We should see that the number of tourists visiting our country is sustainable and that we have the infrastructure that can accommodate this influx. ADPD-The Green Party spokespersons addressed this topic at a news conference in front of the Ministry of Tourism in Valletta this morning, while insisting that there should be no development on Comino, because Comino is a protected area.

ADPD Secretary General and candidate for the European Parliament Ralph Cassar said that tourism statistics published this year show that we have almost reached pre-Covid level. We want to ensure that the numbers are sustainable for the country – a country that already has the highest population density in the EU should not end up suffering the impacts of too many tourists. It is obvious that we are not able to cope with the numbers. There should be a limit in all economic sectors, including in tourism.

It is useless for government to boast about the number of tourists, but then it is obvious that the infrastructure cannot support them, the bus service is choc a bloc, and essential services such as an adequate waste collection system and a sewage system that can cope with the sharp increase in tourist numbers are lacking. All this leads to a rather bitter experience to those who decided to spend their holiday here in Malta if they get stuck in polluting traffic, see rubbish piling on our already inadequate pavements and our seas overflowing with sewage. We need limits, to establish how much the country can support and focus on the quality of the product, especially in view of the fact that we are surrounded by direct competitors within the region that can offer a better and cheaper experience.

Unfortunately we are still in that stage where the ultimate goal is tourist numbers – the more tourists the better. This is a totally wrong and shortsighted mentality which does not take into consideration the impact such huge numbers are creating. The number of tourists and beds need to be reduced, certainly not increased. There is no need to build more hotels or for more floors to be added to existing hotels. The collection, cleaning, law enforcement when it comes to waste, must be paid by the tourist. This is nothing new, it is totally normal in other countries.

There is already an eco-contribution that goes to the MTA to ‘beautify tourist areas’. This contribution instead of being wasted by the MTA should be divided between the regions and local councils in proportion to the size of the localities and according to the number of tourist beds and attractions in the localities.

The amount of contribution from each tourist is currently ridiculous: 50 cents per night up to a maximum of 5 Euros. This limit should be abolished: it is only fair that the longer you stay here, the more you pay for services and infrastructure. And 50 cents is simply risible; 1 or 2 Euros per day per person makes more sense. The actual amount of the contribution is up for discussion but it should definitely be spent on additional services in our localities, Cassar concluded.

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson and candidate for the European Parliament, Sandra Gauci said that Comino is a symbol of what is wrong with the government’s tourism policy. When the only solution that the Minister for Tourism has for protecting Comino is ‘less deckchairs will mean less tourists’ it is obvious that the Minister does not have the vision of how a Natura 2000 site like Comino should be managed. The lack of will by this government to properly protect Comino is evident especially when it ignores people’s anger regarding the massive influx of tourists that the small island certainly cannot take.

As ADPD we have always been and remain against any development on Comino. It should be kept as a natural heritage site and not used for speculative purposes. The protection and good management of this natural heritage should take priority over the needs of those who want to make money at the expense of Comino’s protection.

Gauci went on to say that the conflict of interest that the minister has because relatives of his run businesses on Comino indicate that the minister is putting his personal interests before those of everyone else. The fact that speculators like Hili want to build not just a hotel but also shops reveals the intent that even an uninhabited island like Comino will follow the path of Malta and Gozo and be sacrificed on the altar of speculation and construction, when in fact there is neither a need nor a necessity for this development. The Minister for the Environment is particularly silent on this issues. Miriam Dalli has the duty to see that Comino is protected and managed well, to protect the island from any form of speculation and to stand up to Minister Bartolo and take a clear position in favour of Comino.

There is clearly a need for a cap on the number of visitors to Comino. The reduction of the amount of deckchairs – an unkept promise following a 2022 protest – is nothing but a smokescreen. Comino is a protected island and government should see that it is properly managed, dismiss any attempt at property speculation, and ensure that it does not become a money-making machine for friends of friends, concluded Gauci.

***

ADPD titlob għal limiti fit-turiżmu u li ma jsir l-ebda żvilupp fuq Kemmuna 

Għandna naraw li n-numri ta’ turisti li jiġu f’pajjiżna ikun wieħed sostenibbli u li ghandna l-infrastruttura li tista’ tilqa’ għal dan l-influss. Dan sostnewh kelliema tal-ADPD-The Green Party f’konferenza tal-aħbarijiet quddiem il-Ministeru tat-Turiżmu fil-Belt Valletta dalgħodu, filwaqt li insistew li m’għandu jsir l-ebda żvilupp fuq Kemmuna, għax Kemmuna hi żona protetta.

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali u kandidat għall-Parlament Ewropew tal-ADPD Ralph Cassar qal li ċifri li ħarġu dwar it-turiżmu din is-sena juru li kważi lħaqna n-numri ta’ qabel il-Covid. Madanakollu, f’dan is-settur irridu naraw li n-numri jkunu sostenibbli għal-pajjiż u mhux pajjiż li diġa għandu l-iktar popolazzjoni b’densita’ għolja jispiċċa aktar iġġammjat mis-soltu fis-sajf għax m’aħniex kapaċi inlaħħqu man-numri. 

