Addressing a press conference in Sliema, ADPD – The Green Party Deputy General Secretary Dr Melissa Bagley said that in spite of parliament’s approval of a motion on ‘climate change emergency’, this is still a paper declaration as the necessary policies required to take the necessary measures to face this emergency have never been approved and acted upon. “When will we go from words to action?” asked Bagley.
Bagley emphasized that the tourism industry needs be re-structured. ”This industry is eating up more and more open spaces with government’s support and impacting negatively our quality of life. Some recent examples include the Gzira seafront lido building disfigurement and the attempt to turn a stretch of the Marsaskala coastline into a marina. Planning policies have been changed by government many times to permit the expansion and building of more and more hotels. Subsequent governments have also changed the conditions tied up to land granted for hotels to allow for speculation and the building of residential apartments and offices instead. We have also had business operators taking over popular bays such as at Comino, being allowed free reign to do as they please all in the name of ‘the economy’. The impact of uncontrolled tourism on infrastructure, transport, water and electricity, and waste is evidenced especially by the state of our tourist locations”, concluded Bagley.
ADPD General Secretary Dr Ralph Cassar said that the tourism industry has been receiving various forms of state aid and public resources for many years. This is money paid out of the taxes that we all contribute. “We are not just referring here to subsidies but also to administrative decisions, including planning regulations aimed at benefitting the tourism industry at the expense of the residential community. They always want more! In 2019, almost 3 million tourist visited Malta – a large number of visitors that was of a considerable burden on the country’s infrastructure.
One simple measure is for tourists to contribute towards the impact of their use of the country’s resources through the tourism tax (or better that on hotel beds) – currently at 50 cents daily up to a maximum of 5 euros: this should be revised upwards without a maximum limit in order to better reflect the impact of tourism on the infrastructure. The income from such tax should support public transport, clean modes of travel and security on our roads, together with better waste management. It is not fair that Maltese residents subsidise tourists – this does not make sense! One must also mention that certain operators behave in such an arrogant manner that makes them believe that they should be allowed to do as they please. One specific case is that of Zammit Tabona, cruises operator to Blue Lagoon in Comino who is insisting against any form of the necessary controls that are required in such a protected zone. Indeed, such an operator should lead by example and should be made to contribute financially to make up for the fact that he is exploiting this natural zone for profit!” concluded Cassar.
ADPD – The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo referred to the impact of tourism and air travel on climate. Currently there is an ongoing debate regarding a tax on aviation fuel. This is one of the essential measures needed to enable the reduction of 55 per cent of greenhouse emissions by 2030. This initiative is aimed to ensure that the price of an air flight includes all costs, include those caused by emissions. This can be carried out either by a tax on air travel or else through the use of alternative means of transport, as a result of which the tax can be avoided legally, with the resultant decrease of the environmental impacts. In mainland Europe the use of trains is many a time a good alternative for air travel not just due to its efficiency but also in generating less environmental impacts. In Malta’s case this can also be used in a limited way. This leads to an increase in the cost of air travel and the number of tourists – both incoming as well as Maltese that travel abroad.
Although there must be concessions for those who live on isolated islands, tourism must carry the weight of its own impacts: this is what social and environmental justice demands! It is in Malta’s interest that the impact of mass tourism is contained before it is too late. The aviation industry must be encouraged through economic means such as taxation to restructure itself. More sustainable means of transport should be supported if we really mean to address climate change. Let us all remember that like all island states, Malta included, as well as coastal communities, will be the first to suffer some of the worsts repercussions of climate change: the increase in sea level. Climate will not consider our special situation or our economic considerations – nature does not discriminate: it will roll over us as it did elsewhere!
Tourism is at a cross road. It needs to adapt to the impact of climate change. This is tourism’s future… and not tax exemptions, concluded Cacopardo.
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L-impatti tat-turiżmu fuq il-bidla fil-klima
Waqt konferenza stampa f’Tas-Sliema, d-Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Dr Melissa Bagley qalet li minkejja li l-parlament approva mozzjoni dwar ‘l-emerġenza tal-bidla fil-klima’, imbagħad jibqgħu jappoġġjaw politika li tmur kontra l-miżuri li hemm bżonn jittieħdu biex niffaċċjaw din l-emerġenza. “ Meta se ngħaddu għall-azzjoni?”
Bagley saħqet li hemm bżonn li l-industrija turistika tiġi ristrutturata. “Din l-industrija qed tiekol aktar u aktar spazji pubbliċi bl-appoġġ tal-gvern u b’detriment tal-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħna lkoll. Xi eżempji riċenti huma l-isfreġju tal-bini tal-lido fix-xatt tal-Gżira u l-attentat biex jittieħed il-baħar u l-kosta f’Marsaskala għal marina. Il-Gvern biddel kemm-il darba l-policies dwar l-ippjanar biex jippermetti l-espansjoni u l-bini ta’ aktar u aktar lukandi. Gvern wara ieħor biddel ukoll l-kundizzjonijiet ta’ art mogħtija suppost għal lukandi biex jippermettu l-ispekulazzjoni u appartamenti residenzjali jew uffiċini flokhom. Dan l-aħħar, kif ilu jiġri f’bajjiet popolari, kellna l-invażjoni ta’ Kemmuna minn operaturi li jitħallew jagħmlu li jridu f’isem ‘l-ekonomija’. L-impatti tat-turiżmu bla kontroll fuq l-infrastruttura, it-trasport, l-ilma u l-elettriku, u l-iskart, kif tixhed l-kriżi ta’ żibel fiz-zoni turistiċi huma kbar.
Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD – The Green Party, Dr Ralph Cassar qal li l-industrija tat-turiżmu ilha tirċievi kull xorta ta’ għajnuna u riżorsi pubbliċi tul is-snin. Dan mit-taxxi li nħallsu lkoll kemm aħna. “Mhux biss sussidji imma ukoll deċiżjonijiet amministrattivi, inkluż regoli tal-ippjanar imfassla biex taġevola lill-industrija tat-turiżmu għad-detriment tal-komunità residenzjali. Dejjem iridu iżjed! Fl-2019, ġew Malta viċin it-3 miljun turist. Numru kbir li jitfa’ piż mhux żgħir fuq l-infrastruttura tal-pajjiż.
Miżura sempliżi meħtieġa hija li t-turisti jagħmlu tajjeb għall-użu tar-riżorsi f’pajjiżna hija li t-taxxa fuq it-turiżmu (jew aħjar is-sodod tal-lukandi) li preżentement hi ta’ 50 ċenteżmu kuljum sa massimu ta’ 5 Ewro, tiġi aġġustata ‘l fuq u jitneħħa l-massimu, biex tirrifletti aktar mill-qrib l-impatti tat-turiżmu fuq l-infrastruttura. Id-dħul minn din it-taxxa għandu jsostni t-trasport pubbliku, mezzi nodfa ta’ trasport u s-sigurtà fit-toroq, kif ukoll l-immaniġġjar kif suppost tal-iskart. Mhux ġust li r-residenti ta’ Malta jissussidjaw lit-turist – dan ma jagħmilx sens! Ta’ min isemmi wkoll l-arroganza ta’ ċertu operaturi li jaħsbu li għandhom jitħallew jagħmlu li jridu. Każ speċifiku huwa Zammit Tabona, operatur tal-cruises lejn il-Blue Lagoon f’Kemmuna li qed jargumenta kontra kull forma ta’ kontrolli meħtieġa f’żona protetta bħal Kemmuna. Anzi, dan l-operatur għandu jagħti l-eżempju u jkun obbligat li jikkontribwixxi finanzjarjament għall-fatt li qed jesplojta żona naturali għall-profitt!
Iċ-Chairperson ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo tkellem fuq l-impatti tat-turiżmu u t-trasport bl-ajru fuq il-klima. Bħalissa qed isir kjass minn ċertu politiċi dwar taxxa fuq l-fjuwil li jintuża mill-ajruplani. Din hija waħda minn diversi miżuri meħtieġa biex sal-2030 tinlaħaq mira ta’ tnaqqis ta’ 55 fil-mija tal-gassijiet serra. Inizjattiva ta’ din ix-xorta jkollha l-iskop li l-prezz tat-titjiriet bl-ajru jirrifletti l-ispejjeż kollha li jkun hemm fit-titjira, inkluż dawk ikkawżati mill-emmissjonijiet. Dan iwassal biex jew tinġabar taxxa minn fuq dawk li jivvjaġġaw bl-ajru inkella li jkunu użati mezzi alternattivi ta’ transport u b’hekk il-ħlas tat-taxxa jkun evitat legalment, u jonqsu l-impatti. Fl-Ewropa kontinentali l-ferrovija ħafna drabi hi alternattiva tajba għall-ivvjaġġar bl-ajru mhux biss għax hi ġeneralment effiċjenti imma fuq kollox għax tiġġenera inqas impatti ambjentali. Fil-każ tagħna, iżda din l-alternattiva hi limitata fl-użu. Dan bla dubju jżid l-ispiża tal-ivvjaġġar bl-ajru u inevitabbilment fin-numru ta’ turisti: kemm dawk li jiġu f’Malta kif ukoll ta’ Maltin li jmorru banda oħra.
Filwaqt li għandu jkun hemm konċessjonijiet għal min jgħix fuq gżejjer iżolati, it-turiżmu għandu jerfa’ l-piż tal-impatti tiegħu: hekk titlob il-ġustizzja soċjali u ambjentali. Huwa fl-interess ta’ Malta li l-impatti tat-turiżmu tal-massa jitrażżan qabel ma jkun tard wisq. L-industrija tal-avjazzjoni trid tiġi mbottata b’mezzi ekonomiċi bħat-tassazzjoni biex tirridimensjona ruħha. Mezzi aktar sostenibbli ta’ trasport iridu jiġu aġevolati jekk verament irridu niġġieldu l-bidla fil-klima. Niftakru biss illi bħall-istati gżejjer kollha, Malta inkluża, kif ukoll il-komunitajiet mal-kosta, inkunu minn tal-ewwel li jkollna niffaċċjaw uħud mill-agħar impatti tat-tibdil fil-klima: l-għoli tal-livell tal-baħar. Il-klima tiġi taqa’ u tqum kemm mill-kaz speċjali tagħna, kif ukoll mill-ekonomija. In-natura ma tużax deskriminazzjoni! Tibqa’ għaddejja minn fuqna kif għamlet ma’ ħaddieħor.
Tajjeb li naħsbu dwar dan, għax it-turiżmu qiegħed f’salib it-toroq. Jeħtieġ li jaddatta ruħu bi tħejjija għall-impatti tat-tibdil fil-klima. Dan hu l-futur tat-turiżmu, u mhux l-eżenzjoni mit-taxxa ikkonkluda Cacopardo.
