Number of massage parlours unknown after 2016 law revision

It is not possible to know the amount of massage parlours currently operating in Malta after 2016 amendments removed the need for registration beyond the generic nomenclature of health and beauty.

Information tabled in Parliament showed that there was no longer a need for a specific license to operate a massage parlour after December 2016, after Nationalist MP Edwin Vassallo asked for the number of massage parlours registered in 11 localities during the years 2015, 2016, 2017, and up to May 2018.

But the paper tabled by Economy Minister Chris Cardona only included information for 2015 and 2016 due to the amendments.

A total of 196 massage parlours were licensed in Malta and Gozo by the end of 2016, the paper revealed.

Mosta was at the top of this list, as it had 33 such outlets. Paceville and St Julians were a close second, with a total of 31 massage parlours. Sliema had 30, while Birkirkara and Gozo had 27 and 25 respectively.

The paper also stated that it could be that some of the outlets had closed without cancelling their license. There were 188 licences for massage parlours in 2015.