Swieqi short-let crackdown should be extended nationwide, MHRA says

The authorities’ crackdown on short-let operators in Swieqi should serve as a model for other tourism localities across Malta and Gozo, the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association said.

The MHRA welcomed enforcement action taken by the Tourism Ministry and the Malta Tourism Authority against operators found to be breaching rules governing short-term rental accommodation.

It said the action sent a clear message that tourism regulations had to be respected by everyone.

“Effective enforcement protects residents, safeguards Malta’s reputation as a quality destination, and ensures a fair and level playing field for responsible operators who comply with the law,” the association said.

The statement followed an intensive two-day MTA operation in Swieqi in which officials inspected 252 tourist accommodation properties.

Sixty-seven properties – more than a quarter of those inspected – were found to have at least one operational or licensing violation. Six had no licence or authorisation to operate.

The authority issued 14 enforcement notices and blacklisted another six properties, with follow-up inspections expected to continue over the coming weeks.

The inspections came after footage emerged of a group of young tourists shouting and throwing bottles, cans and liquid from a Swieqi apartment block into the street.

Police fined 12 people a total of about €2,000 for public order and waste disposal offences.

MTA inspectors subsequently found that eight of the block’s nine apartments were operating in breach of their licence conditions and ordered the entire block to close. The tourists staying there were moved to alternative accommodation.

The MHRA had previously welcomed the authorities’ response to that incident but called for higher on-the-spot fines, arguing that existing penalties were too low to deter behaviour that disrupted communities and damaged Malta’s reputation.

In its latest statement, the association said effective enforcement should form part of a wider destination-management approach involving cooperation between the authorities responsible for tourism, policing, transport, planning, public cleansing, local government and public safety.

Such coordination was needed to create cleaner, safer and better-managed destinations while improving both the visitor experience and residents’ quality of life, it said.

The association urged the authorities to maintain the momentum through “consistent, transparent and impartial” enforcement in all tourism zones.

“This is the direction Malta must pursue if it is to continue raising standards and strengthening its competitiveness as a high-quality tourism destination,” it said.

The MHRA said it remained committed to working with the government and other stakeholders on the issue.