MICE: More than just numbers | Rodrick Zerafa

Rodrick Zerafa is CEO at Servizzi Ewropej Malta

Conference tourism has an outsized economic impact. Business visitors tend to spend more than double the average tourist, and this premium spending has driven overall tourism revenue to an impressive €3.3 billion in 2024—a 23% year-on-year increase. Importantly, it’s also flattening seasonality with major events hosted in the quieter months. Hotels report occupancy spikes of up to 20% between October and March.

These results aren’t just impressive—they’re sustainable. They show what happens when a country shifts from volume to value, focusing on quality, resilience, and long-term return.

Over the past few years, the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) sector has moved from post-pandemic recovery to record performance. While tourist arrivals in 2024 reached a record 3.56 million, 172,463 of those visitors travelled for business and professional purposes—an increase of 10% from the previous year. This increase speaks volumes about the growing international confidence in Malta as an event destination.

The importance of this shift goes well beyond top-line figures. Conference tourism has proven to be a resilient and profitable sector. Delegates don’t just attend events but invest in the country. A 2022 study by E-Cubed Consultants revealed that the SiGMA conference alone generated enough activity to sustain around 950 jobs across multiple sectors for an entire year. This isn’t an isolated case. Malta has successfully hosted several high-profile international gatherings, including the Finance Malta Conference, the WestMED Blue Economy Stakeholder Conference, the Mediterranean Tourism Forum, the EU-Startups Summit, and the ITU Global Innovation Forum. These events do more than fill hotel rooms—they position Malta as a serious player in innovation, finance, and global collaboration.

Supporting this growth is an events infrastructure that has steadily matured. Over recent years, upgrades to several key facilities have created the capacity to host large-scale events with world-class technical setups, while still showcasing Malta’s unique architectural charm and cultural heritage.

These venues don’t operate in isolation. They’re part of a broader ecosystem that includes high-standard accommodation, experienced logistics providers, and a hospitality sector that consistently punches above its weight. The collective ability to deliver seamless, high-quality experiences is one of the island’s greatest assets in the international events market.

Yet for all the progress made, the next step in Malta’s journey is clear—it’s time to think bigger, more permanently. As international demand grows and event formats become increasingly ambitious, the case for a purpose-built national conference centre with a seating capacity exceeding 5,000 becomes stronger. A modern facility designed with scale, sustainability, and future-proofing in mind would not only relieve pressure on existing infrastructure but also position Malta to attract global flagship events that currently bypass smaller destinations.

This kind of success doesn’t happen by chance. It stems from a long-term vision to elevate the quality of Malta’s tourism product. Through ongoing support for conferences and expos, the Malta Tourism Authority has played a central role in nurturing this sector, helping it mature into one of the most lucrative pillars of the tourism economy.

This sector is also helping to attract long-term investment. Several fintech and blockchain companies that first visited Malta as conference attendees have since opened offices here. These are clear signs that the MICE industry is not just generating income—it is shaping the future of Malta’s economic base.