The Malta Tourism Authority conducted more than 24,000 inspections between 2021 and 2023, the Tourism Minister told parliament on Monday.

Answering questions by PN MP Mario de Marco, Clayton Bartolo said inspections were carried out to ensure that operators within the tourism sector complied with legal standards and regulations.

There were three kinds of inspections: those related to new license applications, routine checks, and inspections triggered by the public linked to licensing and standards.

A total of 3,703 inspections were linked to new applicants seeking to operate within the tourism sector. The minister said these inspections ensured businesses met all legal requirements before being granted a license.

Most of the inspections - 19,419 - were routine checks to ensure compliance by licensed operators. Bartolo noted that the enforcement directorate within MTA managed these inspections.

The third category of inspections stemmed from complaints lodged by the public.

These typically occurred when there was suspicion that a business was operating without the necessary license or was not meeting industry standards. In response to such complaints, the MTA conducted 1,442 inspections from 2021 to 2023.

Bartolo noted that a significant portion of inspections in 2021 were tied to the enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions.

In one weekend in March 2021, more than 2,400 inspections were conducted by MTA officials to ensure tourism businesses were adhering to pandemic-related regulations.

De Marco asked the minister to specify the location of these inspections but that information was not provided.