It-turiżmu esaġerat (overtourism) hu waħda mill-problemi prinċipali tal-pajjiż illum. Hu piż fuq l-infrastruttura, fuq servizzi fil-lokalitajiet, kif ukoll fuq il-kwalità tal-ħajja tar-residenti. Hu ukoll skuża għall-ispekulazzjoni tal-art u għal pagi baxxi għal faxex sħaħ ta’ ħaddiema fil-qasam turistiku. Madanakollu l-gvern u l-partiti fil-Parlament ma jridux jaqbdu l-barri minn qrunu.  Anzi bil-kontra: kompetizzjoni ta’ ftaħir fuq il-miljuni kbar ta’ turisti, u Viżjoni 2050 li tipponta għal 4.5 miljun turist fis-sena sal-2035. Diġà se nkunu qrobna lejn  4 miljuni dis-sena stess, skont xejriet ippubblikati mill-NSO. Dan ġenn: ħsara jagħmel. Dan qaluh kelliema ta’ ADPD – The Green Party Ralph Cassar u Carmel Cacopardo waqt konferenza stampa f’Is-Swieqi s-Sibt filgħodu.

Id-Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Carmel Cacopardo qal:”Diversi lokalitajiet huma prattikament sit ta’ kostruzzjoni kontinwa. Binjiet ta’ żewġ sulari li nbnew bejn 40 u 50 sena ilu qed jitwaqqgħu biex flokhom jitilgħu blokki ta’ appartamenti u flok unit residenzjali wieħed jinħolqu pluralità ta’ units residenzjali.

Bosta minn dawn l-appartmenti qed jintużaw għal kirjiet għal perjodu qasir (short-lets) b’mod li lokalitajiet residenzjali, bħas-Swieqi, qed jiġu trasformati f’villaġġi turistiċi. Din it-trasformazzjoni tal-lokalitajiet tagħna hi żvilupp negattiv u qed tagħmel ħsara konsiderevoli kemm lill-infrastruttura tal-lokalitajiet kif ukoll lill-effiċjenza tas-servizzi li l-Kunsilli Lokali jagħmlu ħilithom biex jagħtu bl-aħjar dedikazzjoni.

Dan il-fenomenu tal-kirjiet għal perjodu qasir fuq skala kbira mhux kompatibbli maż-żoni residenzjali tagħna. Hu fenominu essenzjalment importat, prinċipalment mill-kontinent Ewropew fejn ukoll qed joħloq problemi kbar.

Il-firxa tal-akkomodazzjoni turistika fiż-żoni residenzjali teħtieġ attenzjoni bir-reqqa, liema attenzjoni hi preżentement ineżistenti. Hu essenzjali li ma jinħarġux permessi biex appartmenti jintużaw għal kirjiet għal perjodi qosra mingħajr ma jkun hemm qbil minn qabel mill-Kunsilli Lokali responsabbli. Dan hu meħtieġ għax huma biss il-Kunsilli, flimkien mar-residenti ta’ kull lokalità li għandhom l-għarfien meħtieġ biex fejn possibbli dan isir bl-inqas problemi possibbli.

Għalfejn qegħdin il-Kunsilli Lokali jekk f’din il-funzjoni tant essenzjali mhux biss huma mwarrbin, iżda injorati għal kollox?”

Is-Segretarju Ġeneral ta’ ADPD-The Green Party Ralph Cassar żied:”Bil-firxa tat-turiżmu b’ritmu mgħaġġel u bla kontroll fl-oqsma residenzjali l-politika ekonomika qegħda taħleb l-ispekulazzjoni tal-art biex tkabbar l-istatistika turistika. Tajjeb iżda li nirrealizzaw mhux biss illi diġa hawn sodod turistiċi għal madwar 5 miljun turist fis-sena, imma fuq kollox li dan mhux qed joħloq impiegi għall-Maltin fl-industrija turistika. Dan hu kkonfermat mir-rapport tal-MHRA ippubblikat ftit inqas minn tliet snin ilu fejn ġie emfasizzat li bejn l-2009 u l-2019 il-Maltin jaħdmu fit-turiżmu naqsu minn 82% għal 40.6% tal-impiegi fl-industrija, kważi bin-nofs. Dan hu kollu riżultat ta’ industrija li tħalliet tikber bl-addoċċ bl-awtoritajiet li suppost qed jirregolaw l-attività relatata jħarsu ċassi mingħajr ma jaġixxu fejn meħtieġ.

