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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 EDITOR: PAUL COCKS BusinessToday, MediaToday, Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN9016, Malta Newsroom email: bt@mediatoday.com.mt Advertising: afarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt Telephone: 00356 21 382741 7.12.2023 E ver since Malta gained its independ- ence, tourism has contributed to Malta's development and prosperity through job creation and a multiplier effect which includes more tax revenue from VAT and spending in local shops and restaurants. But mass tourism has also taken its toll on the environment and the quality of life, increasing pressures on land use, waste, sewage, beaches, infrastructure and resources. The situation in Comino, a Natura 2000 site which has been literally over-run by day trippers sipping pineap- ple cocktails while taking up all available space, is emblematic of the crisis facing the sector. Today, this newspaper is reporting on NSO data which shows that in October, a total of 283,595 inbound tourists visit- ed Malta for holiday purposes, and 20,375 tourists came for business purposes. is amounts to a 31.3 per cent increase over October 2022. e largest share of inbound tourists were aged between 25 and 44 (37.8 per cent), fol- lowed by the 45-64 age bracket (34.4 per cent). Total nights spent went up by 30.7 per cent when compared to October 2022, surpassing two million nights. e largest share of guest nights (85.2 per cent) was spent in rented ac- commodation establishments. e average length of stay of total inbound tourists stood at 6.6 nights. This leader has previously insisted that tourist numbers cannot be taken in isola- tion from other social changes. The mas- sive increase in population as a result of the importation of foreign labour, often employed in activities related to the tour- ist industry itself, is also contributing to the pressures which are leading to a dete- rioration of the quality of life. Ironically the deterioration of the urban environment as a result of these pressures not only impacts on the quality of life of long-term residents but also erodes the long-term sustainability of the tourist in- dustry. But instead of forward planning to en- sure that we are not killing the goose lay- ing the golden eggs over the past decade we have witnessed a laissez faire approach with regards to permitting new hotels through planning policies which facilitate the approval of extra floors for hotels in urban areas. As MHRA boss Tony Zahra explained earlier this year in an interview with this newspaper, assuming that all the pend- ing applications will be approved, Malta will double the number of rooms it had in 2019, increasing the complement of tourists these hotels can accommodate to close to 5 million tourists. The reality is that nobody, including business leaders, would like to see this happen. Not only would the glut for ac- commodation undermine the viability of established hotels which uphold very high standards but it would transform the entire island in to a veritable tourist playground, undermining civic responsi- bilities and making life hell for long term residents. For it is very difficult to expect millions of people on holiday to separate and min- imize waste, keep water and electricity consumption low and not to disturb oth- ers with excessive noise. Waste is a case in point. Such an increase in tourists would simply make it impossible for the country to increase its waste reduction targets and contribute to higher rates of landfilling and incineration. Not to men- tion the impact on the cost of living as the entire island is turned into a tourist zone with tourist prices. Clearly the increased presence of a transient population which has no roots here is damaging to the so- cial fabric. Malta already cannot cope with today's tourism figures – still less with 4.7 mil- lion. What is needed is a clear plan for the future proofing of the industry based on a carrying capacity exercise which should determine the ideal number of tourists. It should also seek to attract quality tourists who spend more while appreciating Mal- ta's culture and environment. Subsequently the country should enact clear zoning rules to stop tourism from spilling over into residential areas and reverse those policies contributing to a glut in accommodation. Ultimately such a plan will not only be beneficial to Malta but also to the business sector itself, as it would guarantee a sustainable future for tourism. The alternative is a living hell which very few tourists would like to ex- perience. Tourist numbers are up... but is that such a good thing? n August 2023, the seasonally adjusted volume of retail trade decreased by 1.2% in the euro area and by 0.9% in the EU, compared with July 2023, according to estimates from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In July 2023, the retail trade volume decreased by 0.1% both in the euro area and in the EU. In August 2023 compared with August 2022, the calendar adjusted retail sales index decreased by 2.1% in the euro area and by 2.0% in the EU. In the euro area in August 2023, compared with July 2023, the volume of retail trade decreased by 3.0% for automotive fuels, by 1.2% for food, drinks and tobacco and by 0.9% for non-food products. In the EU, the volume of retail trade decreased by 2.4% for automotive fuels, by 0.9% for food, drinks and tobacco and by 0.6% for non-food products. Retail Price Volume DID U KNOW?

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