Tag Archives: Tourism

May 11, 2014 · 6:35 pm

A snapshot of the tourism industry in Malta

This article appeared on the The Sunday Times of Malta

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Malta is often portrayed as a safe and pleasant environment. Moreover, the smallest EU State was consistently ranked amongst the top countries in the world for its quality of life index. According to a latest economic impact report by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC, 2014), last year the travel and tourism industry in Malta has contributed to 13.6% of the country’s GDP. This figure is expected to rise by 5.6% during this year. WTTC (2014) reported that the tourism industry alone has generated more than 25,500 jobs, directly. This figure is forecast to grow to 27,000. It translates to 15.5% of the total employment in Malta and Gozo. Arguably, positive results do not come by chance. In the last decade the Maltese governments’ concerted efforts may have helped to ensure that our tourism industry remains a major contributor to the Maltese economy. The fruitful and collaborative relationships among tourism stakeholders also augur well for the sustainability of our tourism industry. Malta’s national tourism policy (2012-2016) builds on proactive frameworks of previous policies, whilst keeping pace with contemporary trends in travel and tourism.

A recent report (2013) by the economic policy department within the Ministry of Finance aimed to establish a strategy for accommodation development, whilst taking into account the type of accommodation required, the optimum mix, market developments, the market segments, limiting factors and environmental considerations. A number of actions have already been undertaken or are being dealt with in this regard. Emphasis is being placed on supporting investment in tourism product development by the private sector. This is being accomplished through the allocation of €120 million of EU structural funds (from the 2007-2013 programming periods) and additional national funding. Some €10 million were allocated to a Grant Scheme for Sustainable Tourism Projects by enterprises, including small and medium sized enterprises. This scheme directs funds towards the economic development of the tourism sector and is intended to support product upgrades, enhance accessibility, increase innovation, strengthen marketing initiatives and promote tourism projects that aim to tackle current challenges in an environmentally and socially responsible manner.
Given that a large number of tourism businesses in Malta are operating either directly in tourism or in related sectors; it is important to maintain or increase current tourist numbers and tourism earnings. While there is scope for any increase during the peak summer months, there remains room for significant improvements during the shoulder months. In response, Malta is seeking to attract tourists from a spread of markets which will be attracted by niche products. Some market segments may respect Malta’s unique heritage and may have the propensity and the resources to spend more. Malta is striving to make the islands more accessible for all. Two EU co-financed Calypso projects were implemented between 2009 and 2013. The first one focused on research analyses which define the present product offering. This project also identified certain areas which have to be addressed in order to untap the social tourism market. The Maltese tourism product and service quality can be differentiated to attract visitors with personalised services and accessibility needs. The second project was approved in 2011. Its major objectives was to assess the degree of accessibility within selected tourist zones around the Maltese Islands. It has also given recommendations for improvements. A special allocation was directed to the maintenance and promotion of rural localities by supporting the establishment of walking trails and small scale infrastructural interventions which, in turn improve rural and natural areas. This latter project is being co-funded through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.
The Malta Tourism Authority (MTA) is increasingly focusing its energies on environmental initiatives. Today’s travellers are becoming more demanding on sustainability issues and green travel. This may pose a number of challenges for the industry practitioners to constantly update their methods of operation to be in line with the constantly changing market requirements. Eco-certification is the national scheme which ensures the environmental, socio-economic and cultural sustainability of hotels in the Maltese islands. It has been recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council as fully reflecting the GSTC criteria. The scheme was launched by the Malta Tourism Authority in 2002. Some 16.2% of hotel accommodation establishments, covering 3, 4 and 5 star categories (accounting to 32% of beds) in Malta are eco-certified (MTA, 2014).

