Prime Minister Robert Abela praised the tourism sector as one that “leads to social progress” during an ceremony to lay the first stone of the new Hard Rock Hotel in St Julian’s.

The entire project on the former ITS site is expected to cost the developer, DB Group, and its partners around €300 million.

That investment, said Dr Abela, will contribute to the improvement of Malta’s tourism product.

He described the investment as one that is “in the right direction” with a focus on quality, with a vision of a tourism sector that can generate strong value with fewer arrivals.

Malta’s tourism sector is on track to have another record-breaking year, with over 3 million tourists spending an estimated €3 billion by the end of 2024.

The Prime Minister emphasised that the sector must not only look at sheer numbers, but also act as a catalyst for social progress and a driver of sustainable development that benefits the country.

"We are confident that Malta and Gozo are able to give more quality product to tourists,” he said, highlighting the importance of attracting valuable investments that raise the country’s profile and showcase what it has to offer.

Dr Abela concluded by confirming the Government’s support for the sector through its investment in infrastructure and sustainable growth that continues to inject strength into the tourism and hospitality industries by raising standards.

The five-star Hard Rock Hotel Malta will feature 394 rooms, most having balconies overlooking the Mediterranean, and 25 suites with a private pool. The hotel integrates the architecture of the original 1860 British military accommodation quarters.

It will also feature private and public pools, a Rock Spa®, and a Body Rock® fitness centre, set to be among Malta’s largest.

“We want people to come here and go wherever their imagination takes them,” said DB Group Chairman Silvio Debono. “They can live here, stay at the Hard Rock Hotel for incredible service, dine at any of our 12 restaurants, swim, shop at Malta’s best high-end mall, go to the beach lido, gym, spa, take a seaside walk, feast their eyes on the vertical gardens covering our two residential towers and much more. This will not be a place. It will be a destination.”