The Maltese hospitality sector continues to be a beacon of opportunity and excellence, thanks in part to initiatives such as the YYY Malta Competition.
The prestigious event brings together the island’s most talented hospitality professionals, including young chefs, waiters and mixologists, for a two-day competition that celebrates customer service and creativity in their relevant areas and ensures these valuable skills do not die out.
The most recent competition, held in January, attracted the most promising stars in Malta’s hospitality industry. The event kicked off with an industry networking day, bringing together some of Malta’s most iconic hotel companies and meeting with competitors and judges. Following the competition itself, an awards evening took place where the winners were announced.
Lucy Paulusma won the Young Waiter Award; Alessandro Raneri was named Young Chef winner and Ivelin Ivanov was named Young Mixologist winner. These young stars won a subsidized trip to London and the opportunity to take part in the global YYY competition.
Promoting Maltese talent and ensuring that valuable skills do not die out.
The YYY Malta Competition. is an important platform to support young Maltese workers in a highly competitive and evolving industry. The Maltese hospitality sector remains one of the strongest in Europe, contributing significantly to the national economy, accounting for 15% of GDP and offering numerous career opportunities in leading restaurants and hotels.
Shortly before Christmas, the Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Borg hospitality professionals in St. Paul’s Bay and St. Julian’s, including the AX Odycy. Over the Christmas period, 32,000 professionals worked in Malta’s 450 hotels, welcoming people from all over the world to the island during the festive period. The Abela government’s aim to support the Maltese hospitality industry, which is still recovering from the pandemic, is an encouraging sign for an industry that could have so easily died out without government support. More broadly, a recent report showed that 96% of Maltese graduates found employment in 2023, higher than the EU average of 83.5%. At the top of the list of positions to be filled are chefs, and the success of YYY will undoubtedly have helped fill this need.
The Malta Tourism Authority and the Malta Visual Non-Visual Network have also worked together to provide training for tourism and hospitality workers to better understand how to create a more inclusive environment for blind and partially sighted people in the hospitality sector. The MVNV is led by Bridget Micallef, who is instrumental in shaping collaboration to create a more inclusive and welcoming hospitality sector.
Training courses from institutions such as the Institute of Tourism Studies (ITS) have contributed significantly to raising the quality of Maltese hospitality. The ITS offers courses from foundation level to master’s degree. ITS recently announced a partnership with the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, the most prestigious hospitality training institution in the Middle East.
db Group: Malta’s largest hospitality employer
Renowned culinary personalities served as judges for the competition, including Paul Greening, head of the db Group culinary team, as well as Michelin-starred chefs Andrew Borg and Christian Cali. Greening is deeply committed to nurturing the next generation of hospitality professionals and sharing its expertise and passion to nurture young talent.
At the heart of Malta’s hospitality success story is db Group, the island’s largest hospitality provider. Founded in 1984 by Silvio Debono with a small guest house, the company has grown into an international company with multi-million dollar sales. The db Group has become synonymous with quality, excellent customer service and authentic Mediterranean hospitality.
db Group’s influence now extends beyond Malta, with its recent expansion into the UK market with Aki, a Japanese restaurant that has quickly become a favorite on the London dining scene. This international success underlines the db Group’s pursuit of excellence and its role as a respected employer that offers young specialists exciting career paths.
Promoting young talent and industry cooperation
The YYY competition highlights the importance of private sector collaboration in supporting young talent. By bringing together industry leaders, competitors and mentors, the event fosters a community committed to excellence and growth. This collaboration is crucial in an industry that faces challenges but is also full of opportunities.
As Malta continues to be a popular destination for wealthier visitors, both holidaymakers and investors, the island’s next generation of hospitality professionals is well placed to serve even the most demanding customers.