In spite of the record figures in terms of tourist arrivals, bed nights and tourist spending, the tourism stakeholders are very aware that not everything in the garden is rosy. The ToM Business Supplement reported (27th March) about a number of unlicensed accommodation establishments who last year evaded VAT and taxes. It goes without saying that such accommodation establishments may have not been subject to any form of quality control on their product. Such unlicensed accommodation establishments may have also created some distortions in price structures, particularly for hospitality enterprises. Interestingly, another ToM article (25th March) featured a summary of some findings from an MTA research about the highs and lows of tourism in Malta. For instance, it reiterated the importance of improving aesthetics in Maltese tourism zones. It reported that eight per cent of visitors said they would not return to Malta. Apparently, some informants complained of a dirty environment, excessive building, bad experiences with accommodation, poor transport and unfriendly locals. This same article hints that MTA may set up quality assurance structures as it wants to measure sustainability. It mentions some of the challenges of the tourism industry and makes a few recommendations which resonate with the national policies.

In conclusion, this contribution suggests that frequent situation analyses (and longitudinal studies) may possibly give a better picture of our product offering and service quality. Certain findings may be an eye-opener for some stakeholders as there are some issues which will have to be addressed in the foreseeable future.

The views expressed in this article are my own – Drmarkcamilleri.com

 

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March 24, 2014 · 11:44 am

Tourism’s Impact on Economic Development and Competitiveness

oecd

The latest Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) publication entitled, “Tourism Trends and Policies 2014″ provides an in‑depth analysis of the latest trends and policy developments in tourism planning for 48 OECD member and partner countries. It highlights key reforms in tourism organisation and governance with a focus on national and international issues. This report suggests that there is potential for further visa and travel facilitation policies to boost economies. Therefore, OECD (2014) is calling for a strategic, integrated approach with greater coherence among all tourism stakeholders. This publication provides comparative data on tourism taxation. It posits that tourism-related taxes may support infrastructure and tourism development. It also features some relevant information about national budgets pertaining to marketing and promotion, safety and security and environmental protection.

Travel facilitation, tourism and growth

The tourism industry directly accounts for 4.7% of GDP, 6% of employment and 21% of exports of services in OECD countries. In Europe, new estimates indicate that 6.6 million travellers from six key target markets were lost due to the visa regime in 2012, equating to EUR 5.5 billion in direct GDP contribution. As a result, governments have implemented a variety of approaches to facilitate travel, from streamlining visa processing and changing visa requirements to introducing other forms of travel authorisation and improving border processes such as e-visa, visa on arrival, automated border processing, and trusted traveller programmes.

Taxation and tourism

In recent years there has been a general increase in tourism‑related taxes, fees, and charges, including those associated with air travel, those with an environmental focus as well as incentives for investment and spending. The rationale for specific tourism‑related taxation varies from country to country. Apart from contributing to general tax revenue and supporting public investment in tourism development, other common purposes include: cost recovery for passenger processing and environmental protection; encouraging visitor spending and job creation; and funding promotional activities. Many countries have introduced reduced rates of consumption tax for tourism‑related activities – focusing primarily on hotels and restaurants – to boost tourism and stimulate employment in the sector, or tourist/VAT refund schemes to encourage visitor spending. Industry is concerned by the sheer number of levies payable by tourism operators, what they see as regular increases above inflation and the lack of a clear link with the cost of service delivery, which results in many taxes raising more than their stated objectives. The OECD will continue to work with countries to better understand how tourism‑related taxation affects the international competitiveness and attractiveness of destinations.

Key recommendations

  • Greater coherence across government policies is needed to boost tourism and economic growth. Policies such as innovation, transportation, taxation, service quality and visas influence people’s desire to travel and the competitiveness of destinations.
  • Governments should focus more on evaluating the tourism policies, given the widespread pressure on public finances in many countries. More detailed monitoring, evaluation and analysis, of existing taxes and incentives for example, would give policy makers the tools to implement evidence‑based policies to support the long‑term sustainable growth of the tourism industry.
  • Governments and the tourism industry need to develop skills to keep pace with market developments. Digital and social media require a major shift in approaches to marketing, promotion and service delivery, including tailored marketing to individual consumers and learning how to communicate with digitally‑aware tourists.
  • Closer alignment is needed between transport and tourism policy and sustainable energy policies at national and international level, given the heavy reliance of tourism on air travel and the risks associated with climate change
  • Measures that identify and facilitate high volume, low risk legitimate travellers to move more freely and efficiently should be adopted, targeting constrained resources where they are most needed to secure borders and meet economic, security and other needs.

