MHRA president Tony Zahra has expressed his frustration over the government’s lack of vision for the tourism industry. He has pointed out that the increase in quantity rather than in quality is going to be the downfall of the industry.

The MHRA did what the government should have done a long time ago. It carried out a carrying capacity exercise related to the tourism industry. The report clearly states that the industry and the country are choking. 

And, yet, the Planning Authority (PA) keeps issuing building permits blindly.

There are massive tourism-related projects under construction and others in the pipeline. Once completed these projects will attract thousands of additional tourists.

The MHRA concentrates mainly on hotel accommodation and the restaurant business. However, there is a new reality in tourism that is growing in leaps and bounds, which is not adequately regulated and which is causing a tremendous strain on certain localities, particularly Swieqi – the short-let rental craze. 

The number of apartments being rented on a short-let basis has increased exponentially in recent years.

Due to the proximity of Swieqi to Paceville, the short lets located in Swieqi tend to attract uncontrollable youngsters. They are causing tremendous problems in the locality, such as vandalism, night disturbances and garbage accumulation.

The garbage problem has now turned into a crisis and the authorities do not have a clue how to solve it. 

We first reported the garbage problem to the Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) in 2016.

On that day, we had met the then minister for tourism, Edward Zammit Louis and we informed him about the challenges that the locality was facing due to the increase in short-let apartments, with a particular emphasis on the garbage problem.

We had asked him for co-operation to help us solve the problem and we had also suggested solutions. Unfortunately, nothing was done to solve the problem and, today, we are experiencing a very serious situation.

It must be noted that, unlike other localities such as Sliema, St Julian’s and Qawra, or even Valletta, Swieqi is primarily a residential area and, hence, we do not experience problems generated by commercial activity. Our problems are caused predominantly by short-let apartments. We do not know how many apartments are licensed to carry out this business. What we know is that apartments being rented on a short-let basis have mushroomed and many others are planned.

The short-let rental craze is causing a tremendous strain on Swieqi- Noel Muscat

Most of the areas in Swieqi are considered ‘residential priority areas’, which means that no commercial activity whatsoever is allowed to take place there. We all know that short-let apartments are of a commercial nature. How is it that the MTA has granted licences for short-let business to be carried out in ‘residential priority areas’ and that the PA appears to be oblivious to the fact?

The locality runs the severe risk that, if short-let units outnumber residential units, Swieqi will swiftly become an extension of Paceville. This is a very dangerous and imminent threat that we must resist. 

We have asked the PA to carry out a holistic carrying capacity exercise in the locality but they have not even replied to our repeated requests. Until this exercise is carried out, a moratorium on the issue of licences should be imposed.

I would like to make some recommendations.

The administrator of a block of apartments must be held responsible for the cleanliness of the pavement in the immediate vicinity of the block of apartments.

The local council must know who the administrators of the apartments are.

The PA must be involved and should play a very important role in deciding whether apartments are suitable for short lets and how many such apartments should be allowed to be constructed in a locality.

When a developer applies to construct a block of apartments it must made clear whether any or all of the apartments will be rented on a short-let basis.

Apartments that are not equipped to ‘store’ garbage should not be given a licence to operate on a short-let basis. 

I also believe that an association to coordinate short-letting activities must be set up, unless an existing organisation such as the MHRA or the Chamber of SMEs steps in assume this responsibility.

We are experiencing a crisis caused by the fact that existing regulations are weak and not adequate to handle the demand. To make matters worse, enforcement is non-existent. The business has grown too big too suddenly  and it has caught the authorities napping and unprepared.

The MTA is gleefully and enthusiastically rubbing its hands because the numbers are shooting up. It is not realising that this uncontrolled success is going to result in the failure of the industry and of the well-being of our localities.

The situation calls for immediate action. The central government must be made to listen. Experts are sounding the alarm bells.

How will you respond to this, dear Malta and Gozo? 

Noel Muscat is the mayor of Swieqi.