendly restaurants lining the port and spanning all cuisines, from local specialities to Italian and one of the best steaks I’ve ever had!
Malta is an excellent option for families wanting to explore local culture and history, with lots to see on the island. I’d definitely recommend a visit to Fort Rinella (about a 25-minute drive from St Julian’s), which was built to defend the island against attacks and is home to the biggest muzzle-loading gun ever built (at 11m long). There are weapons and military uniforms on display, and we listened to a talk about bayonets – my 10-year-old son thoroughly enjoyed it there.
But my partner’s highlight was scuba diving. There are lots of dive sites around the island, with options to suit all levels and diverse sea-life to explore.
My top tip when it comes to selling the destination would be to cast the net wide. I don’t think there’s anyone Malta wouldn’t suit, whether singles, couples or families with children of any age.
I’d say seven to 10 days is the ideal length of stay. There are lots of excursions clients can do and it offers excellent value, so highlight these factors when selling the destination. It’s also worth emphasising how safe the country is, and how friendly the locals are.
There’s a huge variety of architecture and scenery too – everywhere is beautiful.