Source: http://www.oecd.org/cfe/tourism/publication-tourism-trends-policies.htm

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March 13, 2014 · 12:44 pm

UNWTO partners with the International Hotel and Restaurant Association

wto

This week, the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) and the International Hotel and Restaurant Association (IH&RA) have consolidated their partnership in a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in matters related to sustainable hospitality. The MOU was signed on the 10th of March  (which coincided with the 1st World Hospitality Day) at Interlaken, Switzerland.

IH&RA (a UNWTO Affiliate Member) has long been a strategic partner to UNWTO. This MOU will allow both organisations to cooperate even closer towards their common goal of driving positive changes in  a number of initiatives related to the hospitality industry; including the Nearly Zero-Energy Hotels (NEZEH) Project, supporting hotels in improving their energy efficiency and reaching nearly zero energy levels.

This partnership agreement may serve as a catalyst for further cooperation agreements between private and public sectors for the best interest of all stakeholders in the hospitality industry.

Source: http://media.unwto.org/press-release/2014-03-12/unwto-and-ihra-sign-memorandum-understanding

Links:

NEZEH European Project, Nearly Zero Energy Hotel

European Commission > Energy > Intelligent Energy Europe > “Nearly Zero-Energy Hotels” (NEZEH)

Centre for Energy Efficiency in Sweden: Nearly zero energy hotels – IEE funded project

Tsoutsos, Theocharis, et al. (2013) “Nearly Zero Energy Buildings Application in Mediterranean hotels.” Energy Procedia 42: 230-238.

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January 19, 2014 · 12:51 pm

A Recent Portrait of Asian Travellers

Travelzoo Asia Pacific has released its annual subscriber survey findings that show that this year they are forecasting an increase of 17 percent in travel budgets over 2013. The results also indicate certain changes in vacation spending patterns of the Chinese travellers. It transpires that the majority of them are willing to spend more to upgrade their holiday experiences as they are opting for high-end accommodations.

shaThe Pearl landmark in Shanghai.

This survey mapped changes in consumer behavioural attitudes and it also provides a benchmark for the travel industry across the Asia Pacific region. A study was conducted among 3,400 Travelzoo subscribers between November 24 to December 15, 2013. The informants hailed from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan and Taiwan.

This quantitative study suggested that the Chinese travellers will continue to lead the region with regards to travel frequency. On average the mainland Chinese subscribers are expected to travel about 6.5 leisure trips and will spend around USD $8,200 each during 2014. These figures are followed by the Japanese segment, with 5 leisure trips and an average expenditure of USD $4,800. The Taiwanese with 4.4 leisure trips and an average expenditure of USD $6,170; and Hong Kong travellers with 4.3 leisure trips and an average spend of USD$6,900. Curiously, Australians will travel the least, with an average of 3.5 leisure trips in 2014. However, this study suggests that they will fork out the most. The Ozzies will be spending over USD $9,340 for their vacations this year.

When respondents were asked to describe their attitude towards leisure travel, 62 percent of the informants indicated that they would prefer to explore the destinations at their own pace. Fifty four percent declared that they want to rest and relax during their vacations. Almost half of the informants would like to improve on the quality of their vacation package. The informants revealed that they will spend more on hotels, food and entertainment, and less on shopping. The Chinese subscribers are willing to spend an average of USD $169 per night. This finding is in line with their willingness to spend even more for a better holiday experience.

Group Tours: Interestingly, the Group tours’ appeal continued to decline among all subscribers, with a regional average of 30 percent who will choose to travel in groups. Evidently, the Chinese like to personalise their own travel experiences as only 14 percent go for group tours, and 58 percent purchase accommodation and transportation individually.