Għalxejn niffanfraw bin-numri fit-turiżmu, jekk l-infrastruttura ma tlaħħaqx, is-servizz ta’ tal-linja jispiċċa mballat u m’hemmx servizzi bħal ġbir ta’ skart adegwat u sistema ta’ drenaġġ li tlaħħaq maż-żieda qawwija fin-numri. Dan kollu iwassal biex noffru esperjenza pjuttost qarsa lil min iddeċieda li jqatta’ l-btala tiegħu hawn Malta jekk dan jeħel fit-traffiku, jara l-gżira b’munzelli ta żibel u l-ibħra tagħna bid-drenaġġ ifur ġo fihom. Hemm bżonn li naraw kemm eżatt jiflaħ il-pajjiż u naħdmu fuq il-kwalità tal-prodott speċjalment fid-dawl li mdawwrin b’pajjiżi li huma kompetituri diretti magħna u li jistgħu joffru esperjenza isbaħ u irħas.

Din l-idea li rridu nimlew kemm nifilħu qisna qed nimlew dundjan għax-xiwi trid tinbidel f’ waħda ta’ kemm spejjeż qed joħolqulna t-turisti. Turisti u sodod innaqqsu għandna bżonn, żgur mhux inżidu. M’hemmx bżonn bini ta’ aktar lukandi jew li lukanda iżżid is-sulari. Il-ġbir, tindif, infurzar fejn jidħol l-iskart addizzjonali għandu jitħallas mit-turist, kif isir f’pajjiżi oħra.

Diġa hemm ekokontribuzzjoni li tmur għand l-MTA biex ‘isebbħu żoni turistiċi’. Din il-kontribuzzjoni minflok tinħela mill-MTA għandha tinqasam bejn ir-reġjuni/Kunsilli Lokali f’porzjonijiet skond id-daqs tal-lokalitajiet u skond in-numru ta’ turisti f’akkomodazzjoni turistika u attrazzjonijiet turistiċi fil-lokalitajiet. 

L-ammont ta’ kontribuzzjoni minn kull turist bħalissa huwa tad-daħk: 50 ċenteżmu kull lejl sa massimu ta’ 5 Ewro. L-ammont għandu l-ewwelnett ikun bla massimu – aktar ma ddum hawn aktar trid tħallas tas-servizzi u l-piż fuq l-infrastruttura. U 50 ċenteżmu huma tad-daħk; 1 jew 2 Ewro kuljum kull persuna tagħmel aktar sens. Nistgħu niddiskutu kemm għandha tkun il-kontribuzzjoni imma żgur li għandha tintefaq fuq servizzi addizzjonali fil-lokalitajiet tagħna, temm jgħid Cassar.

Iċ-Chairperson u kandidata għall-Parlament Ewropew ta’ ADPD, Sandra Gauci qalet li Kemmuna hija simbolu ta’ x’hemm ħażin fil-politika tal-gvern dwar it-turiżmu. Meta jkollok Ministru tat-Turiżmu joħroġ stqarrija li anqas deckchairs se tkun tfisser anqas turisti għal Kemmuna, tinduna kemm qegħdin f’idejn xi ħadd li lanqas biss tgħaddilu minn rasu li jieħu ħsieb sit ta Natura 2000 bħalma hi Kemmuna u li jrid jipprova jgħaddi n-nies biż-żmien. In-nuqqas ta’ rieda minn dan il-gvern li jipproteġi kif suppost lil-Kemmuna hija evidenti specjalment meta jinjora l-għadab tan-nies bl-influss massiv li l-gżira ċkejkna żgur ma tiflaħx għalih.

Aħna tal-ADPD konna u nibqgħu kontra kull żvilupp fuq Kemmuna li għanda tinżamm bħala wirt naturali u mhux tintuża għal-skopijiet spekulattivi. Il-bżonnijiet ta’ dan il-wirt naturali għandhom jieħdu priorita fuq il-bżonnijiet ta min irid jaqla lira a skapitu tal-abbuż fuq wirt li hu ta kulħadd. 

Gauci kompliet tgħid li il-kunflitt ta’ interess li għandu l-ministru b’familjari b’negozji f’Kemmuna juri kemm il-mInistru qieghed iġib l-interessi personali qabel dawk ta’ kulħadd u speċjalment dwar x’hemm bżonn isir f’Kemmuna. Il-fatt li spekulaturi bħal Hili jridu jibnu mhux biss hotel imma anke ħwienet juri li l-ħsieb li anke gżira diżabitata bħal Kemmuna se taqbad it-triq ta’ Malta u Għawdex u taqa’ taħt l-għanqbuta tal-kostruzzjoni; hemm fejn la hemm bżonn u lanqas ħtieġa. Il-Ministru għall-Ambjent Miriam Dalli għandha d-dmir li tippreserva dan is-sit minn kull forma ta’ spekulazzjoni u trabbi s-sinsla u tieħu pożizzjoni ċara favur Kemmuna, jaħseb x’jaħseb il-Ministru Bartolo.

Hemm bżonn li jsir capping ta’ kemm il-turist imur Kemmuna. It-tnaqqis tal-ammont ta’ deckchairs, wegħda li kien għamilha fl-2022 wara protesta iżda li qatt ma nżammet, hija biss bżar fl-għajnejn. Kemmuna huwa post protett u l-gvern għandu jxejjen kull tentattiv ta’ spekular fuq gżira li hi wirt tal-poplu Malti u mhux magna tal-flus għall-ħbieb tal-ħbieb, temmet tgħid Gauci.