Insaqsu: kemm hawn appartamenti li nbnew bħala residenzi u li minflok qed jintużaw għal skopijiet turistiċi mingħajr ma’ huma registrati u awtorizzati għal dan l-iskop mal-Awtorità tat-Turiżmu? Dan qed iwassal biex l-abbużi fl-industrija tat-turiżmu jimbuttaw lir-residenti il-barra miż-żona residenzjali. Il-kirjiet fil-qosor għat-turiżmu jirrendu u qed jagħlfu l-abbuż.

Hemm bżonn urġenti li nsostnu lill-Kunsilli Lokali fl-isforz biex inħarsu u niddefendu l-identità tal-lokalitajiet tagħna. Il-gvern jista’ jibda billi jgħaddi t-taxxa fuq is-sodod turistiċi direttament lill-Kunsilli Lokali, minflok essenzjalment ma jtiha lura lis-settur stess. Barra minn hekk għandu jneħħi l-capping redikolu ta’ €5, u jikkunsidra jżid r-rata wkoll redikola ta’ 50 ċenteżmu kuljum għal rata li tagħmel sens u bbażata fuq l-impatti tat-turiżmu fuq il-lokalitajiet tagħna.”

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Overtourism is harmful – ADPD

Overtourism is one of the principal problems of current-day Malta.  It puts a strain on infrastructure, local services, as well as the quality of life of residents.  It is used to justify land speculation and low wages for workers in the tourism industry.  In spite of this, the government and the parties in Parliament do not want to grab the bull by its horns and address the problem.  On the contrary, at times it is more of a boasting competition about the millions of tourists passing through Malta, and the Vision 2050 which aims at hitting the target of 4.5 million tourists a year by 2035.  It is enough to know that projections by the NSO already indicate that the 4 million mark will be within reach this year. This is utter madness, and the consequences will not be pretty.  This was the main message delivered by speakers for ADPD – The Green Party Ralph Cassar and Carmel Cacopardo during a press conference in Swieqi this Saturday morning.

ADPD – The Green Party Deputy Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said: “Various localities are practically perpetual building construction sites.  Two-storey buildings built around 40 to 50 years ago are being demolished to make way for blocks of apartments, and instead of a single residential unit there are now multiple residential units.  Quite a number of these apartments are being used as short-let rentals in a way that is transforming residential areas into tourist villages. Swieqi is one such case.

This transformation of these localities is a negative development and is considerably harmful to the infrastructure of the localities as well as the efficiency of local services offered by the local councils dedicated to doing their best to do so.

The phenomenon of short-term renting on such a large scale is not compatible with our residential zones.  It is essentially a practice that has been imported from mainland Europe, where serious problems are now being encountered.

The increase in tourist accommodation in residential areas demands close scrutiny and attention, which is currently non-existent in Malta.  Permits for short-term rentals should not be granted without the consent of the local council concerned.  This is necessary as it is only the local councils, together with residents from each locality, who have the local knowledge to ensure that this is done with the least inconvenience and harm to the locality concerned.  Why are local councils, which are so necessary to this, are being completely ignored?

The ADPD-The Green Party Secretary General Ralph Cassar added: “With the spread of fast-paced tourism and with no control in residential areas, the current political and economic approach is to maximise on land speculation to inflate the tourism statistics.    Tourism is essential for our economy, but it is worth realising that while we already have enough beds for 5 million tourists a year, this industry is not creating jobs for the Maltese within the same industry.  This has been confirmed in the report published by the MHRA three years ago, in which it was emphasised that between 2009 and 2019, the number of Maltese working in tourism went down from 82% to 40.6% of the tourism industry labour force, down by just over half within ten years.  This is the result of an industry that has been allowed to grow unchecked, whilst the authorities entrusted with the regulation of activities in the industry sit idly by. 

We ask: how many apartments have been originally built for residential use but are now being used as short-let rentals for tourism purposes without being registered and authorised by the Tourism Authority?  This is leading to more abuse in the tourism industry, pushing out residents from residential zones.  Short-let rentals for tourism may generate income but it also fuels the abuse.

There is an urgent  need to involve the local councils in the effort to defend and retain the identity of our localities.   The government could kickstart this by passing on taxes collected on tourist beds directly to local councils instead of channelling it back into the sector.  In addition to this, the government should remove the capping of 5 euro, which is ridiculous, and increase  the paltry 50 cent daily tax to one which reflects the impact that tourism has on our localities.”