Over a month ago, the Tourism and Culture Ministry issued new regulations dealing with “timeshare” in Malta. These regulations are aimed at minimising the harassment of tourists by timeshare promoters, better known as OPCs. Since the publication of these regulations, a positive outcome has already been registered, the Department of Information said yesterday.

The new regulations are the result of a series of intensive meetings held between representatives of the timeshare industry and officials from the ministry and the Malta Tourism Authority. These go a long way in establishing the proper conduct of OPC activity through various measures, including the proper licensing of the marketing companies and the levying of heavy fines in the eventuality of defaults. To facilitate enforcement, marketing companies are being requested to deposit money, in the form of bonds, from which the eventual fines will be drawn, while greater financial and human resources have been dedicated to intensify monitoring and enforcement.

During the short period of time since the regulations have come into force, the Regulatory Directorate of the Malta Tourism Authority is investigating over 15 cases of reported abuses ranging from working without a valid licence to over-aggressive selling.

A dramatic drop in the number of complaints has been observed and this is indicative that this exercise, covering seven days a week, is indeed having the desired effect. The actions are being complemented by meetings with all marketing companies that employ OPCs and joint discussions between the MTA, the GRTU and a large sector of the OPCs, the DOI added.

This is being done in a concerted effort to synergise all forces in order to reduce harassment and, in the process, regain trust in timeshare – an industry which in Malta has always been considered to be a worthwhile investment and an important component of tourism.