The Malta Chamber today reiterated that the tourism tax introduced by Government last year should be reversed for host families. The Chamber underlined its position in its Pre-Electoral Proposals document which it presented to the political leaders of the major parties as the General Election of 3 June was announced.

“Once the bed tax on tourists was introduced in the form of an eco-contribution, the Chamber noted the counterproductive nature of the tax with regards to the accommodation services provided by host families” the document said.

The Chamber argued that the tax serves to discourage the provision of a vital service offered to English language students and hence called for reverting the application of the tax in the case of host families.

Focusing on the Effectiveness of the MTA Enforcement Unit, the Chamber said that the main purpose of the MTA’s enforcement role is to protect consumers and the public by encouraging compliance with the rules.

“Despite notification, the Enforcement Unit seems focused solely on accommodation operators, disregarding all other operators. This is leading to a chaotic situation that diminishes the significant marketing carried out by the Authority” the document said.

The Chamber urged the new government to restructure the MTA Enforcement Unit to effectively investigate all reports and enforce as required.

On the subject of the MTA the Malta Chamber said that as a main representative of a wide range of service providers in the tourism industry, it should be assigned one of the rotating positions on the Malta Tourism Authority Board.

In the same document, the Chamber also said that the new government must truly prioritise the improvement of the aesthetics and environmental quality of tourism zones…through better landscaping and a general greening of the environment, with a particular attention to detail and design.

“This proposal must also be considered in light of proposals made above with regards to the redrafting of the Strategic Plan for the Environment and Development so as to achieve sustainable tourism zones with a unique, attractive identity” the Chamber concluded.