All-Inclusive Holidays: Over 51 percent prefer all-inclusive holiday packages and purchasing accommodation and transportation only. Fifty four percent of the Chinese subscribers prefer all-inclusive holiday packages

Mobile Internet: Over 80 percent of Travelzoo Asia Pacific subscribers will be using mobile internet during their holidays. An overwhelming 98 percent of the Chinese subscribers maintained that they will do so, followed by 93 percent Hong Kong subscribers. Eighty four percent of Asian travellers held that the first thing they would do when they reach a café / restaurant or a hotel is to check for the availability of free Wi-Fi.

This study confirms that tourism in the Asia Pacific region is yet another important engine for economic growth. It shows that outbound tourism in Asia is poised to grow further in the coming years. Travel Zoo’s study has also noted some of the emerging trends in the tourism sector. As a result the travel and hospitality businesses will have to respond to their customers’ expectations by offering higher levels of personalised service as well as better quality vacation products. Those tourism practitioners are required to satisfy their customers’ needs and wants, if they want to remain competitive.

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January 10, 2014 · 8:25 pm

Consumer Behavioural Attitudes: Implications for eTourism

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Last month, the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management in collaboration with Elsevier organised the 2nd World Research Summit for Tourism and Hospitality in Orlando. During this inspiring event, one of the keynote speeches featured some interesting findings from a national US survey entitled; ‘The Portrait of American Travellers’. This quantitative study consisted of 2,511 informants (who reportedly were active leisure travellers in 2013); who reside in households with an annual income of $50,000 or more (they also included “affluent travellers” with an annual income over $125,000); who have taken at least one leisure trip of 75 miles or more from home during the previous 12 months (who have used overnight accommodations).

The survey, which was conducted during February 2013, has provided an in-depth examination of the impact of the current economic environment, prevailing social values, and emerging media habits on the travel behaviour of Americans. Unlike most surveys in the travel category this particular study explained how consumers plan, purchase and share information about their travel experiences. It also revealed some of the underlying motivations that often influence travel decisions. Respondents were selected randomly and screened before they voluntarily participated in a 45-minute online survey. The study indicated that all tests of statistical significance were made at the 95 percent level of confidence.

In a nutshell, this American study has shown that the latest advances in technological developments and additional sources of information are increasingly influencing the tourists’ choice of tourism destinations. Apparently, travellers are becoming more frugal in their purchase decisions. They are often making smarter options, seeking better value and good deals in return for their money. Travel shopping sites such as Kayak and Dealbase have gained in popularity and are now used to make travel reservations by 28 percent of travellers. Interestingly, this figure rose from a mere 15 percent in 2010. Meanwhile, six in 10 leisure travellers (58 percent) typically use an online travel agency (OTA) such as Expedia, Travelocity or Orbitz to research travel. Yet, at the same time the use of OTAs to make travel reservations is down from 66 percent in 2010 to 58 percent in 2013.

Evidently, the tourism and hospitality enterprises have become cautious in pricing their products (and services) and they often resort to revenue management tactics. This study suggests that travellers are planning to spend slightly more on travel / vacations as 82 percent of the informants have indicated that they are planning to take as many (or even more) trips in 2014 when compared to last year.

Some of the most significant results of this study include:

