Tourism Minister Clayton Bartolo has defended Maltese travel rules, but hinted that things could change “once public health has been safeguarded.”
Both the Malta International Airport and Airports Council International have criticised Maltese travel rules, specifically the 3-month validity of vaccine certificates of individuals who have not taken the booster. This will force returning individuals with ‘expired’ certificates to quarantine for 14 days.
In comments to The Malta Independent, ACI said, “this is in breach of the EC Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/2288 which provides for an acceptance period of certificates of 9 months for primary vaccination series – and does not set any acceptance period for booster vaccinations (which means their validity shall for now remain unlimited).”
ACI has already asked the European Commission to investigate Malta over the matter.
Last week, Malta International Airport urged the government to scrap the new rules, saying that these put Malta at a disadvantage when compared to other EU Member States. It also warned that Malta’s recovery rate in travel terms was lagging behind that of other European countries.
Asked for a reaction on Monday, Bartolo said Maltese travel rules seek to find a balance between health and economy. “We also want to ensure that our people are covered, and this is why we continue to urge people to take the booster, and that we continue to follow the advice given by our scientist to safeguard public health. Once that happens, we can discuss and, if need be, change our travel advice.”
This newsroom also asked the tourism minister whether the country would still be doubling its hotel bed capacity by 2030, in view of the current situation, where most hotels are practically empty.
In November, the Malta Chamber of Commerce had called for a moratorium on applications for new tourism accommodation. The stock of hotel beds currently amounts to around 55,000, but the number is set to increase to around 100,000 if all planned projects materialise.
Asked about this, Bartolo said that: “We always guide the industry according to the country’s tourism strategy for the next ten years. The strategy was drawn up in consultation with all stakeholders, to ensure that what we plan is actuated. The final aim is to ensure that the country gets good investment, and that the investors, who will be creating jobs, make a fair rate of return on their investment. We guide them as best as we can but, at the end of the day it is the investors who decide where to invest, not the government.”