Although there was an increase of tourists to Malta this summer, there are still serious problems in the industry which have been present for some years and need a serious plan to address them, said opposition MP Evarist Bartolo yesterday.

Mr Bartolo said that by the end of this month, three more hotels will be closing down in Bugibba – the Santa Marija and San Anton Hotels and the Bugibba Holiday Complex.

He said that for the industry to be strengthened, and for more tourist operators and airlines to fly to Malta, the country needed more quality hotels in all categories. “We lost 10,000 visitors this summer because there was no hotel availability,” he said.

Mr Bartolo said the MLP’s plan for tourism provided incentives to build new hotels in areas such as St Paul’s Bay and the south of Malta.