FinanceMalta Pivots to Targeted Promotion for 2026

FinanceMalta has announced a significant shift in its promotional approach for 2026, moving away from broad international exposure towards a more targeted, quality-driven strategy designed to deliver measurable results.

Speaking at FinanceMalta’s first members meeting of the year at the Phoenicia Hotel, Chief

Strategy Officer Dr Bernice Buttigieg outlined plans to redirect resources towards local initiatives and structured familiarisation visits for investors and key decision-makers.

“Resources will be redirected to initiatives designed to deliver higher-quality results, in line with the theme of our recent annual conference, Quality over Quantity,” Dr Buttigieg said, adding that FinanceMalta would place greater emphasis on equipping members and associations with the tools needed to promote Malta effectively in priority markets.

Chairman George Vella echoed the call for a collective effort, urging members to strengthen their own marketing activities. “Malta's long-term credibility depends not only on FinanceMalta's work but also on the collective collaboration of all stakeholders to maintain a top-level quality of service,” he said.

Among the key initiatives for the year ahead, FinanceMalta will expand the use of targeted

familiarisation visits short, which are structured programmes offering direct exposure to Malta's financial services ecosystem, including engagement with regulators and other stakeholders. Geographically, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, and other European jurisdictions remain core markets. Engagement with the Gulf and Singapore will continue, while opportunities in the United

States will be selectively explored following consultations with the Board, the Malta Financial

Services Authority (MFSA), and the Malta Financial Services Advisory Council (MFSAC). Dr Buttigieg also highlighted ongoing work within the MFSAC, including a capital markets

benchmarking study by Simmons & Simmons and an HR trends analysis by the University of

Malta, expected to inform Malta's Vision 2050 workforce strategy.

“Our focus remains on delivering higher-quality, measurable outcomes, reinforcing Malta's

credibility as a leading international financial centre,” Dr Buttigieg concluded.