[WATCH] MHRA worried with rise in unlicensed accommodation

MHRA President wants a level playing field for the accommodation sector in Malta • Video by Ray Attard

The President of MHRA Tony Zahra said that this was an excellent year for the tourism industry, but he insisted that unlicensed accommodation was on the increase.

Speaking during the presentation of the third-quarter statistics on hotel accommodation by BOV and Deloitte, Zahra said that anyone who wants to come into the accommodation market, has to have the same level playing field as the others.

A survey carried out by the MHRA shows that private accommodation was increasing its market share in the tourism sector in Malta. The statistics also show that, on the contrary, there was a reduction in the overall number of collective accommodation bed nights.

Zahra also mentioned the government’s Budget measure to introduce a tourist environmental contribution. He said that this contribution should be imposed not only on the people that stay in hotels and other accommodations, but on every tourist that comes to Malta.

Speakers noted that the effort of the tourism industry to market the destination in the low season has contributed to a higher growth in occupancy when compared to the third quarter of this year.

Zahra said that the reduction in seasonality is expected to go on until the end of year. “This is a clear indicator that the tourism industry is growing and achieving the desired progress.”

Tony Zahra said that the positive results are fruit of continuous co-operation between all stakeholders in the industry. He is convinced that this close co-operation will continue for the year 2016.

“We are expecting yet a new record for the coming year,” Zahra said while noting that the year 2015 was the fifth year in succession which has seen record arrivals of tourists. “This is very positive, especially since the region is still struggling with political turmoil,” he concluded.