How to set up a travel agency in Malta.

Malta has arguably the most eye-catching and elegant touristry views in the central Mediterranean. These beautiful resorts, hotels, and infrastructure serve as tourist magnets—hence a number of investors find Malta to be the ideal and lucrative destination for opening travel and tour agencies. These agencies provide a range of services which include, however not limited to destination management, incoming tourism facilitation, and excursion organization. 
 
Malta is a very small country and it hardly has mineral reserves, therefore tourism is one of its economical backbones. Upon witnessing the benefits which tourism brought to the country, the Maltese government introduced a set of laws and incentives to govern and aid in the growth and development of tourism in a sustainable fashion. In order to reinforce sustainable development of culture and tourism, the Maltese government implemented the infamous Malta Travel and Tourism Service Act. This act was the brainchild of the Malta Tourism Authority.
 
Types of Tourism licenses in Malta

1. Destination management company license
2. Incoming tourism agent license 
3. Outgoing travel agent license
4. Excursion organizer license 

 
What are the necessary documents needed?
To successfully register a travel agency in Malta, you should meet all the requirements of the MTA board. These requirements are mostly to do with documentation and applicants are required to submit a special application form and an attachment of the following credentials:
● Identification papers
● Criminal record proof
● Operator resume
● Articles of association
 
These documents are mandatory for certification by the Malta Tourism Authority. 
 
Additional requirements
In order to properly and legally function as a travel agency in Malta, you should also complete the following 3 simple steps:

• get a permit issued by MEPA—the board responsible for ensuring that the operator will comply with a set of environmental regulatory laws.
• The next step after getting a compliance certification is to get insurance. 
• It's also required that every operator produce undeniable evidence of their membership in the International Air transport Association if required.

 
Before you start operations, the Licensing Unit of Malta will inspect if the location of your agency is in compliance with its stipulations. As a general rule, in order to be licensed, destination management companies are required to have at least one year experience as an incoming agency in Malta or in the European Union.
 
Professional Assistance
As you might have probably guessed, the aforementioned details aren’t the ultimate—for further details, contact our SIGTAX experts. Our team of accountants, lawyers and consultants will ensure you get all the information you need in setting up a travel agency in Malta.