Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo officially meets with Association of Catering Establishment

The Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection, Clayton Bartolo, officially met with the Association of Catering Establishment (ACE), which represents around 400 operators within the catering sector, locally.

Minister Bartolo remarked that organisations such as ACE are the lifeblood of the tourism industry, adding that he acknowledges and understands the ongoing challenges faced by operators in the sector who strive to give the best possible service to tourists and locals alike.

“I understand that the pandemic has not helped the sector, on the contrary, it disrupted the operations of the tourism sector. It is no secret that without the Government’s help, with schemes such as the wage supplement and vouchers, the situation today would be very different from what we are facing today,” he said.

He also said that during this time for the tourism sector, organisations must forego tribal politics.

President of ACE, Reuben Buttigieg, spoke of the assistance being granted by Government as providing much-needed courage to the sector, and it's important to ensure that economic activity continues to be generated during the Christmas period and beyond.

“As an association, we are looking to the future to collaborate more with Government, while also continuing discussions to ensure long-term sustainability within our industry,” he concluded.