  • Low Cost versus Legacy Carriers: Since the cost of travel remains a major issue in influencing leisure travel preferences, it follows that half of all leisure travellers (47%) prefer travelling on a low-cost carrier. Only three in ten (30%) prefer to fly on a full-service carrier. However, one-quarter (23%) have no preference. And it should be noted that leisure travellers are significantly more likely to prefer a low-cost carrier today than in previous years – in 2010 only 42% favoured such carriers.
  • Digital Marketing: More than eight in ten leisure travellers use the internet to either obtain travel information (87%) or make travel reservations (83%). 54 percent have downloaded airline branded apps, followed by hotel branded apps (38 percent), and destination guides (27 percent).
  • E-Commerce: More leisure travellers now access the internet via a smartphone (62%) than from the office (59%). Four in ten (43%) also now access the internet from a tablet. Access to the internet via tablets jumped from 7% of all leisure travellers in 2011 to 43% in 2013.
  • Mobile E-Commerce: Smartphone usage among travellers has nearly tripled since 2010, and the act of downloading travel-related applications has also increased dramatically – from 19 percent in 2010 to 36 percent in 2013. Among travellers who have downloaded travel related apps,
  • Social Media: Only 17% of leisure travellers with household incomes over $250,000 have confidence in the information read or seen on a social media site about potential travel destinations. This is significantly lower than the percentage of those with lower household incomes; 25% of leisure travellers with household incomes of $50,000–$124,999 and 21% with household incomes of $125,000–$249,999 have confidence in social media when considering vacation destinations.
  • Word of Mouth. Eight out of ten travellers (82 percent) expressed confidence in the recommendations of friends and family members when considering vacation destinations, while six in ten (58 percent) turned to online advisory sites such as Yelp or TripAdvisor.com. Approximately four in ten travellers (41 percent) are confident in consumer reviews read on a blog, while slightly less (39 percent) are confident in articles found in newspapers, magazines, TV and radio.
  • Going Green for Green. Though eight out of 10 leisure travellers (79 percent) describe themselves as environmentally conscious, just 10 percent are willing to pay higher rates/fares for environmentally-friendly travel services, and only one in 10 (11 percent) has selected an environmentally-friendly travel service supplier who demonstrates environmental responsibility. Four in 10 (44 percent) indicated that they would probably choose an environmentally-friendly travel supplier who expresses concern about the environment over one who does not.
  • Consumer Outlook: Three-fourths of leisure travellers (73%) are optimistic about their own future and the future of their children (73%), while six in ten are optimistic about the future of their job (62%) or company (61%).

For more information about these latest travel and tourism industry insights are also available on MMG Worldwide.

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December 25, 2013 · 9:23 pm

Key trends in Tourism for 2014

itb

The annual ITB World Travel Trends Report has indicated that Asia is among the major forces driving the international tourism market. According to IPK International, many Asian countries have experienced impressive growth in travel and tourism. In a nutshell, their findings indicate that the Chinese are becoming frequent travellers as their affluent Japanese neighbours are spending considerably less in tourism and hospitality products. Apparently, the Chinese market is now the world’s number one when it comes to travel expenditure. This report also suggests that Chinese tourists rank second for travelling abroad and are fourth for overnight stays.

In 2012 the Chinese citizens have made around 45 million trips abroad and spent approximately 84.4 billion dollars. Overall, international departures from Asia have increased by eight per cent during the first eight months of 2013. It is the Chinese market which has actually contributed towards this trend. There was an astonishing 26 per cent increase in Chinese travelling internationally over the previous year. On the other hand, the Japanese have travelled less (i.e. -2 per cent). For 2014, the Chinese people are expected to travel even more than this year, as departures are forecasted to increase by around 18 per cent.

In a similar vein, this year’s arrivals in Asia were very encouraging. According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), between January and August, international arrivals grew by 6.3 per cent when compared to 2012. There was an increased demand for Southeast Asia and Southern Asia as tourism arrivals grew by 12 per cent and 6 per cent, respectively. There was a growth rate of 4 per cent in the Pacific region. Arrivals in northeast Asia rose by three per cent.

The Chinese market was the most eager to travel among other Asian countries. Their holiday stay (which exceeded four nights) have risen by 28 per cent, whereas short trips / weekend breaks have increased by around 21 per cent. This sharp surge in tourism figures shows that the Chinese have emerged as the world biggest spenders, averaging around USD 1,765 per trip. Apparently, their main reason for travelling abroad is for holiday / vacation purposes. Such trips rose by 30 per cent this year. City breaks and beach holidays also became very popular for this market segment. At six per cent, the business travel market (which also comprises MICE) grew moderately on the previous year.


