Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1031063
14 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 23 SEPTEMBER 2018 NEWS When tourism bites back... RECENT events in Barcelona, Venice, San Sebastian and Berlin seem to alert us to a new interference with our qual- ity of life that strikes right at the heart of our inept Maltese soft power. In the first three, "anti-tourism" protests are hitting out at the inflationary effect on property prices by abnormally high lev- els of tourism. Arran, the youth wing of the radical Popular Unity Candidacy in Germany, has slashed the tyres of rental bicycles and a tour bus as ten- sions rise over the impact that Airbnb, for example, has had on the local hous- ing market. And Malta is facing its own pressures as well. St Julian's mayor Guido Dalli said that the economic benefits of tourism on localities like his, Sliema, Bugibba or Marsascala were obvious, but that one could not deny the fact that the number of tourists was also having a negative impact. These localities, he said, were the ones which suffered the most damage from tourism, as well as enjoying most of the benefits. "St Julian's is a village that never sleeps and that is an issue for the residents," he said. "We also find that while the majority of tourists and for- eigners are well-behaved, many tend to be loud, rude and disrespectful." Dalli said that many of the students that came to Malta to study English tended to be disruptive and that, in some cases, they resorted to acts of unwarranted vandalism, including urinating in the gardens or porches of private residences. He said that the number of tourists and foreigners living and working in St Julian's also put pressure on ser- vices like public transport. With five bus stops along the St Julian's main promenade, he believes the locality is well-served by the many bus routes, al- though some people still expect not to have to wait for a bus. "We find that many of the foreigners who live in our locality work in the iG- aming industry, which has been a great economical boost to Malta," Dalli said. "But they are also pushing rental prices up, way out of reach of the many Mal- tese who lived here." He said that Maltese workers on an average wage could no longer afford to rent a place in St Julian's, let alone think of buying outright. Property owners, recognising in the foreigners a target market that could bring in more income, were raising prices to make them affordable only to foreigners, and some locals, on a high salary. "Maltese tenants are being chased out of St Julian's because they can no longer afford the standard of living that St Julian's, knowingly or unknowingly, has brought unto itself." Sliema mayor Anthony Chircop said that a serious study on tourist capac- ity was needed to determine, locality by locality, how many tourists and sea- sonal foreign workers the country can accommodate without placing undue burden on its infrastructure and re- sources. "Is our decision-making based on se- rious scientific studies?" he said. "No, it's not. I think we are too lax and we are giving the green light to anything and everything, as long as it generates money and business." Sliema and St Julian's tend to at- tract the most foreigners and tourists, reaching peak numbers in the summer months with the arrival of students at- tending language schools in Malta. Chircop, himself with a background in the tourism industry, said that the majority of tourists do not stay in ho- tels while in Malta but find independ- ent accommodation. This, he said, makes it impossible to monitor their stays in Malta. "As a council, we are responsible for keeping our locality clean," he said. "Unfortunately, visitors on short stays are usually less inclined to feel part of the community and do not, therefore, abide by basic customs and regula- tions." Chircop said that there was indeed such a thing as too much tourism and that the number of foreigners and visi- tors in his locality were proving to be a burden on Sliema's resources. The demand for water, for example, was resulting in a higher cost of delivery of the resource, as supply struggled to keep up with demand. "There is definitely pressure on the transport system, with visitors taxing public transport," he said. "But if that were not enough, we also see an ex- ceedingly high use of private vehicles and other organised transport, many of which only transit through Sliema, but still make a big impact." Chircop said that a bet- ter enforcement system was needed if Sliema's unique identity was to be safeguarded. It was also important to distinguish between rowdy teen tourists and more mature tourists, he said. "Along the Sliema front, at any time of day you will see teens wearing only swim- ming trunks, bikinis or otherwise half-dressed, the kind of tourists and visitors without a shred of decency," Chircop said. He admitted that the council could – and should – do more, and was cur- rently considering the possibility of commissioning some promo- tional material tailored for the locality. Many of the foreigners who live in our locality are also pushing rental prices up, way out of reach of the many Maltese who lived here I think we're not promoting the character of our town enough. We're lucky there is still a strong sense of community in Sliema, with its four parishes, and we need people to realise Sliema is not simply a holiday destination but a town with a proud history Are you feeling the strain of towns catering for tourists and foreign workers, and being unable to handle the effects of Malta's population surge? PAUL COCKS spoke to the people witnessing it first-hand Guido Dalli Mayor of St Julian's Tony Chircop Mayor of Sliema