Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1147846
25.07.19 9 EDITORIAL BusinessToday is published every Thursday. The newspaper is a MediaToday publication and is distributed to all leading stationers, business and financial institutions and banks. MANAGING EDITOR: SAVIOUR BALZAN COORDINATING EDITOR: PAUL COCKS CONTRIBUTING JOURNALISTS: MASSIMO COSTA | LIAM CARTER BusinessToday, MediaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN9016, Malta Newsroom email: bt@mediatoday.com.mt Advertising: afarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt Telephone: 00356 21 382741 CLIENT-TO-CLIENT tourism has been a big development in the industry over the past decade with AirBnb being one of the foremost platforms offering this service. Malta is not immune to this change. Client-to-client tourism to Malta is believed to constitute a growing chunk of the market. information from the National Statistics Office shows that be- tween January and May this year, the number of tourists coming to Malta increased by 2.8%. Significantly, the number of tourists who chose to stay in 'other rented accommodation' rose by 13.9%, while those stay- ing in collective accommodation dropped. e vast majority of tourists who come to Malta still stay in hotels but there is another market out there that cannot be ignored. Hotel owners have long been complaining on what they describe as unfair competition posited by these client-to-client operations. ey insist that unlike hotels that have to pay various taxes and licences, these house opera- tions are unregulated and do not adhere to standards expected of collective establishments. e concerns are real but it would be a mistake to fight this phenomenon. AirBnb tourism is a reality driven by the market itself. It will continue to grow but it will never replace hotels because there is a large market segment out there that prefers staying in hotels with all the amenities they offer. What has to be done is prop- er regulation to allow these client-to-client operations to function within set standards. Rules already exist that require client-to-client operations to register with the Malta Tourism Authority. ese operations are also obliged to pay the eco-con- tribution and relevant income taxes. e State has to ensure that taxes due from these operations are collected, bringing to the sector a modicum of fair play. It is in Malta's interest to ensure that client-to-client operations offer tourists a good quality product so as not to sour the country's reputation. At the same time, hotels must continue to be creative in their offerings to tourists. Con- stant investment in amenities, entertainment and services will ensure they remain relevant to an ever-selective market. Tourism will remain an impor- tant driver of Malta's economy and everything must be done to ensure the product remains competitive. e recent enforcement opera- tion by the MTA to close down a hotel in Sliema because of poor standards is commendable. No stone should be left unturned in protecting the island's reputa- tion from the cowboys, who risk ruining it for everyone. Client-to-client tourism is a reality that needs curating