Tourism 'thriving' but residents’ concerns must be addressed, Ian Borg says

The tourism industry is “thriving”, but measures need to be put in place to resolve the issues residents are facing, Ian Borg said on Thursday.

The tourism minister was speaking on the back of a three-month period (May to July) that saw tourist arrivals rise by a little over 10 per cent.

Those who visited also stayed longer and spent more money while in Malta, figures gathered by the NSO show.

“This surge clearly demonstrates the strength of Malta’s appeal as a premier destination and the success of our ongoing efforts to promote the island to diverse markets,” Borg told an audience at a Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association conference. 

“With such results, it may be easy to overlook the industry’s challenges and concerns. Rest assured that we will not do that. Instead, we are working together to seek solutions and resolve current difficulties, including issues faced by our communities, especially in our principal tourism zones,” Borg said.

Residents living in areas around Paceville, particularly Swieqi, have increasingly been expressing their frustration over anti-social behaviour coming from tourists residing in short-term rental properties.

The issue is not new, and the Malta Tourism Authority previously had plans to tackle it by requiring Airbnb apartment owners to obtain approval from their condominium neighbours before operating.

However, Borg scrapped those plans shortly after taking on the tourism portfolio last November.

In an interview with Times of Malta, Borg said the approval measure was unfair, especially since the government incentivised people to take up this business in the first place.

Rules to ensure neighbourly respect, however, would be introduced and enforced, Borg had said in February.

In his speech to industry stakeholders, Borg said that good tourism results mean that the government can take “courageous decisions and diligently steer the industry towards sustainable growth.”

“Within a few weeks, we will be implementing important decisions that will chart the way towards a more resilient future for the hospitality sector, and for our tourism offering, in coming years,” he said.

Asked what changes he was seeing, Borg said: “Today we have a day dedicated to discussing this issue with stakeholders... when it is time I will speak to you (the media),” Borg said.

Besides speaking to industry players, Borg said he will also consult with communities.

Figures presented at the conference organised by the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association on Thursday also showed that the number of tourists staying in short-let rentals is rising.

A Deloitte report showed that 394,000 people used short-term lets in the second quarter of 2023. This year, 445,000 did so, an increase of 12 per cent.