ITS to temporarily move to former Air Malta offices until project at Smart City is complete
The Institute for Tourism Studies will temporarily move to the former Air Malta offices in Luqa. This is an interim relocation until the Institute of Tourism Studies is permanently set up at the new campus in Smart City.
Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi explained that the new ITS campus in smart city will be set up and running by 2021. He said that despite the agreement to make the move, the government felt it had to provide a site which can serve as a temporary campus. The government looked into various possibilities including the school on Mtarfa, a site in Marsa and White Rocks. However, after consultation, the site which was earmarked as ideal was the old offices of Air Malta in Luqa.
The Minister said that the government will not be paying for this move as it is sponsored by the DB Group. Mizzi said the Ministry held consultation meetings with MUT and GWU before the move was decided upon.
The old Air Malta offices are government owned and sit on 8,000 square metres as opposed to 4,500 square metres. There is also the possibility to expand the campus if the need arises. The site also has ample space for parking.
Students will start attending ITS in Luqa as from October next year.
Replying to questions by journalists, the Minister said that the DB Group funding will be independent of the current permit being evaluated for the new hotel in St Julian’s. "Whether the permit will be given or not, DB Group will still pay for the move," he added. The Minister did not say how much will the relocation cost.
The current ITS campus is split between a building in Pembroke and another one in St Julian’s. The campus can currently accommodate 700 students. Mizzi said that the government had announced, back in 2015, that it intends to have the ITS relocated so that the institute is able to host more students. The new ITS site in Smart City will be able to accommodate more than 2,000 students.
The discussions on the accession of land at Smart City will be concluded soon, he said while further consultation with the relevant unions and staff will be held.