Our history
Formerly known as the ATA – Association of Travel Agents this organisation evolved and transformed itself first as a Federation and later on the 1st January 2004 became FATTA, the Federated Association of Travel & Tourism Agents and absorbed all members of all the former Associations.
The Federation of Associations of Travel and Tourism Agents was formed in March 1996 by four (4) Associations namely:
  • Association of Incoming Tourism Agents (AITA)
  • Malta IATA Agents’ Association (MIAA)
  • Association Of Retail Travel Agents (ARTA)
  • Association Of Tour Organisers – Malta (ATOM)
With each Association looking after the interests of:
  • Incoming Tourism
  • IATA accredited agents
  • Non – IATA outgoing agents
  • Local Tour Operators.

These Associations emerged from the former sections of the Association of Travel Agents – Malta i.e. Handling, IATA, Non-IATA and GSAs. This allowed strength in unity and at the same time gave a measure of autonomy to each Association. After the formation of the umbrella Federation (FATTA) a separate Association was formed calling itself the Destination Management Companies Association, which looked after the interests of the DMCs. The members of the DMCA consisted mainly of agents from AITA-M with the exception of one or two members who came from MITA, the Malta Incoming Tourism Association. These were 4/5 members who did not form part of any other Association. In the course of 1998 an amalgamation of all existing Associations was sought. Discussions were held with the different associations within the industry representing the various interests in an effort to streamline such associations so that they could serve the needs of their members in an improved way. In concluding these discussions all existing Associations were struck off and as a result two new associations were formed:

  • The Malta Association of Incoming Tourism Agents (MAlTA), representing as its name implies those organisations concerned with bringing visitors into Malta both as tourists and conference & incentive business (formerly the Association of Incoming Tourism Agents (AIITA-M), the Destination Management Companies Association (DMCA), and The Malta Association of Travel Agents (MITA)
    and
  • The Malta Association of Travel Agents (MATA) which brought together all those organisations concerned with outgoing travel from Malta (formerly the Malta IATA Agents Association (MIAA), the Association of Retail Travel Agents-Malta (ARTA-M) and the Association of Tour Operators – Malta (ATOM).

 

As a result of these changes it was recognised that in order to reflect the changing times, the Federation also needed to reassess itself and an exercise has been carried out in order to update the Statute of the Federation for it to meet these changes and challenges.