Meet in Malta

The historic island in the middle of the Mediterranean is ready for gatherings – here is some inspiration for your next get together

- TOM OTLEY

For those who appreciate history, Malta has all you could wish for in a destination, and probably much more than the Maltese wanted for themselves. Sieges, wars, ancient orders of Knights and attacking Ottomans, it has a maritime history stretching back into the mists of time with the Phoenicians and Carthaginians and would always have been a natural stopping-off point between Italy and North Africa.

During the Second World War, Malta was the most bombed place on earth, enduring a near-continuous attack in 1942 lasting 154 days. Its museums have lasting tributes to the heroism of the Maltese, and the whole island was given the George Cross for valour by King George VI, which can be viewed in the National War Museum in Valletta, its capital.

Today, Malta is a tourist destination – still, there’s a lot of competition in Europe for tourists, and Malta’s beaches aren’t its strongest point when compared with, say, Sardinia or Ibiza. Instead what you get is a unique mix of history, language and identity, the result of its geographical position in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea.

This also makes it perfectly placed as a meeting point, with flights landing at Malta International airport from major hubs across Europe and the Gulf. On arrival, the fabulously scenic destinations of Valletta, Mdina, Rabat and the Three Cities on the other side of the Grand Harbour will seduce first-time visitors and remind regulars of the distinctive appeal of this destination.