Government should introduce measures to make up for the adverse effects of the Schengen Agreement on the tourism industry, Labour spokesman on tourism Evarist Bartolo said yesterday.

In a statement, Mr Bartolo said that by the end of the year, the country will start to be adversely affected by the Schengen Agreement because people visiting Malta will need to have a visa.

He said tourist operators who bring over thousands of tourists to Malta from countries outside the European Union, like Serbia, Macedonia and Russia, for example, are worried that the visa procedure will become more complicated especially in those countries where Malta has no embassy or office.

Mr Bartolo said the government must introduce measures to lessen the problems which will be brought about by the agreement and to provide alternative solutions.

He said last year Malta saw a drop in the number of tourists coming over to Malta from the traditional markets and an increase from those countries outside the EU, such as Russia.