Call for proper consultation on MTA reform

Opposition tourism spokesman Evarist Bartolo yesterday called for wide and serious consultations ahead of reform of the Malta Tourism Authority.

He said in parliament that the MTA was an important element in the tourism industry and reform was urgent, more so as there was paralysis in the organisation.

The tourism sector had also stagnated, and Malta was failing, despite the setting up of the authority, to attract more than 1.2 million tourists, when it needed many more, spread throughout the year .

The Opposition, he said, would back measures which would ensure a better return for the spending made for tourism.

But it had to be ensured that change was effective, and not made just for the sake of change.

Clearly, one could not have a situation where 70 per cent of outlay went on administration. But was closing foreign representative offices and conducting overseas promotion from Malta the best way forward? Mr Bartolo said that with the tourism sector being mostly driven by the private sector, it was important that all elements of the private sector were represented on its structures.

It was important too that the private sector was adequately consulted before reform was made, rather than having a situation were decisions were taken before consultations.

The government, however, also had an important role in tourism. The administration needed to work as a team, rather than leave the tourism ministry on its own. For what use was it to bring tourists to Malta only to have them complain of the poor roads, the dirty environment, and poor law enforcement?

Mr Bartolo said the tourism industry, a major pillar of the economy, needed a strategic plan for its development. How could one plan MTA reform when one did not know where tourism was going?