More needs to be done to reduce waste produced by tourists in Malta.

Speaking to The Malta Independent recently, Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Rights, Public Cleansing, and Support for the Capital City Deo Debattista said that while waste is increasing every year, the government’s workers were using new technologies and practices to clean up more and more every year.

He noted that it is a proven fact that a tourist, on average, produces twice as much waste as an average resident, as it is within their nature to consume more while on holiday in the country.

While it is all well and good that more technology is being used, perhaps more preventative measures are needed.

First of all, the environment ministry is working on the new single-use plastics strategy to help curb the use of such items and others. The Strategy has 23 main measures, with a number of sub measures included as well.

The strategy document reads that by 2022 plastic carrier bags cannot be distributed for free at the point of sale, and will see an Increase in the excise duty on plastic carrier bags. As for plastic wristbands during events, their use by 2020 will be restricted at public events as well as at beach resorts. As an alternative, paper waterproof wristbands or textile wristbands are recommended to be used. In addition, by 2022, producers of tobacco and tobacco products are to finance the provision of ashtrays at all beaches including at beach resorts for the resort’s guests, the strategy also reads.

These measures will help curb the use of environmentally damaging items in general.

More targeted measures aimed at tourists, however, could also be implemented. For example, hotels could have clear eye-catching signage at the reception desk indicating the harm litter causes to the environment. A campaign pushing the use of multiple use water bottles can be launched, alongside the placement of far more refillable bottle stations in key tourism areas.

While recycling is good, not requiring such a use in the first place is better.

Indeed the large summer parties leave much waste in their wake, and perhaps urging party-goers to re-use their cup when going for drinks would help reduce waste. This can be done by placing encouraging signs at such events. Indeed some already do this, which is a positive.

What would be even better would be the government actively targeting to attract more up-market tourists.

A major problem Malta has is the number of tourists who come to the island during the summer months. One way of tackling the overcrowding issue is to attract less tourists but attract more high quality tourism. In order to do this, a massive collaborated effort would need to be undertaken by the government, hotels and restaurateurs, travel agents, indeed the whole sector in general.

In order to achieve such a goal however, Malta would need to become a destination capable of attracting such people. That would require a clampdown of the Planning Authority and the hotchpotch construction regime that currently rules, much more stringent enforcement on illegal development and dumping, ensuring the preservation of, not only Malta’s key sites, but the surrounding areas in order to ensure that their beauty is preserved.

While more has been done to keep Malta’s tourism areas clean, it is not the first time one would see overflowing bins at some of Malta’s more popular beaches, like Golden Bay. In such popular areas, more rounds by cleaners are also needed.

Debattista, speaking about littering, also highlighted that the next step is definitely to implement harsher surveillance and enforcement. While this might further act as a deterrent for tourists in terms of littering, this could also help bring an end to illegal dumping done by some Maltese who have no respect for the countryside and their fellow countrymen. More surveillance to catch these people is needed, and more enforcement in this regard is always welcome.