Accomodation tops tourist complaints in Malta

Accommodation has drawn the most tourist complaints submitted to the Malta Tourism Authority.

The Malta Tourism Authority received 1,182 complaints between 1 January 2025 and 30 October 2026, Tourism Minister Jo Etienne Abela told Parliament on Tuesday.

He was responding to a parliamentary question submitted by Alex Perici Calasscione, who asked how many complaints the authority received from tourists in 2025 and 2026 and requested a breakdown by category.

The figures tabled with the reply show that accommodation and lodging accounted for 162 complaints, followed by consumer rights, prices and commercial practices with 141. Together, the two categories made up just over a quarter of all complaints.

After accommodation and consumer issues, the most common complaints were about how visitors were treated. The authority received 123 complaints about customer service and staff conduct. Another 113 concerned licensing and compliance with rules, while 107 were about safety and personal security.

The complaints also reflected how visitors experienced public spaces and got around, with cleanliness and waste management drawing 84 complaints, ahead of noise and public nuisance at 73 complaints. Transport and mobility accounted for 68, with a further 64 concerning infrastructure and public spaces.

Among the services and places visitors used, guides, attractions and other tourist services drew 60 complaints. Beaches and coastal areas followed with 55, while restaurants, bars and food hygiene drew 50 complaints.

The authority also recorded 54 complaints about the environment and animal welfare, 23 about accessibility for people with disabilities and five under other complaints.