Spokespersons for 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 this morning they called for a policy focusing on re-building the tourism industry in post-COVID19 times, putting the interests and well-being of its residents first.
The ADPD Deputy Chairperson, Dr Melissa Bagley, said that “Whilst tourism can have some benefits, when not managed properly, this can lead (and has in fact 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.
Malta is not immune to this. 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. 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”.
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Sejħa għal industrija tat-turiżmu sostenibbli li tagħti prijorità lir-residenti
Kelliema għal ADPD – the Green Party sostnew li għal darba oħra din is-sena il-pajjiż reġa’ ħabbat wiċċu mal-konsegwenzi ta’ turiżmu sfrenat. F’konferenza tal-aħbarijiet f’Birżebbuġa dalgħodu huma saħqu li wara l-pandemija tal-Covid19, kien hemm bżonn pjan robust li jwassal għal industrija tat-turiżmu sostenibbli, iġifieri tnaqqis mill-esaġerazzjoni ta’ kważi 3 miljun turist fis-sena, u politika li tagħti prijorità lill-ġid tar-residenti.
Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD, Dr. Melissa Bagley qalet li filwaqt li t-turiżmu jaf joħloq il-ġid, nuqqas ta’ ppjanar jista’ jwassal għal turiżmu eċċessiv u ġid għall-ftit imma ħsara kbira għall-ħafna, kif filfatt ġara. Dan jiġri meta ir-riżorsi tal-pajjiż, kemm dawk materjali, kif ukoll dawk soċjali u ekonomiċi ma jkunux biżżejjed biex ilaħħqu mad-domanda. Dan iwassal għal ħsara ambjentali, kulturali, soċjali u ekonomika. Kull ma mmorru, residenti fi bliet turistiċi f’pajjiżi bħal Spanja, l-Portugall, il-Greċja u l-Italja qegħdin isemmgħu leħinhom kontra t-turiżmu bla rażan li qed iħalli impatt ħażin fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja – bħal żieda qawwija fil-prezzijiet tal-kiri minħabba kirjiet qosra, nuqqas ta’ ilma, traffiku esaġerat, u kostruzzjoni bla kontroll.
Malta ukoll qiegħda tintlaqat mill-effetti ħżiena ta’ turiżmu żejjed. Ir-rapport maħruġ minn Deloitte fis-sena 2022 juri kif diġa’ fl-2019, il-sodisfzzjon tar-residenti kif ukoll tat-turisti li jżuruna kien qabad it-triq tan-niżla. Dik is-sena, waslu f’Malta mat-2.8 miljun turist. Fis-sena 2023, dak in-numru kompla jiżdied. Dan kompla żied il-ħsara, l-ħela tar-riżorsi, u l-impatt ħażin fuq l-infrasruttura u l-ambjent, u kompla naqqas mill-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti. L-infrastruttura li għandna ma kinitx maħsuba għal daqstant nies, u bilkemm tista’ tlaħħaq mad-domanda. L-inħawi turistiċi ewlenin huma wisq iffollati u l-ambjent tagħhom dejjem qiegħed imur għall-agħar. Nistgħu insemmu l-eżempju ta’ Kemmuna – sit ta’ Natura 2000 – fejn in-nuqqas ta’ pjanar, mingħajr limitu fuq kemm jistgħu iżuruha nies f’ġurnata waħda, qed iwassal għal degradazzjoni tal-ambjent, storbju żejjed, u nuqqasijiet fl-immaniġjar tal-iskart.
Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD qalet li “l-ossessjoni tagħna bi tkabbir ekonomiku akkost ta’ kollox u n-nuqqas ta’ viżjoni fit-tul wasslu għas-sitwazzjoni li ninsabu fiha llum. It-tkabbir ekonomiku mingħajr limitu la jagħmel ġid, u wisq anqas sostenibbli. Din hi viżjoni li ma jimpurtahiex mill-impatti fit-tul fuq l-ambjent u l-ħajja tagħna. Hemm bżonn turiżmu aktar sostenibbli. Id-dokument ‘Malta Tourism Strategy 2021 – 2030 – Recover, Rethink, Revitalise’ juri li mudelli antikwati tat-turiżmu m’għadhomx jgħoddu. Hemm bżonn strateġiji ġodda, b’viżjoni fit-tul. L-istil ta’ turiżmu li ħaddanna fl-imgħoddi mhux sostenibbli. Il-Gvern stess saħaq li hemm ħtieġa ta’ pjanijiet strateġiċi sabiex dak li nagħmlu llum iwassal għal futur xieraq. Id-dokument Malta’s Economic Vision 2021 – 2030 – ‘A Future-Proof Malta’ jisħaq li s-suċċess ekonomiku ma jistax jiġġustifika l-ħsara ambjentali. It-taxxa ambjentali (eco tax) stabbilita fl-2016 ta’ Ewro biss kuljumsa massimu ta’ 5 Ewro, hi baxxa wisq, u hemm il-ħtieġa li tiġi aġġornata filwaqt li d-dħul għandu jgħaddi lill-Kunsilli reġjonali u lokali. Ma jagħmilx sens li t-taxxa fuq s-sodod turistiċi tmur biex l-MTA tkompli tħajjar t-turiżmu tal-massa. Il-kunsilli lokali u r-reġjuni qed jokrobu għal finanzjament biex isaħħu s-servizzi ta’ tindif, infurzar u tiswija ta’ lokalitajiet mifnija minn mewġiet kbar ta’ turisti. Aktar minn hekk, il-Gvern għandu jerġa’ jaħsibha dwar is-sussidji li jingħataw lil-linji tal-ajru li jwasslu t-turiżmu tal-massa, għax dan imur kontra l-għan li naslu għas-sostenibilità. Din hija karità ma kumpaniji tal-ajru kbar li qed jeħilbu l-miljuni mit-taxxi tagħna.”
Hemm bżonn li jittieħdu deċiżjonijiet iebsa u li nwettquhom b’dixxiplina. X’jiswa diskors bombastiku imma fieragħ, dwar regoli li ma jwasslu għal xejn? Issa wasal iż-żmien li mid-diskors ngħaddu għall-fatti. Bil-kliem biss ma naslux.
