News • 02 March 2003

Tourism minister admits mistakes of the past

Julian Manduca reportingFollowing hot on the heals of Din L-Art Helwa’s AGM, when president Martin Scicluna called for a moratorium on tourism development, the minister for tourism has indicated Malta will take a step in that direction.

Minister Michael Refalo did not go as far as to say that no new hotels should be built but he did admit that many mistakes were made in the past and said the Malta Tourism Authority has "withdrawn all new hotel building incentives."

Refalo said "as far as investment areas are concerned policy direction points towards locations that have already been disturbed by human intervention as well as others with a low impact on the environmental and social aspects."

His comments will not satisfy environmentalists, but this is a far cry from the time when Refalo used to say "how can I refuse people who want to build hotels, when others are given permission."

The tourism minister told his fellow Rotarians: "it is sadly true that until not so many years ago, whenever and wherever tourism development was proposed was proposed, little thought was given to the environment."

"Gradually, better late than never, the realisation that grave errors of judgement had been made, began to filter through the haze of success."

Refalo’s admissions will bring smiles to some, but the stark reality is that, even if Refalo may have had a change of heart, Malta still lacks the mechanisms to achieve sustainability in tourism land use planning.