Typically, the Chinese travelled mainly within Asia, while long-haul trips to Europe and America followed in the second place. Interestingly, this travel boom is set to continue as experts are predicting that the Chinese will be just as eager to travel during 2014. Around 44 per cent of the respondents from China declared that they intended to travel more next year. Although, only seven per cent of Chinese citizens earn more than 15,000 dollars a year, the country’s competitiveness and economic growth prospects are bringing a demographic shift that is characterised by a fast-growing, wealthy middle class. This is in stark contrast to other Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. For instance, international trips in Japan fell by an overall two per cent, while overnights and spending dropped by three and six per cent, respectively. To add insult to injury, the business travel market has suffered even worse than holiday trips in Japanese destinations. Generally, there was a downward spiral in demand for long-haul destinations. In 2012, long trips have dropped by around 20 per cent in the Asian continent. This was largely offset by an increase in city breaks and beach holidays. Very few of the respondents from Japan said they wanted to travel more than this year despite Japan’s economy is on the road to recovery. It is likely that the Japanese market will probably stagnate in 2014.


By and large, tourism forecasts are indicating a growing eagerness for travel and tourism over the next few years. This is mainly attributed to the Chinese economic growth and its expanding middle class, that is both educated and young. Moreover, the emerging low cost carriers in the region are making travelling much easier and affordable.

More information is available here: http://www.ipkinternational.com/en/read-news/article/34/?cHash=28b716052bd119810a0926c5bd416005

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August 25, 2013 · 7:48 pm

Sustainable Tourism Indicators for EU Destinations

The European Commission has developed a European Tourism Indicators System (ETIS) for Sustainable Management at Destination Level, which is a comprehensive system, simple to use, flexible and suitable for all tourism destinations.

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The system is designed to be used by tourism destinations to monitor, manage, measure and enhance their sustainability performances, without the need of any specific training. Motivations for tourism destination monitoring include:

•Improved information for decision making
•Effective risk management
•Prioritization of action projects
•Performance benchmarking
•Improved community buy-in and support for tourism stakeholders
•Enhanced visitor experience
•Increased bottom-line / cost savings
•Increased value per visitor

Source: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/sectors/tourism/sustainable-tourism/indicators/documents_indicators/eu_toolkit_indicators_en.pdf

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June 29, 2013 · 4:44 pm

Tourism in the Green Economy

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The UNWTO – UNEP’s 2012 report entitled, ‘Tourism in the Green Economy’ demonstrates how increased investment in sustainable tourism has the potential to boost the sector’s contribution to economic growth, development and job creation, while simultaneously addressing the major environmental challenges of the times. The report also highlights that, while tourism is one of the most promising drivers of growth for the world economy, its development is accompanied by sustainability-related challenges. It recommends an increased investment of global GDP per year from 2012 to 2050 in order to allow the tourism sector to continue to grow steadily and ensure significant environmental benefits such as reductions in water consumption, energy use and CO2 emissions. Findings call for a better access to tools and financing for SMEs in particular from governments and international organizations through public-private partnerships and also for public policies and support to encourage private investment in green tourism.

The report is an extension of the Tourism Chapter of the Green Economy Report, which makes the case for investments in greener and sustainable tourism as a means to create jobs and reduce poverty while improving environmental outcomes.

 

Source: World Tourism Organisation (2012) Tourism in the Green Economy: Background Report Url:  http://sdt.unwto.org/en/content/publications-1 accessed on the 29th June 2013.

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April 23, 2013 · 10:38 am

Existing Policies on Tourism and Sustainable Development in the Maltese context

Tourism is an economic activity capable of generating growth and employment whilst contributing to economic development and social integration.  The EU tourism industry generates more than 4% of the EU’s GDP, varying from 2% (in some EU states) to 12% in Malta. When related sectors are taken into account, the estimated contribution of tourism to GDP creation is much higher. In recent years, employment growth within this sector has been significantly higher than others in the economy. The tourism and hospitality industries are particularly important when it comes to offering career opportunities to young people, who represent twice as much of the labour force than in other areas of the economy.

 

Malta drew up a strategy for sustainable development in the aftermath of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, which was held in 1992. The governments of almost all nations committed themselves to adopt a sustainable strategy so as to build upon and harmonise the various sectors’ economic, social and environmental policies. The basic goal of such a strategy was to ensure socially responsible economic development whilst protecting the resource base and the environment for the benefit of future generations. In September 2000, some 150 Heads of States, including the Maltese counterpart signed the Millennium Declaration. They reaffirmed their support to the principles of sustainable development and Agenda 21. They also agreed on the Millennium Development Goals, including the need to integrate the principles of sustainable development into country policies and programmes and reverse the loss of environmental resources.

