ADPD - The Green Party said that the country has once again witnessed another summer facing the effects of overtourism.
At a press conference in Birżebbuġa on Sunday, spokespersons for the party called for a policy focusing on rebuilding the tourism industry in post-Covid-19 times, putting the interests and well-being of its residents first.
ADPD Deputy Chairperson Melissa Bagley said that "Whilst tourism can have some benefits, when not managed properly, this can lead, and has led, to overtourism, which favours the few and leads to great burdens on all the rest. This is primarily due to exceeding tourism carrying capacity of the Maltese islands, be it physical, social, or economic, and can bring on environmental, cultural, social and economic problems for the country. We are witnessing the growing dissatisfaction of residents living in the most popular cities and resorts in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Italy. Residents have borne the brunt of unchecked tourism, such as housing problems because of short-term rentals, environmental degradation, water shortages, traffic, rampant construction, and the overall quality of life," she said.
Malta is not immune to this, she added. "The 2022 Deloitte Report on the carrying capacity study for tourism in Malta shows that by 2019, the volume of tourism levels was already impacting the satisfaction levels of residents and visitors' alike. This was at a time the number of tourists visiting Malta was around 2.8 million. In 2023, that number was surpassed. With the rapid growth in numbers, the quality of life is expected to decrease. There is already pressure on current infrastructure which was not designed for such numbers. There is the crowding of key tourist hotspots and environmental degradation. Take Comino, a Natura 2000 site, as an example of a site facing environmental degradation because of mismanagement, with no capping, noise pollution, and poor litter management. It would be interesting to see what are the results of the latest MTA survey on residents' attitudes towards the impact tourism currently has on their lives."
ADPD Chairperson Sandra Gauci said that "the reason for the current state of affairs is the 'growth-focused mindset', a mindset that focuses on quantities, which shows that if there is any vision, it is only for the short-term. Thinking in terms of limitless growth is counterproductive and unsustainable. However, this type of vision ignores the long-term impacts."
She said: "We need a more sustainable tourism industry; the 'Malta Tourism Strategy 2021 - 2030 - Recover, Rethink, Revitalise' points out that previous tourism models are no longer applicable and need to be managed with long-term vision. More of the same is no longer sustainable. In fact, the government has proposed the need for strategic plans for the tourism sector to create 'a future-proof Malta'. The Malta's Economic Vision 2021 - 2030 - 'A Future-Proof Malta' acknowledges that that environmental degradation is no longer an acceptable byproduct of economic success. The current eco-tax, set in 2016, is too low and needs to be revised. Currently it stands at only 1 Euro per bed-night, capped at a paltry 5 Euro. Proceeds should go to regional councils and local councils. It makes no sense for these funds to go to MTA which in turn uses them to encourage more and more mass tourism. Local councils and regional councils need these funds to mitigate the effects of mass tourism, to boost their cleaning services, to fund enforcement, and other essential local services. Moreover, the government needs to reconsider subsidies for mass tourism airlines as they do not make sense at a time when we are pushing for sustainable tourism. These subsidies are tantamount to corporate welfare, pumping millions of tax money into the pockets of the bosses of large airlines."
"Some tough decisions need to be made and carried through in a disciplined manner. It is not enough to have an impressive-sounding policy on black and white. It's time for the government to walk the talk. Actions speak louder than words".