The ADPD has lambasted hoteliers for "once again demanding special treatment", saying those in the sector were responsible for the problems they are facing.

At a press conference on Saturday, ADPD general secretary Sanra Gauci said it is "a shame that the hoteliers' association is once again demanding special treatment, when they themselves have caused their own problems".

"The MHRA has called for the exemption of workers in the tourism sector from income tax on overtime. But they forget to tell us the real reasons why some of their workers chose to leave the sector. These workers are so poorly paid, with a large number of them on zero-hour contracts that they do not even reach the income brackets to pay income tax," she said. 

The government, she said, must ensure that working conditions in the tourism sector are improved, and that zero hour contracts are eradicated.

"Any aid to the sector must be linked to better conditions of work and a change in the business model to one of sustainable tourism," she said. 

ADPD chairperson Carmel Cacopardo, meanwhile said Malta cannot go back to almost three million tourists a year as these numbers cannot be sustained.

"We must learn from the COVID-19 crisis. The lesson is that we must reduce the country’s dependence on mass tourism. The next challenge - indeed the challenge that is already with us is climate change," he said.

The party also called for long-term planning to ensure the industry is sustainable.

The ADPD spoke out about the tourism sector after the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) called for tax emeption on overtime and part-time work in the hospitality sector. The association was reacting to complaints on labour shortage in the hospitality industry.