 

The Tourism Policies (Malta Tourism Policies, 2008-2011; 2012-2016) and the National Environment Policy Draft (NEPD) for Consultation issued through the Office of the Prime Minister (2011) attempt to address the issues of sustainable development in the Maltese context. The NEPD covers potential areas of contention such as the construction of the buildings of tourism establishments, environmental protection, environmental stewardship and public participation in the environmental issues. This policy ensures that the construction of tourism development should be sustainable and should not harm sensitive ecological habitats. Similarly, it has been suggested that there should be no degradation of historical-cultural resources. NEPD sought to encourage the general public to actively participate in environmental management and to take action on environmental issues. There was a growing recognition that the concept of environmental stewardship had to be universal, and not just limited to the public sector or non-governmental organisations. The empowerment of citizens to take responsibility for the environment was the focus of the Aarhus Convention (1998), which Malta has also signed and ratified. Malta has also transposed the two EU directives related to the Aarhus Convention on access to information and public participation into its national legislation. Interestingly, Malta is fully compliant with the EU Directives relating to public participation, although there is the potential to refine its current practices. Malta’s environmental policy’s strategy rests on the following 5 pillars of sustainability:

 

· “Providing easily-accessible information about the state of the environment;

· Educating citizens, the private sector, local government and policy and decision-makers, about the environment;

· Providing information to consumers about the environmental impacts of products, services and activities through eco-labelling;

· Working with stakeholders, encouraging and supporting the role of the voluntary sector, particularly environmental non-governmental organisations, in environmental protection;

· Encouraging local government to take a stronger role in environmental protection” (Malta’s National Environment Policy Draft, 2011).

 

Moreover, the tourism policies (2008-2011; 2012-2016) encourage the provision of training which is highly required for young people and those who are willing to work in the tourism sectors. The tourism studies lead to the delivery of a quality service and hence to the industry’s competitiveness. The investment in human resources at all levels is deemed essential towards improving the tourism product. The ‘new’ tourism policy (covering the period 2012-2016) addresses the shortcomings of appropriate skills and  knowledge which are highly demanded and valued by the hospitality sector. The tourism stakeholders want to ensure that training is available for all those who want to work in the industry. The training structures must continuously improve the quality assurance and standards of training. They must ensure that such training is in line with the requirements of the industry; in terms of availability and accessibility of courses. Training the future’s human resources is the key to delivering a positive experience to Malta’s prospective visitors. The policy suggests that training is already being delivered by specialised personnel (at the Institute of Tourism Studies and through MTA’s Tourism Training and HR Development Department) capable of meeting the needs of the industry. In addition, the policy does not exclude the possibility of private training enterprises which may deliver recognised qualifications from accredited overseas institutions. Lifelong learning opportunities are being provided for those interested to start or to continue working in the tourism sector. Following Malta’s EU membership in 2004, the ministry for tourism has made good use of the European Social Funds (ESF), which together with national funds, has successfully co-funded such training initiatives.

 

The Maltese tourism policy (2012-2016) strives to address the contentious issues about middle-aged unemployment and female workforce participation in the labour market. According to this policy, it is crucial to minimise staff turnover. It encourages staff retention, particularly female employees. This can only be achieved if and when the necessary support structures and work patterns are available and accepted. The national action plan (Ministry for Tourism and Culture, 2012) presents the necessary guidelines to encourage such improved work practices, which are to be taken up by the private sector. The Maltese government’s objective in the tourism sector is to have the right environment which leads to the creation of more and better jobs, as specified in the National Action Plan for Employment (see Ministry for Tourism and Culture, 2012).

Tourism and Sustainable Development Policies in Malta

Malta Tourism Authority

Tourism and Sustainable Development Unit, Ministry for Tourism in Malta

Institution of Tourism Studies

Draft National Environment Policy, Malta

A look inside Malta’s new, national environment policy

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