Fi tmiem tal-istaġun tas-sajf, nistgħu niflu l-impatti tat-turiżmu fuqna bħala pajjiż fid-dawl ta’ dak li għaddejna minnu f’dan l-aħħar staġun. Dan wara li esperjenzajna sajf li juri li numri kbar ta’ turisti reġgħu għażlu lil Malta bħala destinazzjoni għall-btala tagħhom. 

Sandra Gauci, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party qalet:”Kif rajna b’għajnejna, dawn kontinwament ħolqu inkonvenjenzi għar-residenti f’lokalitajiet li huma  żoni turistiċi: dawn kulma jmur qegħdin jisfaw il-vittmi ta’ storbju, ħmieġ u nuqqas ta’ rispett ta’ kull tip. Dan it-tip ta’ turiżmu, dak tal-massa, huwa riżultat ta’ reklamar tal-pajjiż bħala party island li qed jiġbed turisti li jiġu hawn għax konvinti li jistgħu jagħmlu li jridu, jilbsu (jew jinżgħu)  kif iridu u jdejqu lin-nies. Sfortunatament, dan kollu jagħmluh bla xkiel għax l-infurzar tista’ tgħid ma jeżistix. Postijiet bħal San Pawl il-Baħar, San Ġiljan, Tas-Sliema u s-Swieqi sfaw vittmi ta’ inċidenti li setgħu jiġu evitati li kieku kellna nitfa infurzar. Pero dan jew ma sarx jew sar b’mod fjakk. Kienu r-residenti li batew il-konsegwenzi, imma donnu dan ftit li xejn huwa ta’ interess għall-awtoritajiet. L-aqwa li r-rota ddur għal min jimpala l-Euros.”

“Kif ħabbarna iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa, il-Kunsill Lokali ta’ San Pawl il-Baħar approva mozzjoni proposta minni biex id-dħul mill-ekotaxxa fuq it-turiżmu tibda tgħaddi  għand il-Kunsill. Dan għandu japplika kull fejn hemm akkomodazzjoni turistika fil-bliet u l-irħula ta’ Malta u Għawdex. Huwa ta’ għajb li l-kunsilliera tal-PL ta’ San Pawl il-Baħar ivvotaw kontra l-interessi tal-lokalita li suppost qed jirrapprezentaw. Ma ninsewx li huma lokalitajiet bħal tagħna li l-aktar isofru l-konsegwenzi tat-turiżmu tal-massa, bħal ħmieġ, storbju u stress fuq l-infrastruttura bħalma hi s-sistema tad-drenaġġ. Huma r-residenti ta’ dawn il-lokalitajiet li qegħdin jesperjenzaw tnaqqis fil-kwalità tal-ħajja. Nirringrazzja lil kull min ta sapport għall-mozzjoni li pprezentajt, li jawgura tajjeb għal iktar kooperazzjoni fil-futur.”

Is-Segretarju Ġenerali ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, Ralph Cassar żied: ”Mal-proposta li l-ekotaxxa tmur direttament għand il-Kunsilli Lokali, qed nipproponu wkoll li jitneħħa immedjatament il-capping redikolu ta’ €5, u tiżdied ir-rata ta’ 50 ċenteżmu kuljum għal rata li tagħmel sens u bbażata fuq l-impatti tat-turizmu fuq il-lokalitajiet tagħna. Nistennew lill-Ministru għat-Turiżmu Ian Borg jieħu azzjoni minnufih.”

“Nipproponu wkoll li b’mod immedjat tiġi rtirata l-policy tal-ippjanar li tagħti l-possibilità lil-lukandi jżidu s-sulari aktar mill-għoli stabilit fil-pjanijiet lokali. L-NSO irrappurtat fit jiem ilu li fit-tieni kwart tas-sena 2025 in-numru ta’ turisti fil-lukandi żdied bi 8.1% fuq l-istess perjodu tas-sena 2024. Huwa ċar li mhux talli hemm biżżejjed sodod, iżda li din il-politika tal-gvern qed twassal għal turiżmu esaġerat li aktar jagħmel ħsara milli ġid. Residenti f’żoni turistiċi, bir-raġun, m’għadhomx jaraw it-turist bħala mezz ta’ sostenn għall-ekonomija għax it-turiżmu bla rażan qed iwassal għal degradazzjoni tal-kwalità tal-ħajja tagħhom. Hemm bżonn li b’urġenza, il-Gvern iniedi studju dwar il-carrying capacity turistika ta’ Malta, studju li diġà sar xi snin ilu mill-MHRA u li allura jeħtieġ li jkun aġġornat. Is-sodod turistiċi jonqsu jridu mhux jiżdiedu. Ma nistgħux nibqgħu nippakkjaw in-nies bla ebda ħsieb. F’dal-kuntest il-Viżjoni 2050 tal-gvern juri li l-pjan tal-gvern huwa li jkompli jżid it-turisti għal 4.5 miljuni fis-sena sal-2035. Dan hu ġenn.”

