Berlin, May 2008 – Malta-E-Learning enters a new phase: by means of the online game, ‘Malta by Bus’ the Maltese Tourist Office invites travel agents to get to know the islands of Malta and Gozo in a playful manner. The popular mascot Johnnie Valletti, best known to participants of the Malta training as their virtual instructor, serves as the bus driver.

The new module aims at winning new participants for the training as well as prompting long-established fans of Malta to finish outstanding exams and to revise old material. The Malta Bus Game runs in connection with the Malta training (www.malta-schulung.de), which since its start in October 2003 has registered an ever-increasing rate of participation.

Further information on the Malta Bus Game can be found in the corresponding Case Study Malta Bus Game.

If you’d like to try out the Malta Bus Game, click here!

The successful Malta E-learning programme was once again (being) nominated for the European E-Learning Award "EureLea": The Willy-Scharnow-Stiftung for Tourism nominated the learning programme for the Willy-Scharnow-Award 2004 (with) which each year honours special performance, innovative projects and consistent commitment in the field of education and further training (are acknowledged every year).
"We are glad about the new nomination by the Willy-Scharnow-Stiftung and about the big success of the learning programme because it shows how important it is to look for high quality”, said Juliane Metz, Project Manager at Grafenstein.

The number of participants in the Malta E-learning programme, which has been online since October 2003, is increasing steadily: by now, over 3,000 travel agents make use of the training offer of the Tourist Board. Thus, the Malta E-Learning programme has the highest number of participants after those in Ireland, Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

The Maltese Tourist Authority is very satisfied with the success. "We are very proud of our E-learning and will definitely expand it further", commented Joseph Galea, Director of MTA in Frankfurt.


www.malta-schulung.de

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:

As one of three finalists, the Malta E-Learning has been nominated for the European E-Learning Award that will be awarded during the LEARNTEC (the European congress and trade fair for education and information technology) on 14 February 2005. The award is offered by the government of the Land Baden-Württemberg and will be assigned by an international jury for the Europe-wide most outstanding application of electronic and multi-media based study methods.
Juliane Metz, the Malta E-Learning’s project manager at Grafenstein, will present the E-Learning at the Workshop « European E-Learning Award: Best Practice – award-winning applications » at the LEARNTEC on 15 February.

We are glad about the nomination. It confirms our concept that intents to work out the subject matter didactically – for every costumer in an individual way – and to create a learning aid of high quality using an ideal technical solution.

Since October 2003, the Malta E-Learning is accessible on the Website www.malta-schulung.de. 2300 expedients have already used the E-Learning to acquire detailed knowledge about the destination Malta and its products and have thereby increased actively their quality as travel consultant and their turnover.

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:

At the beginning of 2005, the new "Malta Magazin" will be published instead of the Malta Salesguide. It differs from the Malta Salesguide by addressing both travel agents and consumers. It also introduces a revised concept with features, interviews and insider tips on Malta’s best-kept secrets. Among others, there will be a contribution on Malta-eLearning, a programme which, since October 2003, has provided training for more than 1800 travel agents on that holiday destination (www.malta-schulung.de).
Of course, readers won’t have to renounce the popular information section of the Salesguide. Thus, the new magazine will prove to be an indispensable tool for both travel agents and tourists preparing their holiday in Malta!

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:

Following the positive response to Malta-eLearning, the Maltese Tourist Board has decided to continue with the programme and thus developed a further seminar and large-scale competition in cooperation with Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung GmbH, called "Profi-Test".
While the first five seminars mainly covered background knowledge of tourist destinations, the sixth will focus on the various services on offer by German tour operators and their Maltese business partners (i.e. hotels, incoming agencies, sports facilities, language schools etc.). The product seminar will be continually updated in the coming weeks and months with new products as they appear.

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:

Due to its overwhelming success, and demand from enthusiastic graduates, a continuation of the Malta Online Seminar is already in preparation for June 2004.

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:

The online seminar is designed and set up by Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung and has been online since 1 October 2003. In that short time it has become one of the most popular web-based training courses for agents. Currently 1,800 agents are in training, while a further 500 have already finished the course and gained the title “Malta Travel Expert”. MTA presented the web seminar at this year’s ITB, where the top three winners from the first round received their prizes.



Participants love the clarity and design of the course, which offers a perfect combination of small teaching units with superb pictures, slide shows, language and cookery courses, and quizzes and games to test the learned knowledge.

Participants are guided from module to module by our mascot Grand Master Johnnie Valletti, who our enthusiastic Malta students and experts have come to love. Johnnie tells how the Knights of Malta came to the island, reveals the secret of Malta’s beginnings, teaches our students Maltese, dives through the screen, rides a bicycle, and is pleased every time a question is answered correctly. Apart from the tests that have to be passed, agents can use the funscores to measure their knowledge against the other participants.
This way learning is fun.

The knowledge database has established itself as an often-used tool for agents’ daily work. It provides up-to-the-minute downloadable information on all your questions about Malta holidays.

The e-learning community loves to meet up at the regular expert chat sessions, where you can ask tourism professionals or TV stars about their special recommendations and personal tips for Malta. FTI’s head, Dietmar Gunz, and Pierre Geisensetter have already faced the inquisitive questioners.



In response to the great demand, preparations are already in full swing to launch new modules for the e-learning platform, and accompanying events. The next stage is planned for May 2004.

Have we awakened your curiosity? Would you like to try it yourself?

At www.malta-schulung.de you can log on as a guest and convince yourself of the quality of our concept.

User name: guest
Password: guest

We have the ideal e-learning solution for your training needs. We would be pleased to make you an offer customized to your requirements, and look forward to hearing from you. Please contact:

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung GmbH
Juliane Metz or Frank Grafenstein
Kaunstr. 21
14163 Berlin

Phone: 030 80 49 12 57
Fax: 030 80 49 12 58
or
jm@grafenstein.net

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:



MTA took a plasma screen to the ITB to show interested agents its new online seminar, designed and created by Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung GmbH. Its participation statistics are impressive. The time and cost-saving training system is used by 1,750 registered agents, and 500 have already passed the examination that allows them to call themselves “Malta Travel Experts”.
The seminar has developed into an indispensable Maltese knowledge pool for agents.

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:

The first e-learning-platform designed and constructed by Grafenstein in order to communicate knowledge on Malta has been online since 1 October 2003 - with resounding success.
More than 1,300 participants have registered so far and actively use the platform to extend their expertise.

Grafenstein Freizeit- und Tourismuswerbung:

The completely updated second edition of the Malta Sales Guide came right on time for the ITB 2004. It complements the successful Malta Online Seminar, which kicked off in October 2003. During the coming year MTA’s brochures Malta Holiday Hints” and Malta Sales Guide will be merged into the magazine Malta Holiday, aimed equally at consumers, agents and operators.