MHRA emphasises law enforcement and better vaccine roll-out in reaction to new COVID measures

"The major political challenge which Government needs to shoulder at this stage revolves around whether the latest announced measures will deliver the desired outcomes," the association said

Law enforcement and a successful vaccine roll-out will be key in supporting the tourism sector long term, said the Malta Hotels and Retaurants Association.

In a statement published on Thursday, MHRA expressed concern that further measures adopted without necessary enforcement could provide a major blow to the tourism and hospitality sector.

"The new measures announced by Government are focused on the restaurants sector, which means that many businesses in this sector will be suffering yet another major economic blow, for some even with fatal consequences, despite that the majority have over the past difficult year abided to the protocols imposed by the relevant authorities," their statement reads.

The association stated that root issues, such as enforcement, remain unaddressed, in turn risking more serious consequences in the tourism sector.

“One may increase and impose a plethora of new measures, however if enforcement is not carried out efficiently and be seen by all that is so, the situation may get more serious," MHRA President Tony Zahra asserted.

MHRA said that this would require more resources to be deployed on this front, with responsibilities currently held by tourism authorities being equally shared with the Police Force and Health Authorities. 

"It is evident that if protocols and licensing conditions remain to be breached by irresponsible operators and individuals then the situation in the coming months is going to prove fatal to honest and hardworking operators and employees working in the travel, tourism, and hospitality sectors," the association remarked.

MHRA expressed further concern on the COVID vaccine roll-out, and has called on government to provide reassurance that Malta will be among the first EU states to have citizens fully vaccinated, and accordingly work towards re-launching the economy through tourism.

"The major political challenge which Government needs to shoulder at this stage revolves around whether the latest announced measures will deliver the desired outcomes."

"Government must pull up its socks and focus efforts on enforcement, enhanced economic support to tourism operators, who now cannot afford to carry further such pressures, more efficient and target oriented roll out of the vaccine amongst the people and better communication with the stakeholders who with their expertise can only help out in a such dire situation."