“Nerġgħu 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? X’se jagħmel effettivament il-gvern biex irażżan l-abbużi fl-industrija tat-turiżmu li qed jimbuttaw lir-residenti ‘l barra miż-żoni residenzjali? Meta se jpoġġi limiti? Meta se jagħżel li jirregola minflok jagħlef l-abbuż? Huwa anke hawn li l-Kunsilli Lokali ghandhom ikollhom rwol importanti. Ma jistax ikun li jibqgħu jiġu kkonvertiti residenzi f’postijiet għat-turiżmu mingħajr ma jkun hemm qbil mal-Kunsilli Lokali effettwati.”

Proposti fil-qosor:

1. Ekotaxxa – rata aktar għolja minn 50 ċenteżmu kuljum, tneħħija tal-capping ta’ €5; l-ekotaxxa tmur għand il-kunsilli lokali proporzjonalment għat-turisti li joqgħodu fil-lokalità;
2. Irtirar b’mod immedjat tal-policy tal-ippjanar li tagħti l-possibilità li l-lukandi jgħollu b’żewġ sulari żejda;
3. Carrying capacity urġenti; iż-żieda pjanata fit-turisti għal 4.5 miljun fis-sena fil-Viżjoni 2050 tiġi rtirata;
4. Policy biex appartamenti li nbnew bħala residenzi jibqgħu jintużaw bħala residenzi u mhux għall-akkomodazzjoni turistika
5. Ebda residenza ma tinbidel f’akkomodazzjojni turistika mingħajr il-kunsens tal-kunsilli lokali effettwati.

***

Overtourism means a lower quality of life

Now that we are nearing the end of the summer season, we are in a position to take stock of the season and draw some conclusions on the impact tourism has had on our country.  This needs to be done after witnessing significant numbers of tourists choosing to visit Malta as their holiday destination.

ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Sandra Gauci said:”As we have seen for ourselves, these numbers have created much inconvenience to residents in tourist zones, who end up being victims to noise, trash, rowdiness and inappropriate behaviour of all kinds. This is the result of mass tourism and the result of marketing our country as a party island, giving tourists the impression that they can do what they want, dress (and undress) as they want, bother residents and other anti-social behaviour at all hours of the day and night.  Unfortunately, this is allowed because there is no enforcement. Places like St Paul’s Bay, St Julian’s, Tas-Sliema, and Is-Swieqi have become victims of incidents that could have been avoided if we had more enforcement. The truth is that there is hardly any enforcement on anything in this country. The people who have to live with the consequences are the residents, and it seems that the authorities have very little interest in their well-being.  Their attitude is that as long as the economy is doing well, there is no need to bother with anything else.”

“As we had announced earlier this week, Saint Paul’s Bay Local Council has approved a motion I proposed which asks government to transfer the eco-tax paid by tourists to the council.  As a party we believe that this should apply to all towns and villages hosting tourist accommodation. It is indeed unfortunate that councillors from the Labour Party chose to engage in insults and voted against the interests of the residents of Saint Paul’s Bay. I believe that once localities like ours are the major hubs in the tourist industry, it is more than justified to have these funds allocated to the local council. Localities like ours are the ones that bear the brunt of the mass tourism, such as noise, trash, and stress on the infrastructure, such as sewage systems.  The residents of these localities are currently experiencing a decrease in the quality of life.  From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank all who supported me and the motion that I presented. This augurs well for more cooperation in the future.”

ADPD-The Green Party Secretary General Ralph Cassar added: “In addition to the proposal that the eco-tax goes directly to Local Councils, we are also proposing that the ridiculous capping of €5 be immediately removed, and that the rate of 50 cents per day be increased to a rate that makes sense, based on the impacts of tourism on our localities. We expect Tourism Minister Ian Borg to take immediate action.”

“We also propose the immediate withdrawal of the planning policy which gives hotels the possibility to increase two storeys above the height established in the local plans. The NSO reported a few days ago that in the second quarter of 2025 the number of tourists in hotels increased by 8.1% over the same period in 2024. It is clear that not only are there enough beds, but that this government’s policy is leading to overtourism,  which does more damage than good. Residents in tourist zones, quite rightly, no longer see tourists as a means of supporting the economy but see mass tourism as leading to a degradation of their quality of life. The government urgently needs to launch a study on Malta’s tourist carrying capacity. A study had already been carried out some years ago by MHRA and needs to be updated. Tourist beds need to decrease. In this context the government’s stated policy in the Vision 2050 document which shows that the government’s plan is to continue increasing tourists to 4.5 million per year by 2035 needs to be scrapped.”

“We ask: how many apartments have been built as residences and are instead being used for tourist purposes without being registered and authorised for this purpose with the Tourism Authority? What will the government do effectively to curb abuses in the tourism industry that are pushing residents out of residential areas? When will the government set limits? When will the government choose to regulate effectively? Local Councils should play an important role. It is not possible to continue converting residences into tourist accommodation without the agreement of the affected local councils.”

Summary of proposals:

1. Eco-tax – rate higher than 50 cents per day, removal of €5 cap; eco-tax goes to local councils proportionately to tourists hosted in the locality;
2. Immediate withdrawal of the planning policy which gives the possibility for hotels to increase height by an extra two storeys;
3. An urgent study on carrying capacity; the planned increase in tourists to 4.5 million per year in Vision 2050 is withdrawn;
4. A policy to ensure that apartments built as residences to continue to be used as residences and not as tourist accommodation;
5. No residence is transformed into a tourist accommodation without the consent of the affected local councils.