VisitMalta, Manchester United renew partnership deal

VisitMalta will once again be the official Destination Partner of Manchester United Football Club as the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) and the Club have announced they are renewing their partnership agreement with the Club. Manchester United and Malta have a strong connection, characterized by a long history with Malta proudly hosting the oldest international Manchester United supporters’ club.

Through this partnership agreement, the VisitMalta brand will benefit from strong exposure during the Club’s home matches and digital marketing channels, social media and also on printed media worldwide.

The news of the renewal was announced at a special press event held at Old Trafford in Manchester, in the presence of Clayton Bartolo, Minister for Tourism, Anthony Gatt, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry for Tourism, and Carlo Micallef, CEO of the MTA.

“Reaffirming VisitMalta as the Official Destination Partner of Manchester United will lead to an increase in visibility and marketing coordination on an unprecedented level for the Maltese Islands not just in Europe but in other long-haul markets such as America, Asia and the Middle East. I am optimistic that this partnership agreement will cement Malta’s prospects in establishing itself as a central hub for sports tourism excellence in the years to come,” said Clayton Bartolo.

 Carlo Micallef said: “During the months of the pandemic, the MTA had to think out of the box to maximize the potential of this partnership, in a time when sport worldwide was at a standstill. This was done through various initiatives, of a digital nature, aimed at giving visibility, engagement and exposure to the beauty of the Maltese Islands across Manchester United’s fanbase around the world, especially in the Asian region, where Manchester United is recognized as one of the strongest sports clubs.

“As we go into the next five years of this partnership agreement, we look forward to exploring previously-untapped opportunities to continue maximizing on this international partnership.”

Manchester United’s Director of Alliances and Partnerships, Ali Edge, said: “Manchester United and Malta share such a rich history and we are delighted to be continuing our partnership with VisitMalta. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved during the first years of the partnership, especially during a time where international travel was restricted, and we look forward to continuing this successful partnership for many years to come.”

Manchester United’s Partnership Performance Director, Liam McManus, said: “Since launching the VisitMalta partnership together we have has successfully provided continual top of mind awareness for Malta as a premium travel destination. This helped to build a strong foundation to ideally position Malta to rebound from a period of disruption and quickly recover post-pandemic.”

VisitMalta will also continue to encourage Manchester United fans from all over the world to explore the beauty and versatility of the Maltese Islands thanks to specifically-targeted travel offers made available on visitmalta.com.

“VisitMalta will be extending the Manchester United experience making it available to up and coming local football players thanks to collaborations with the Manchester United Soccer Schools, building on the experience which we have given to young local footballers last year,” Carlo Micallef added.