Business Profile
As the national agency for museums, conservation practice and cultural heritage, Heritage Malta is entrusted with the noble mission of guarding Malta’s rich patrimony and keeping it alive by making it accessible to the public.
Tracing its formal origins back to 1903, but officially created by the Cultural Heritage Act of 2002, the agency has three main objectives. It is committed to building a strong emotional connection with the Maltese community, raising our international profile by inspiring and engaging visitors to visit Malta, while at the same time driving the necessary income to ensure the agency’s longevity and self-sustainability.
Heritage Malta proudly manages more than 90 museums and landmarks, national monuments, and underwater sites. Its evergrowing portfolio includes UNESCO-listed archaeological sites, baroque palaces, catacombs, forts, and natural landscapes, that together have shaped not only our extraordinary history but also the spirit of our country – our beliefs, traditions, and life as we know it today.
The agency is at the forefront in positioning the Maltese Islands not just as a cultural destination but also as an exclusive location for international conferences, corporate and private events, and blockbuster Hollywood films. It does not limit itself to providing holistic visitor experiences to the average tourist, but goes the extra mile to create high-end experiences for visitors whose tastes are more refined and whose interests are more specific.
Heritage Malta has also developed several niche markets – for film enthusiasts, for visitors interested in our military history, for those who are into dark tourism, for keen scuba divers with a deep fascination for submerged wrecks, and for epicures with refined gastronomical tastes.
On an international level, Heritage Malta champions dialogue with other cultures through heritage. Through engagement with foreign and local diplomatic missions, the agency seeks relationships across borders by linking past and contemporary issues through cultural diplomatic dialogue. This collaboration takes the form of exchange of cultural artefacts for exhibitions in the respective countries, as well as other initiatives such as joint research programmes, transfer of knowledge between different parties, and the exchange of diversified cultural heritage practitioners and their practices.
Heritage Malta’s work is embodied in its slogan – Part of Us – which reflects the fact that our heritage is ingrained in the identity of each and every one of us. Safeguarding it means ensuring a future not only for prehistoric buildings, baroque palaces and priceless artefacts, but also for the beating heart of a nation.
