Prime Minister Robert Abela met with representatives of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, MHRA, at the Auberge de Castille, as part of the pre-Budget 2027 consultation process. During the meeting, the MHRA presented its proposals to the Government for next year’s budget.
The Prime Minister stressed that this consultation process is important for the Government to continue to listen directly to operators regarding the sector’s priorities and the needs of the tourism sector.
Dr Abela highlighted the importance, both of enforcement and connectivity, in the Government’s vision to attract more investment and quality tourists.
He mentioned the introduction of on-the-spot fines and how a total of 1,400 fines have already been issued so far. He pointed out how the Government has also legislated so that in cases where the fine exceeds €200 the tourist can even be deported from the country.
The Prime Minister also mentioned the ongoing enforcement inspections carried out by the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) to ensure that various operators are following the established laws and that they have the necessary licenses to operate. So far this year, a total of 4,215 inspections have been carried out, from which 22 enforcement notices and 106 administrative fines have been issued. These inspections are carried out in various locations, including beaches and areas where there are various restaurants, as well as in short-let apartments. In fact, investigations are also currently underway on 169 properties, which are operating as Holiday Furnished Premises, following suspicions that they were operating illegally.
“Numbers are important, but now that we have reached critical mass we are increasingly looking towards tourism and investment in the sector that is of high quality,” said Dr Abela.
Dr Abela said that the upcoming budget should be considered another step in the realisation of the Malta 2050 Vision. He stressed that the Government’s ambition remains to continue to develop in a sustainable manner the success achieved in the tourism sector, and thus the need to prioritise quality, tourism value and sustainability will continue to be given increasing importance.
Among other priorities discussed with MHRA representatives were strengthening connectivity, investing in the skills and professionalism of workers, governance, as well as the need for businesses to continue to be given the conditions to invest, modernise and raise their standards.
The Prime Minister concluded by saying that the aim remains for tourism to continue to be a key driver of the Maltese economy, thus continuing to contribute to a better quality of life for the Maltese and Gozitans.
Accompanying the Prime Minister for this meeting were Deputy Prime Minister Ian Borg, Ministers Silvio Schembri, Clint Camilleri, Jo Etienne Abela and Glenn Bedingfield, Deputy Alex Muscat and the Head of the Secretariat of the Office of the Prime Minister, Mark Mallia.
Photos (OPM/DOI)
