MHRA says tourism should be steered towards a higher course
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) said Saturday it acknowledged the tourism boom of the past decade as a significant boost to Malta’s economy, generating substantial revenue and creating jobs. However, the rapid growth has led
The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) said Saturday it acknowledged the tourism boom of the past decade as a significant boost to Malta’s economy, generating substantial revenue and creating jobs. However, the rapid growth has led to overcrowded destinations across Malta and Gozo. We are also witnessing an increasing amount of anti-social behaviour raising its head.
Back in 2022, MHRA presented Deloitte’s Carrying Capacity Study, highlighting that an uncontrolled influx of tourists, projected at a clearly unsustainable 4.7 million to cope with the current pipeline of hotels, would severely strain infrastructure, damage sites, and frustrate both residents and visitors. MHRA warned the government about these potential impacts, yet our concerns were not heeded. Last year, MHRA also put forward several suggestions to the government on tackling sustainable tourism through policy and enforcement. However, to date, we have received no feedback on these proposals. MHRA’s concerns remain that these issues will harm the hospitality sector and diminish tourism’s economic benefits.
Tony Zahra, President of MHRA, said, “These challenges won’t be resolved on their own. It’s crucial for tourism stakeholders to collaborate on managing current and future visitor flows by emphasizing return on investment as individual enterprises and as a destination as a whole.”
MHRA called on the Government to prioritize investments in maintaining and enhancing the public realm. Issues such as dirty streets, contaminated seas, power cuts, uncontrolled traffic, and delays in infrastructure projects need urgent attention. A zero-tolerance policy towards pollution and antisocial behavior is essential to protect Malta’s reputation. Additionally, balancing accessibility with preservation of Malta’s heritage is vital.
The Government must also focus on building a tourism-ready workforce and avoid knee-jerk reactions to the influx of third-country nationals. Measures should ensure the attraction of foreign workers who align with Malta’s improved productivity and economic goals and emphasize its Mediterranean identity.
Addressing unlicensed accommodation and enforcing health, safety, and taxation standards is crucial for a level playing field and competitive tourism sector. The Government must align inter-ministerial policies and halt incentives for additional hotel rooms development, review protocols for the management of rented accommodation and the licencing of catering establishments. While data analytics is important here, political will is the most critical.
MHRA urged the Government to take decisive action to elevate tourism standards. While much progress has been made, it’s now time to improve further. Collaboration is key to managing our success in the tourism sector as otherwise there will be costly repercussions for the tourism sector and the country as a whole.
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